Crete, an “ark” of rare natural beauty, Mediterranean culture, and history. “Whoever steps on this island feels a mysterious power, a warmth”. On the south side of the Aegean, a pure, and generous island encloses the “soul” of Greece. Heraklion, Rethymno, Chania, Agios Nikolaos, Elounda, Ierapetra, Malia, Hersonissos, Sitia, Sfakia: one island, multiple destinations, thousands of images. Crete has a way of enchanting every visitor.
The most seductive beaches of Crete
The photos from Balos beach in the prefecture of Chania star in the tourist guides for Crete, while Falasarna is considered one of the best beaches in the Mediterranean. The exotic Elafonissi is a pole of attraction for thousands of visitors. The largest beach of Crete is located outside Rethymno with a length of 12 km. Episkopi and Petres have a fanatical youth audience. To the south, the exotic beach of Preveli, of Plakias, Agios Pavlos with its magnificent dunes, Ligres, Triopetra stand out. In the prefecture of Heraklion, Malia and Hersonissos are famous for young people all over the world. Endless kilometers of sandy beaches surround Ierapetra, in the prefecture of Lassithi. Famous is the beach in Vai with the exotic palm forest, the beaches in Elounda, and around Agios Nikolaos.
Crete: A valuable “gift” of culture and history
In Crete you will find some of the most important sights of Greece: famous archeological sites, such as the palaces of Minoan Crete, Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, and Kato Zakros invite you to discover them. You will also visit important monasteries of the 15th century or older, such as the Monastery of Preveli in the south of Rethymnon, the monasteries in the south of Heraklion, the historic Monastery of Arkadi, the Monastery of Toplou. Many and important are also the castles of the area, which took their form during the Venetian occupation.
There are many that were built by the Byzantines. The Castle of Chania and the Fortress of Rethymno, the castle of Heraklion, Frangokastelo in the south of Chania, the castle of Kazarma on the beach of Sitia and the Monte Forte in Lassithi stand out. Much of the island’s wealth is in its museums. Visit the important museums of Chania, Rethymnon, Heraklion. The Cretaquarium, the Museum of Natural History and the Historical Museum of Crete are very impressive, while in Myrtia there is a museum dedicated to Nikos Kazantzakis and in Fodele to Dominikos Theotokopoulos.
Source: https://www.discovergreece.com/el/crete