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Crete is Greece on a different scale. It is the largest island in the country, with mountain ranges that hold snow into spring, a south coast facing the Libyan Sea, and enough palaces, gorges, beaches and villages to fill several separate holidays. Many visitors treat it as one destination and see a fraction of it. The better approach is to choose a base and explore outward. The island's four main bases sit along the north coast, and each gives a different holiday. Heraklion puts you next to Knossos and the Archaeological Museum. Chania pairs a Venetian harbour with the famous beaches of the west, including Elafonisi and Balos. Rethymno balances the two, with an old town of its own and long sandy beaches. Agios Nikolaos opens up the calmer east, with Spinalonga and the palm forest of Vai within reach. In between lie the experiences that made Crete famous: walking the Samaria Gorge through the White Mountains, boat trips to coasts you cannot reach by road, Minoan sites that predate classical Greece by a thousand years, and a food culture that Cretans will tell you, correctly, is a cuisine of its own. Distances are real here, so plan by region rather than trying to see everything from one spot. Whichever base you choose, the tours below cover the whole island.
What is coming up here
Gateway to Minoan CreteThe vibrant capital of Crete where ancient Minoan palaces, Venetian harbour walls and sun-drenched beaches collide.
16 activities4 activities
Unforgettable experiences
27 tours available
Default order reflects our recommendation. It is not paid placement.
Board a Nautitech 46F catamaran at Agios Nikolaos and spend five hours cruising Mirabello Bay. Sail past Barbarossa Cave and Spinalonga Island, use the water sports gear at Kolokitha Bay, and eat a nutritionist-designed Cretan meal with open-bar drinks on the return leg.
Depart Ierapetra Marina on a luxury catamaran for a 5-hour afternoon cruise to Chrissi Island, a protected Natura 2000 reserve. Swim, snorkel, and paddleboard in clear water, then sit down to an organic Cretan lunch with an open bar.
Board a luxury catamaran at Ierapetra Marina and sail 5 hours to Chrissi Island in the Libyan Sea. Swim, snorkel, and paddleboard in clear water, then sit down to a nutritionist-designed organic lunch with unlimited local wine and beer.
