About Crete
Crete is Greece's largest island, with a mix of long beaches, mountain ranges, fertile plateaus and cities shaped by Minoan, Venetian and Ottoman history. Heraklion and Knossos provide the clearest introduction to the island's ancient past, while Chania and Rethymno combine historic centres with access to the west and central regions. Crete is large enough to reward more than one base. A car is useful outside the main towns, especially for villages, trailheads and remote beaches. Summer is hot and busy on the coast; spring and autumn are generally better suited to walking, sightseeing and exploring inland.
Cities(10)
Agios Nikolaos
Built around a bottomless lake connected to the sea, on the Mirabello gulf.
Chania
Venetian harbour, Ottoman lanes and the launch point for west Crete's lagoon beaches.
Elounda
Crete's luxury bay, facing the fortress island of Spinalonga.
Heraklion
Crete's capital and the gateway to the Minoan palace of Knossos.
Hersonissos
North-coast resort with a busy promenade and water parks, close to Heraklion airport.
Matala
Cave-riddled cliffs above a curved bay, a 1960s hippie legend on the south coast.
Paleochora
A peninsula town in the far southwest with sand on one side and pebbles on the other.
Plakias
South-coast village under the Kotsifou gorge, with a broad bay and quiet neighbouring coves.
Rethymno
A huge Venetian fortress above one of Greece's best-preserved old towns and a 12-kilometre beach.
Sitia
Easternmost Cretan town, a UNESCO gastronomy region and the road to Vai's palm forest.
Beaches(6)
Balos Lagoon
A shallow pink-sand lagoon on Crete's northwest tip, reached by boat or a rough track.
Elafonissi Beach
Pink shell sand and knee-deep water across a protected sandbar in southwest Crete.
Falassarna Beach
A wide west-facing sand beach known for sunsets and Atlantic-style waves.
Preveli Beach
A palm-lined river meets the Libyan Sea at the mouth of a deep gorge.
Seitan Limania
A narrow fjord-like inlet reached by a steep goat path on the Akrotiri peninsula.
Vai Beach
Europe's largest natural palm forest behind a sheltered tropical-looking bay.
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Daylight, UV and air quality in Crete
Live conditions, updated continuously — sun times calculated for this exact location.
Daylight
10h 39m
Day length
- Sunrise
- 06:45
- Sunset
- 17:25
- Golden hour
- 16:49
- Blue hour
- 17:51
2 min less daylight than yesterday
UV indexLive
Air qualityLive
Sources: Open-Meteo and our own solar calculations
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Where to stay in Crete
An interactive map of hotels and apartments in Crete, from our partner Stay22.
Weather in Crete
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Things to do in Crete
Tours and activities in Crete, from our partner GetYourGuide.
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Travel businesses that pay to be visible here.
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Related Destinations
Falassarna Beach
A wide west-facing sand beach known for sunsets and Atlantic-style waves.
Rethymno
A huge Venetian fortress above one of Greece's best-preserved old towns and a 12-kilometre beach.
Seitan Limania
A narrow fjord-like inlet reached by a steep goat path on the Akrotiri peninsula.
Heraklion
Crete's capital and the gateway to the Minoan palace of Knossos.
Chania
Venetian harbour, Ottoman lanes and the launch point for west Crete's lagoon beaches.
Matala
Cave-riddled cliffs above a curved bay, a 1960s hippie legend on the south coast.