For the last 8 months i have been living in Crete, the largest Island in Greece. Whilst living on this beautiful island i of course tried to make the most of every single day off i had by exploring as much of the island as possible. Below i have made a list of my favourite places to visit whilst in Crete:
- Chissi Island: This is a beautiful small uninhabited Island just a quick boat ride from Crete. You can get the boat to Chrissi from Lerapetra. We got our boat tickets and the boat from the harbour there.
Chissi Island beach is absolutely stunning from the crystal blue water and soft white sand to the calm and relaxing atmosphere!
- Balos and Gramvoussa: I have put Balos and Gramvoussa together into one point as you can get a group tour to Balos that stops at gramvoussa on the way. Gramvoussa has a beautiful beach and a castle on the top of the mountain which is definitly worth hiking up to as the views are stunning from up there.
After stopping at Gramvoussa we then got the boat to Balos on our trip, this has got to be my favourite beach that i visited whilst living in Crete. A little fact: apparently Balos was also one of Princess Diana's favourite places to visit on her and Prince Charles private yacht many years ago.
The famous lagoon of Balos is known for its turquoise waters, the wild natural beauty and the beautiful exotic scenery. On one side of beach there was warm very shallow water which you can relax in with the beautiful mountains in the background, on the other side the water is a lot deeper with some more rocks which is perfect to go snorkelling in.
- Heraklion: This city is the capital of Crete, It's a great place to visit in Crete wether you are wanting to go shopping (i.e Zara!, MAC, Pandora, Burshka etc.), to see the beautiful port, meals out next to the harbour/in the main town, to visit the archelogical museum, to visit the local Greek shops in the market area or to see the famous Palace of Knossos. There is so much to see and do in Heraklion, this city definitely has a lot to offer.
- Agios Nikalios: This is such a beautiful coastal town which has three different water fronts: The Lake and port, Kitroplatia beach and the Marina. My personal favourite is lake Voulismeni which is surrounded by overlooking cafes and restaurants. This is the perfect place to people watch, and to look at the beautiful view of the lake surrounded by the hilly backgrounds. It's a really nice place to sit for lunch one day or have a drink. There is also a small old town which is up some of the side streets close to the lake. The Old Town consists of small traditional shops selling Greek delicacies, natural skincare products, beautiful home made jewellery and lovely paintings of the the town and waterfronts.
- Elounda, Plaka and Spinalonga: Once again i am going to include these three as one point as you can do all of these places on one day trip seen as they are so close together. Elounda and Plaka which are on the East of Crete, are stunning sea side fishing villages which are definitly worth visiting. I personally loved going to Plaka for lunch, sitting on the sea front with the view of the Island: Spinalonga. It is such a beautiful area. From here you can also get a very quick boat ride over to Spinalonga, which is an abondened former leper colony island. Many people visit Spinalonga after reading Victoria Hislop's book 'The Island' which was set on this island. The history of this island is very interesting.
- Gouves animal shelter: This is all for the fellow dog lovers out there. Gouves Animal Shelter is an organisation that provides protection for stray and injured animals in Crete. It's not for the faint hearted as there are so many dogs there in need of a home but the dogs really appreciate you visiting them or taking them for walks (I know a few people who have adopted a dog here too as they send the dog back to the country you live in for a very good price). I visited this shelter a few times over the time that i was living in Crete as they let you take the dogs for walks when you visit, i obviously wanted to take every single one for a walk so it was difficult to choose two to take out, but it is such a lovely day giving them some freedom. If you are interested in adopting a dog from the shelter please visit their facebook page here: Gouves animal shelter facebook page . The dogs are sent to loving homes all over the world.
- Samaria Gorge: Hiking the 16km long Samaria Gorge, one of Europe's longest canyons, is an incredible experience (and accomplishment). This national park has so much natural beauty about it from the canyon its self to the tall green trees, soaring cliffs and stunning surrounding mountains. At the end of the 16km you get a boat back to the mainland which is also a beautiful journey as you get to see the wonderful sunset on the way home.
- Rethynom: This beautiful city combines The Old Towns charm and history with the long sandy beaches and harbour. I love how Rethynom still has its very traditional Cretan appearance. You can go to the Old Town to visit the small cafes and shops up the side streets or have a drink next to the stunning harbour. I loved eating dinner in a sea food restaurant on the The Venetian harbour at night, its such a beautiful place to go whilst in Crete.
- Bai beach: Bai Beach, also known as the Bounty beach as it was famously used to film the Bounty advert many years ago is another beautiful beach surrounded by Palm trees. This beach can get quite busy in peak season but it is definitely worth a visit. I recommend climbing up the steps near to the restaurant to see the amazing view of the beach from the top of the hill.
- Santorini: I feel that Santorini is definitely a must do trip whilst in Crete. Every tour company offers day trips to Santorini when your'e in Crete so you can easily visit the supermodel of the Greek Islands. Any photo of Santorini is instantly recognisable around the world because of its whitewashed buildings with blue roofs on the cliffs looking out to sea. I went early on in the season so it wasn't full of tourists which was nice although make sure you check it will be sunny as the views are stunning with the sun shining on the blue roofs.
- Chania: Chania is a traditional city on the Northwest coast of Crete. It is known for its 14th-century Venetian harbour, narrow streets and waterfront restaurants. I loved having a good old cuppa tea at the harbour entrance looking out at the old lighthouse. There are some beautiful restaurants in the Old Town which i visited and its lovely sitting on the water front at night for a drink too as the town lights up and you can watch some of the street entertainment or take in the beautiful harbour view.
- Hersonisos and Hersonisos Old Town: If you like a night out Hersonisos is pretty good if you are staying nearby! I personally love the small karaoke bar called 'Mikes bar', a few of us in Crete always had a good laugh in there.
Hersonisos is also nice in the early evening for dinner next to the harbour, there are some lovely sea food restaurants down there looking out to the water front, plus the view at night is beautiful as you can see everything lit up.
Hersonisos Old Town is a really nice place to go for dinner too, there is a small square of Traditional Greek Tavernas with Greek music playing. - Lake Kournas: This is such a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains and restaurants on the waterfront. If you drive higher up the mountain you will get an amazing view, I had lunch in one of the restaurants looking over the lake which was absolutely stunning. You can also hire a peddle boat out to go round the lake. This was one of my favourite places i visited in Crete, its such a peaceful and relaxing place with some of the best views.
- prevelli: Preveli on the south coast of the Greek island of Crete, in the Rethymno regional unit, notable for its historic monastery. It is such a stunning place and the views from the top of the mountain close to the carpark are beautiful. You can clearly see the the sand that divides the sea and the lake here. It's so lovely walking down the lake with the mountains in front of you surrounded by palm trees. However beware of the millions of steps to get down to the beach from the car park :)
- .. Park: Great place for a little trip out. I went when i had the afternoon off one day. You get to feed the different types of monkeys, they will come and sit on your shoulder etc. Fun day for children too.
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