Things to Do in Crete

Comprising two sandy stretches extending from either side of a pier, Marathi Beach overlooks the vivid blue waters of Souda Bay and the White Mountains of Chania. The beach is well sheltered from the elements, meaning the waters are waveless and calm. Traditional tavernas near the sand serve fresh fish to hungry beachgoers.

Measuring just 4.35 miles (7 kilometers) long and 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) at its widest point, Chrissi Island, also known as Gaidouronisi, is small but undoubtedly lovely. This protected nature reserve off Crete’s south coast is blessed with pristine beaches, shallow snorkel-friendly waters, and swaths of old cedar forest.

Crete is renowned for its many beautiful beaches, and many consider Preveli Palm Beach the very best of them all. Located on the island’s southern coast, the beach sits in front of the limestone cliffs of the Kourtaliotiko gorge and is framed by a lush palm forest.

The now-uninhabited island of Spinalonga (Kalydon) sits in the Elounda Gulf along Crete’s northeastern shore. During the 16th-century Venetian occupation, the invaders built a defensive fortress here protecting Mirabello Bay. Today visitors can tour the massive structure and the abandoned buildings that sit along its turreted walls.

The third-largest settlement on the Greek island of Crete, the port town of Rethymno (Rethimno) has been occupied since the Late Minoan period. Its Venetian- and Ottoman-era old town—a knot of narrow, flower-bedecked lanes overlooked by a fortified Venetian castle—oozes history and character. A series of sandy beaches stretch out along the coastline to the east.

With its sawtooth walls and square crenellated towers at each corner, the well-preserved Venetian castle of Frangokastello is straight from the pages of a medieval fairytale. The Venetians built the castle fort in the 1370s, when their empire ruled the seas and the island of Crete. You can still make out the carving of the winged lion of the Venetian Republic, above the entrance to the castle.

The imposing structure lies on the coastal plain, strategically positioned to ward off pirates and protect the Venetian nobles who called the island home. It was originally called the Castle of St. Nikitas, but eventually took on the name given to it by unhappy locals: Castle of the Franks (as in foreigners). The battlements and buildings within the wall date from the island’s Ottoman occupation.

Nearby, Frangokastello’s beaches are a modern-day draw and the small town offers remote seaside accommodation

A vast canyon burrowing between the Kouroupis and Xiro Oros mountains, the Kourtaliotiko Gorge is among Crete’s most dramatic natural attractions – running for almost 3 km along the Kourtaliotiko River. Starting out from the village of Koxare, the scenic canyon winds through the cliffs to join the Libyan Sea coast, where it forms a glistening lagoon fringed by the sandy beaches and verdant palm forests of the Preveli Palm Beach.

Most visitors choose to follow the road along the top of the canyon, enjoying the views over Kourtaliotiko Gorge and stopping to clamber down into the gorge and explore the many caves, streams and waterfalls, as well as the historic Church of St. Nicholas, perched on the hillside.

Just a short drive from the beaches of Heraklion, Acqua Plus Water Park is the largest and most popular water park in Crete. With more than 50 different slides, games, and activities, the park has plenty to do for all ages and preferences, from daring water slides to a scenic lazy-river cruise.

The Firkas Fortress at the entrance to Chania harbor was built during the Venetian occupation of Crete between 1204 and 1669; it was originally used as a barracks and prison. Since 1973, it has housed the Maritime Museum of Crete (sometimes translated as the Nautical Museum of Crete).

Spread over two floors of the Maritime Museum are 13 chronological displays starting with models of ships from Prehistoric times, passing through ancient navigational equipment, and ending with models of destroyers and landing craft from Greece’s modern-day naval fleet. Highlights along the way include plunder from ancient shipwrecks, such as amphorae and cooking utensils; reproductions of Minoan galleys; a Bronze Age trireme; and a model bridge from a World War II torpedo boat. A section is also given over to the German invasion of Crete in 1941, illustrated with photographs and personal testimonies.

The museum offers a small exhibition of shells showcasing the diversity of Mediterranean sea life and a well-stocked library of maritime books. A visit to the museum is easily combined with a walk around Chania’s Venetian Harbour or can be visited as part of an electric Trikke tour of its Old Town.

The fortress-like Arkadi Monastery (Moni Arkadiou) is perched on a hilltop plateau surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, while Crete’s highest peak, Mt. Ida, looms in the distance. Picturesque and architecturally impressive, with fairy-tale turrets and a dramatic bell tower, the monastery is also a symbol of the Cretan struggle for independence.

Spread across three hills overlooking the crescent-shaped Mirabello Bay, Agios Nikolaos is a picturesque and cosmopolitan seaside resort. By day, visitors flock to the beaches, while at night, patrons fill chic waterfront restaurants and bars in the harbor and Voulismeni Lake—connected to the harbor via a narrow channel.

Chania’s most popular water park, Limnoupolis Water Park (Aqua Creta Limnoupolis) offers 11 large slides, including steep “free-fall” options, plus a lazy river, a kids’ pool with smaller slides, and a big central pool with a zipline. The park also has sun loungers, a bar, a restaurant, fast-food options, and a minimart.

The vast archaeological site of Aptera lies on the northwest coast of Crete, 20 minutes from the charming seaside town of Chania. Believed to date back to the 14th century BC, Aptera was a powerful ancient city with its roots in Minoan times.

From its all-powerful position high on a plateau overlooking Souda Bay, Ancient Aptera had its own currency and thrived for millennia as a trading post with two natural harbors. Its eventual downfall came in the 7th century AD, when the city-state was repressed by Arabs and then destroyed by earthquake. It fell into long decline and lay undiscovered until Nazi troops occupying Crete during World War II started to excavate the site in 1942. Work still continues, and slowly the remains — dating from Minoan, Greek and Roman times — of an aqueduct, cisterns, public baths, temples, graves, houses, palaces and a small hillside theater have resurfaced, all cradled inside a protective walls that stretches for 2.5 miles (4 km).

Surrounded by olive groves and sleepy villages such as Maheri and Arhanes, where traditional rural life creeps on as it has for centuries, Ancient Aptera is one of the most important archaeological sites on Crete but — wrongly — flies under the tourist radar. As the hordes head for Knossos, Aptera is often relatively deserted.

Close by is the austere Itzedin Fortress, overlooking Souda Bay and built by the Turks in 1866-69 to crush the Cretan Revolution. The Aptera ruins can be visited on day trips from Heraklion or Rethymnon, and explored as part of a half-day walking tour of Arhanes and its environs; the views of the snow-capped White Mountains are spectacular in spring.

Tucked behind the façade of the former Venetian church of St Francis, the Archaeological Museum of Chania can be visited as part of an electric Trikke tour of its charming Old Town. Displays cover the periods from Neolithic and Minoan to late Roman times, and exhibit treasures found during excavations around the town and across western Crete.

The collections are elegantly displayed under the soaring vaulted ceiling of the church’s nave and include models of ships, clay seals, battered Classical statuary and a bust of Emperor Hadrian. Highlights are a bird-shaped Minoan drinking vessel dating from 3000-2300 BC; gold discs from a Neolithic burial site, thought to be from the 9th century BC; an almost-complete mosaic of Dionysos and Ariadne, which was uncovered during building work in Chania and dates from the 3rd century AD; and a charming clutch of carved animals. The Mitsotakis Collection, donated to the museum in 2000, is also on display and encompasses Minoan pottery and jewelry.

The Turkish Fountain in the courtyard outside the museum originally stood in Eleftherios Venizelos Square down by Chania’s Venetian harbour.