Xionodromika

Crete: Unique beauty, great monuments and warm hospitality

Crete


Crete is the largest island of Greece and the 5 th largest in the Mediterranean. The north side of Crete borders to the Aegean Sea and the south side to the Libyan Sea.

Crete is an island of contrasts! Basically a mountainous island with peaks reaching 2.500 metres, with thousands of paths for the nature lovers ideal for walking, hiking and climbing, but, also, with golden-yellow beaches along its extensive coastline. It comprises 4 prefectures: Heraklio, Lasithi, Rethymno and Chania.

The great diversity of natural landscape Crete offers, ranging from the high mountains to the endless beaches, from the exotic palm tree groves to the fertile plains, make the island an attractive vacation destination.

Crete map

One of the main characteristics of the Cretan landscape is the plethora of gorges traversing the island. The most renowned for its size and beauty is the Samaria Gorge, known in Crete as Farangas, with a length of 18 km and a width ranging from 3m at its narrowest point up to 150m. It takes about 5-7 hours to walk through the Gorge!

In Crete one can enjoy the sea and the sun, either on busy cosmopolitan beaches or on more remote beaches offering a feeling of tranquillity and relaxation. The bright sunshine, the quite lacy coastline, the long picturesque pebbly or sandy beaches, the hillsides with the panoramic view, all make Crete unique in its landscape diversity and beauty.

The guided tours in the Minoan palaces, the walks on the Roman slab-paved roads, the visits to the Byzantine churches and the Venetian and Turkish castles introduce the visitor to the ancient history of the island.

Crete is famous for its tasty cuisine, based on virgin olive oil, as well as for the abundance of fruit, vegetables and stock farming products.

Crete combines legend with history, cultural tradition with rich modern artistic happenings, the unique natural environment with the hospitality of its people and the modern tourist infrastructure.

Crete photos