Crete: Sun, beach and lots of history, that’s what the largest Greek island has to offer. Where pirates once ate dates, you can now sunbathe and explore a monastery that has been declared a Greek national sanctuary.

Before you set off on a hike through unspoiled nature, discover hidden lagoons or sample regional delicacies, check out our tips for excursions in Crete. To make sure you’re perfectly prepared for your next vacation on this sun-drenched Mediterranean island, we’ve put together a rundown of the best sights to see in Crete.

1. Vai Beach

Tip: Vai beach belongs to the Toplou monastery property. It is worth a short detour. It is one of the most famous and richest monasteries in Crete. It is especially known for its olive oil production.

Vai beach, in the east of Crete, is a sandy beach as you imagine it in your dreams. It is named after the small village of Vai, which is located one kilometer from the coast. Lined with date palms, this beach is a true highlight on the Mediterranean island. According to legend, the date grove was created when pirates ate dates here, spat the seeds into the sand and the palms grew there. Incidentally, the palm grove is one of the largest natural palm groves in Europe.

Already in the 1970s, the first tourists went to this attraction of Crete. Today, this beach is geared towards tourists. Umbrellas and sun loungers can be rented for a fee. Tavernas and snack bars make sure you eat something tasty. In addition, various water sports are offered. If you arrive by car, there is a paid parking lot.

Although the beach is usually crowded in the high season, it is worth going to this part of Crete.

2. Samaria Gorge

Tip: The best time to hike the gorge is in spring. In summer, it quickly gets too hot during the day. If you want to avoid the crowds of tourists, you should choose the early morning hours, before 7.30 am, or start walking from 12 pm to enjoy this view of Crete. But then you should plan an overnight stay at the end point at Agia Roumeli.

Passing between 600 meters of steep and rugged rock walls, the Samaria Gorge. The gorge is located in the southwest of the island of Crete and is one of the highlights of Crete, especially for hiking enthusiasts. The gorge, 17 kilometers long and with a drop of 1,200 meters, is one of the longest gorges in Europe. The gorge is located in the Samaria National Park. There are no water supply facilities in the entire gorge. Therefore, it is advisable that you carry enough provisions. You should also think about drinks, but there are also natural springs in the gorge where you can drink water. If you feel up to it, you can hike the 13-kilometer route alone.

You can also take part in a guided tour. The end point of the hike is the small fishing village of Agia Roumeli.

From here you can take a boat and then a bus back to the starting point: the city of Chania. A highlight of the Samaria Gorge is the “Iron Gate”. Here the distance between the rock walls is only three and a half meters wide.

3. Lassithi Plateau

Tip: Pack a picnic basket and enjoy the magnificent views of the plain with a leisurely lunch. This way you will get a real and free experience of Crete.

The Lassithi plateau is a karst plain at an average altitude of about 830 meters. The best way to reach the plateau is with your own rental car or by bus. Tours of this view of Crete are offered from most major towns. The plain is about ten kilometers long and five to seven kilometers wide.

From the towns of Agios Nikolaos and Chersonissos there are two roads leading up to the plain. The best view over the plain is at the pass at an altitude of about 1,100 meters. A circular road circles the plateau.

In this way, you can also reach the twenty or so small villages on the edge of the plateau.

4. Spinalonga and Agios Nikolaos

Tip: You often only have one hour in Spinalonga on guided tours from Agios Nikolaos. If this is too little for you, it is better to take a boat from Elounda or Planka in the morning.

The small town of Agois Nikolaos is located in the east of Crete and is worth a trip.

With its harbor and numerous tavernas, the town offers you many possibilities to stop and relax.

Agois Nikolaos is one of the most beautiful places in Crete. The place attracts a lot of history and a – supposedly – bottomless freshwater lake in the middle of the town, Lake Voulismeni. According to legend, it is related to the island of Santorini. It is also said that a goddess bathed here. 

Are both true? Maybe you will find out for yourself. But you can book a room at both islands. Just vist karta.com. 

The island of Spinalonga was home to the last leper colony in Greece and Europe until 1957. Spinalonga is about 15 kilometers from Agios Nikolaos. It is a good idea to visit both places in one day. Since 1903, all the inhabitants of Crete incurably ill with leprosy have lived in Spinalonga. While they were preparing for a lifelong stay, a small town with residential houses, a church, a theater and its own newspaper was built on the island. In some cases, new buildings were constructed.

Often, however, the building material of the Venetian occupants, who built a mighty fortress here from the 16th century onwards, was simply used.

It can still be visited today.

5. Museum of Iraklio

With all the nature excursions, a visit to a museum should not be missing from the list of places of interest in Crete. A must see is the Archaeological Museum of Iraklio, in Heraklion. It is one of the largest and most important museums in Greece. Here you can experience Cretan history first hand.

On display are finds from Knossos, Phaistos, Agia Triada and other excavations on the island. One of the most important exhibits in the museum is the Phaistos Disk, an important Bronze Age find. So far no other piece of this type has been found. The purpose for which it was intended or its geographical origin remain obscure.

Apart from the exhibits, the museum building itself is also a highlight.

It stands on the foundation walls of the Agios Frangiskos monastery, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1856. Between 1935 and 1958, it was built in a total of three construction phases.

The building is a practical example of the modern architecture movement in Greece.