Search the travel guide:

City Guide

• Overview
• The Basics
• Contacts
• Attractions
• Kids Attractions
• Excursions
• Nightlife
• Shopping
• Transport
• Climate
• Weather
• Photos
• Hotels in Crete
• Flights to Crete

Resorts

• Heraklion
• Agios Nikolaos
• Malia
• Rethymnon
• Hania

Maps

• 

• 

Weather:

• Weather Today

  Hi 20°C Lo 17°C

• See 5-day forecast
  Crete Weather

Directory

• Hostels
• Tour Operators
• Accommodation
• Cheap Airfares
• Useful Resources

Attractions

Steeped in mythology, legends and a fascinating history and boasting more attractions than any other Greek Island, sightseeing in Crete takes travellers through the ages.

With so many places of historical interest, highlights include the impressive Palace of Knossos, the Cave of Zeus, located on the slopes of Mount Ida where Rhea hid baby Zeus from Cronos, the Monastery of Arkadi just south of Rethymno, the remains of Gortyna 28 miles (45km) from Heraklion, and the Palace complex of Phaistos in the south, which was destroyed by an earthquake in the late Bronze Age and later rebuilt. The Archaeological Museum and Historical Museum of Crete in Heraklion are also worth a visit, and the artefacts will simply blow your mind.

The sun-drenched sandy beaches on Crete aren't too shabby either and the surrounding scenery is breathtaking with beautiful mountains and gorges in the Samaria Gorge National Park in Chania that any hiker will simply adore. On the east of the island, the tiny town of Sitia is worth a peek for its picturesque port, making a great place to stop for a lunch.

The Palace of Knossos

The Minoan palace at Knossos, covering an area of 215,278 square feet (20,000 sq metres), is one of the world's greatest sightseeing experiences. It consists of four wings, arranged around a rectangular central court. The palace originally had many storeys, was built of ashlar...  see full details

Heraklion Archaeological Museum

A visit to the Minoan palace at Knossos should be complemented with a visit to the wonderful Archaeological Museum in Heraklion. Thousands of artefacts depicting the intriguing Minoan culture are on display, from magnificent bull-headed drinking vessels to the mysterious Phaistos disk inscribed with...  see full details

Historical Museum of Crete

This museum deals with Crete's more modern history and highlights the islanders' long battle for independence from the early Christian times to the present day. Exhibits include some Cretan folk art, and the Medieval and Renaissance collection contains the only painting on Crete by...  see full details