Greece’s largest island, Crete is the do-it-all destination of the Aegean. You come for the obvious: beaches, and the resorts that sit on them. But much more than that, Crete ticks many other boxes that make it an immersive European island getaway.
“Crete is known as the Zeus of the Greek archipelago,” says Maria Passarivaki, co-founder of SteMa Journeys, a Crete-and-Athens based travel planner. “The island is a tapestry of stories and has long been a crossroads of people and cultures.”
The incredible history here has been shaped by millennia of civilizations—from the ancient Minoans to the Venetians, Ottomans, and everything in between. But beyond its boundless heritage, Crete impresses with size. Spread over 3,220 square miles, Passarivaki says “you constantly forget that you are on an island,” adding that because you can find snow on many of its peaks (especially the White Mountains on the west), Crete is an all-year destination that can be just as thrilling during the year’s colder months.
Crete’s food is famous. Greeks consider its olive oil, honey, cheese, and produce some of the country’s best. In fact, the island is considered not only Greece’s breadbasket but its culinary legacy is often dubbed the quintessential Mediterranean diet. And winemaking here is in the throes of a renaissance; like much of the Mediterranean, wine has existed on Crete for thousands of years. But a phylloxera outbreak in the 1970s all but wiped out the island’s vineyards. Many farmers abandoned winemaking altogether in favor of other agricultural pursuits, but thankfully the last decade has seen a revival of Cretan viticulture.
According to SteMa’s other founder Stefanos Gogos, “As one of the most important wine-producing regions, Crete is playing an increasingly important role in the new era of Greek wine, a driving force for an excellent future.”
So if you like interspersing sugar-white beaches with archaeological sites and wine tastings, very few islands in the world will rival what Crete has to offer. Here, our guide to its four major regions.
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Chania
In the west, not only does Chania have one of the island’s two major airports, it’s also chock full of cultural, outdoor, and culinary delights. This variety of experiences makes it the perfect launchpad for the rest of the island but it can also be the focus of a more focused itinerary.
What to do: While it might be known for its 14th-century Venetian harbor, Chania actually sits on the Minoan city of Kydonia, so you know that history runs deep here. About 30 minutes east of the airport is the Archaeological Site of Aptera, a compact Minoan ruin with an amphitheater and bath complex. For a more modern take on Greek craft, visit multidisciplinary artist Manousos Chalkiadakis’s studio. While he does everything from paintings to photography, you’re really there for the striking collection of timeless ceramics.
