Crete holidays

Explore your destination

Here's a little taste of what's on offer: for more excursion ideas, speak to your Rep.

Knossos Museum
No stay in Crete would be complete without a trip to the island's most famous attraction, exploring the ruins of the Minoan Empire and the award-winning Knossos Museum and tasting the island's history.

Spinalonga
Spinalonga is an island with a unique and touching past and, on this fascinating trip, you'll uncover its sad story, relax aboard a sundrenched boat, refuel with a barbecue and swim in clear waters in Kolikitha Cove.

Aqua Plus Waterpark
Packed with all the fun, sun and thrills you'd expect from a waterpark, and much more, this exciting day out has everything from waterslides to parasailing on the menu.

Santorini
Santorini is worth a visit for more reasons than there’s room to list. But for starters there are the black-sand beaches and the whitewashed villages that line the hillsides. Then you’ve got the dazzling sunsets best enjoyed from the edge of the island’s flooded volcano, and the historical sites around Akrotiri and the cliff-top capital, Thira.

Highlights

• Exploring Spinalonga while on holiday in Crete, discovering this fabulous Venetian fortress and learning about the island’s sad history as a leper colony
• Hearing myths and legends at world-famous Knossos, as guides take you around a Minoan palace
• Making a splash at Crete’s biggest waterpark, Acqua Plus, near Hersonissos, where shoots, slides, lazy rivers, pools and restaurants promise a fun-packed day out
• Getting down to party beats in the ultimate fun zone of Malia, dancing your way down the Malia Mile, you’ll be spoilt for choice with restaurants, bars and clubs
• Wandering around beautiful Chania, with its pretty Venetian quarter home to historic naval delights and its many tasty restaurants along the harbour
• Seeing the natural beauty of Samaria Gorge, where you can discover a deserted village, churches, rock pools and truly incredible landscapes on your Crete holiday
• Beach hopping between the soft sands and inviting waters of Crete’s top beaches, which include the peaceful shore at Xerokampos, Malia’s fun-filled sands and the beauty of Elafonisi
• Taking in the beauty at Lasithi Plateau, in eastern Crete, where trees and orchards stretch for miles and the landscape is dotted with thousands of windmills
• Stroll through the pretty town of Ierapetra, the southernmost town in Europe, where you can visit the house where Napoleon stayed in the 18th century

Food and drink

Greek salads are very popular, very healthy and very tasty: throw in some feta cheese and you’ve got a delicious meal for lunch or dinner.

Fish is a real favourite in Crete, with the local catch making it on to the menus of the wonderful fish restaurants in Ierapetra and Chania.

Usually served ice-cold and in a shot glass, Crete’s much loved drink, Raki, is the by-product from the wine-making process and is pretty potent.

Evening Flavour

If you fancy a relaxed meal in the evening, head to Chania’s harbour, where you’ll find quality restaurants and can admire pretty views.

If you’re after a full-on party, there’s no better place than Malia. With bars and clubs galore, you can’t fail to have a good time, particularly on the Malia Mile and in clubs like Zoo Bar, Zig Zag and Banana Club.

Hersonissos offers top nightlife, with fun-filled bars and a few clubs, and Aghios Nikolaos also offers the chance to dance into the night.

Shopping

Fresh produce is sold in markets across Crete, jostling for space with traditional handicrafts, leather goods and rugs; the Wednesday market in Aghios Nikolaos is a great place to pick up bargains on your holiday in Crete.

Aghios Nikolaos, Hersonissos, Rethymnon and Chandia all have a good selection of shops, with shelves stacked with everything from beachwear to traditional leather boots and earthenware storage jars.

Dates for the Diary

Military parades and services mark Ochi Day on 28th October: on this day in 1940, Greece became Britain’s World War II ally, when General Metaxas said ‘ochi’ or ‘no’, to Mussolini’s invading army.

For the Family

• Factor in some sun-soaking and watersports action at the family-friendly spots of Elafonisi and Hersonissos.
• Plunge into the Acqua Plus Water Park, where shoots, slides and lazy rivers take centre stage.
• Check out the multi-coloured mix of marine life at one of the Med’s largest marine parks, the CretAquarium.
• Pop along to Rethymnon for a Pirate Ship Tour of the west coast. Kids will love the treasure hunt and adults can soak up the scenery.

Local weather

Information

Language: Greek. Currency: Euro. Standard GMT: +2hrs. Greek National Tourist Office: 4 Conduit Street, London W1S 2DJ. Tel: 020 7495 9300. www.gnto.co.uk

Travel money

Euro

You can get commission-free foreign exchange on currency notes and travellers cheques at most First Choice Travel Shops and Holiday Hypermarkets.