Travel guide Crète
The best time to go en Crète
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Practical information for travel en Crète
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What to see what to do en Crète?
Where to go en Crète?
The most beautiful tourist sites
Other en Crète destinations
Petit Futé's best addresses en Crète
Discover the most beautiful addresses selected by the authors of Petit Futé.
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Featured articles de Crète
What to do and see in Heraklion, Crete The 13 must-sees in 2025
Published on 03/09/2025 Activities and experiences
The cradle of Minoan civilization, a land of history and multiple heritages, the largest of the Greek islands, known as the "Island of Gods", bears witness to the riches of its past. In Crete, and...
What to do and see in Crete The 13 must-sees in 2025
Published on 03/09/2025 Activities and experiences
All the attractions of a trip are to be found on , the largest of the Greek islands... Heavenly beaches, wild landscapes, historical and archaeological heritage: Crete seems blessed by the gods, and...
Where to sunbathe this winter? The best destinations
Published on 26/11/2024 Ideas for holidays & weekend
As France heads into its long winter, the desire to finish or start the year in the sun is already making itself felt. Here's a closer look at the sunny destinations not to be missed this winter....
How to travel en Crète
How to go alone
Crete is easily traveled alone. The infrastructures are modern and it is possible to book your accommodation and transportation in advance. Moreover, the security on the spot is exemplary and the Cretans are very welcoming. However, remember to book well in advance if you plan to travel in July-August.
How to go on a tour
Stays of ten days to three weeks are offered in Crete. They usually combine visits to historical sites with a guide and visits to beautiful beaches and remote villages. Stays with full board in hotels are also available, as well as combinations with visits to other Greek islands or the mainland.
How to get around
Ferry. To get to the small islands surrounding Crete and to swim, some fishermen or agencies will accept to take you there.
Bus. This means of transportation is particularly developed in Crete; no matter where you are going, you will always have the possibility to get there by bus, even in the most remote areas.
Car. The ideal solution for more freedom. There are countless agencies that offer similar and very affordable rates. This is the best option if you are planning a family trip.
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Ideas for holidays and week-end breaks en Crète
If one week gives you time to discover most of eastern Crete (from Heraklion to the Lassithi plateau, passing through Agios Nikolaos, Sitia, Kato Zakros and as far as Ierapetra), seven short days will be too short to explore the western part of the island, the prefectures of Hania and Rethymnon being home to a wide variety of wonders (mountain and sea) and sometimes difficult to access. A choice will therefore be necessary. If you also want to visit Heraklion and its surroundings upon arrival, you will first have to select a heading: the east or the west of the island. If you plan to spend 10 to 15 days in Crete, you will just have to make a mix of the different tours proposed, according to your preferences but be careful, even if the roads are well maintained, the mountainous geography of the island will force you to spend a lot of time on the road.
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Discover la Crète
Crete owes such advantages to its situation that the ancients said it was destined to command Greece. Cradle of the opulent Minoan civilization, but also cradle and adopted land of gods, heroes, artists, great writers, musicians and singers, land that has been able to resist any occupier, hospitable land, it persists in being generous to those who wish to discover it! Dive into its past, into the translucent waters of the seas that border it! Lose yourself in the labyrinths of its cities marked by a mixture of East and West, traditional and modern, and always on a human scale. Take the time to explore the caves, the mountains, the villages! And above all, get to know its inhabitants. They are the ones who hold the thread of Ariadne allowing you to discover the secrets of this island without getting lost: you will come back!
The 12 keywords en Crète
#Firearms
The Cretans, who throughout their history have had to confront the occupiers of the island, are ready at any time to defend their land. Therefore, most of them have firearms which, fortunately, are only used to fire shots in the air during weddings or other important occasions in their lives.
#Cold coffee
Young Cretans nowadays drink almost only cold coffee: soluble coffee called "frappé" or "freddo", the great cold classic (an iced espresso, also available in cappuccino version). It's so much nicer to cool off in the summer with a good cold coffee at any time of the day.
#Cretan costume
The traditional Cretan costume dates from the 16th century. In the villages, theelderly men still wear some of the attributes of this costume in their daily lives: the vraka, a kind of baggy pants, the sariki, a scarf around the head, and the stivanias, large black boots. Women wear the traditional dress only on holidays.
#Hippies
At the end of the 1960s, a community of beatniks seeking a life close to nature settled in the artificial caves of Matala. The small village became a meeting place for hippies until the late 1970s. In memory of this period, a popular music festival is held in June.
#Byzantine icons
By the term "Byzantine icon", we mean in Greek the representation of saints or biblical scenes on a support made of wood or precious metal. The most beautiful ones still adorn the places of Orthodox worship, especially in Crete. The church of Agia Ekaterini in Heraklion, now a museum, offers a rare exhibition on Byzantine art from the East.
#Ipnakos
Siesta time is widely followed in Crete. Stores are usually closed between 2pm and 5pm and it is good practice, especially in summer, to respect this practice. When the sun is in full swing and after your lunch, it is important to take a break before returning to your activities, and even before your swim.
#Kafeneio
Almost a social institution, especially in small villages, the kafeneio is a hybrid between a café and a bar. It is the meeting point of men, where they spend long moments discussing politics or soccer with passion, around a few glasses of raki. It is the place par excellence where they play backgammon, in Greek tavli.
#Kri-kri
The wild goat, emblematic of Crete, is known in the local dialect as "kri-kri". In reality, it is a species of ibex, descended from the goat and returned to the wild since the Neolithic period. Today threatened, it can be seen in the natural park of the Samaria Gorge guarding its natural space!
#Mills
The climatic conditions allowed, in the past, the Cretans to use the mills to grind the grains or to raise the water table as on the plateau of Lassithi. Most of these buildings having disappeared, we find a large number of miniature mills in souvenir shops, very popular with children!
#Cretan music
Cretan music may have roots that are lost in tradition, but it is still very much alive in the hearts and daily lives of the Cretans. Having particularities not found in traditional Greek music, it owes its charm to the Cretan lyre and lute, as well as to its rhythmic articulation.
#Nature
The island's singular topography has limited the development of tourist infrastructures on a large part of the island: this is how the natural environment has been able to preserve its richness. Particularly attractive in spring, Crete's natural beauty is sure to satisfy the passions of hiking enthusiasts: explore the spectacular, unaltered landscapes!
#Perfumes
Crete has its own perfumes! Thyme, oregano, wild fennel, sage, omnipresent on the mountains, basil and geraniums overflow from the gardens and diffuse their essences, mixing with those of the spices. Towards the end of the summer, the most precious perfume has only one brand signature, that of the olive tree!
You are from here, if...
You like to talk loudly, on your mobile, in cafes, on buses, in the street, at the beach, taking everyone as a witness of your discussions!
You like to make the evenings drag around a table, preferably that of a good tavern, with friends!
You pay the bill for everyone or you let yourself be invited, it's very badly seen to pay your share in your corner!
You love to remake the world while sipping your coffee, always the same cup, for hours!
You value your independence. That's why you occupy a table for four people by yourself!
You accept the traditional Cretan hospitality by going to a local's house to drink a good glass of raki!
You love to participate in a Cretan wedding or a patronal feast(panigyri).
You respect local traditions without irony but with all the deference of a people proud of their customs!
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