Your Crete Questions Answered: A Mediterranean Expert's Guide
I've been organizing Mediterranean holidays for fourteen years, and Crete generates more pre-trip anxiety than any other Greek island. It's huge (260 km long), the infrastructure is uneven, and people don't know whether to base in Chania or Heraklion. Here are the questions I answer weekly.
Getting Oriented
Q: Do I really need a rental car in Crete?
Yes. This isn't where you walk everywhere or Mykonos where taxis cover it. Crete is bigger than some countries. The north coast E75 highway is fine, but the south coast has no continuous road — you drive over mountain passes between beaches. Public buses (KTEL) connect major towns but run infrequently and don't reach the best beaches.
Rent from local agencies (bettercar.gr, crete-rentcar.com) for better rates than international chains — expect 25-40 EUR/day in shoulder season. An international driving permit is officially required. Book ahead in July-August.
Q: Chania or Heraklion — which base?
Chania. Not even close. Chania's Venetian harbor, narrow alleys, and atmospheric restaurants make it the most beautiful town on the island. Heraklion is the capital and has the archaeological museum and airport, but it's an industrial city without much charm.
Stay in Chania's old town for 2-3 nights, then move east to Rethymno or Agios Nikolaos for variety. If you fly into Heraklion (HER), drive west to Chania (2 hours on the E75). If you fly into Chania (CHQ), you're already there.
Q: How many days do I need?
Minimum 5 days, ideal 7-10. Crete has enough for two weeks easily. A week lets you cover western Crete (Chania, Balos, Elafonisi, Samaria Gorge) and central Crete (Rethymno, Knossos, Heraklion). Eastern Crete (Spinalonga, Vai palm beach, Sitia) needs 2-3 extra days.
Q: What's the best time to visit?
May-June and September-October. July-August has perfect beach weather (28-35°C) but crowds are intense, prices peak, and the heat makes hiking brutal. May has wildflowers, warm seas (23°C), and empty beaches. October has 25°C weather, warm water, and harvest-season food. The Samaria Gorge opens May through mid-October.
Beaches
Q: Is Balos really worth the effort?
Yes, but with caveats. Balos lagoon — where the Sea of Crete meets the Libyan Sea in shallow turquoise water — is genuinely one of Europe's most spectacular beaches. But getting there involves either a boat from Kissamos port (25 EUR round trip, 1 hour each way) or driving an 8 km dirt road followed by a steep 20-minute descent on foot.
Go in May or September. In August, the boat carries 500 people to a beach with no shade and no facilities. Bring water, sun protection, and snorkeling gear. The beauty is real, the logistics are brutal.
Q: Balos or Elafonisi — if I can only do one?
Elafonisi is easier to access (paved road from Chania, 1.5 hours), has pink sand, shallow wading water to a small island, and facilities (sunbeds 8-10 EUR, parking 5 EUR). It's more family-friendly.
Balos is more dramatic — the lagoon colors are extraordinary — but harder to reach and has zero facilities.
My advice: do both. They're on the same side of western Crete and can be done on consecutive days from a Chania base.
Q: Are there good beaches without the crowds?
South coast. Preveli Beach (access by 15-minute hike from the parking lot or by boat from Plakias) has a palm forest meeting the sea. Frangokastello has a castle on the beach and crystal water. Sougia and Loutro (accessible only by boat or hiking) are the most remote.
Eastern Crete: Vai palm beach is unique (Europe's largest natural palm forest) but crowded. Nearby Itanos ruins beach is empty and beautiful.
Food and Culture
Q: What should I eat in Crete?
Cretan cuisine is the Mediterranean diet at its purest. Must-try dishes:
Dish
What It Is
Price
Dakos
Barley rusk with tomato, mizithra cheese, olive oil
~5 EUR
Kalitsounia
Sweet or savory cheese pastries
2-3 EUR
Lamb with stamnagathi
Lamb with wild greens, a Cretan specialty
12-16 EUR
Boureki
Zucchini and potato baked with cheese
7-9 EUR
Gamopilafo
Wedding rice cooked in lamb broth
10-14 EUR
Snails (chochlioi)
Fried snails with rosemary — surprisingly delicious
8-10 EUR
Eat at village tavernas, not waterfront tourist restaurants. In villages like Vamos, Archanes, or Zaros, family-run tavernas serve home-cooked food for 12-20 EUR per person including local wine. Every meal ends with free raki (tsikoudia) and often fruit or dessert — it's on the house.
Q: What's the deal with raki?
Raki (tsikoudia) is Crete's version of grappa — a clear grape spirit, strong and unaged. Every meal ends with a complimentary glass (or three). Refusing is considered rude. The correct response is "yamas" (cheers) and a single swallow. It grows on you.
Q: What about Knossos — is it worth visiting?
Knossos is the legendary center of Minoan civilization and Europe's oldest city (1700 BC). Arthur Evans's concrete reconstructions (he rebuilt entire sections in the 1900s based on educated guesses) are controversial among archaeologists but make the ruins vivid and understandable.
Entry: 15 EUR, or 20 EUR combo with the Heraklion Archaeological Museum (which has the original Minoan frescoes and is essential). Hire a guide (from 10 EUR for a group tour) — without context, the ruins are confusing. Open 8AM-8PM summer. 5 km south of Heraklion, taxi 10 EUR.
Is it the Parthenon? No. But standing in the throne room of a civilization that preceded ancient Greece by over a thousand years is genuinely moving.
Activities
Q: Is the Samaria Gorge hike manageable for non-hikers?
It's 16 km, mostly downhill (you start at 1,250 meters and end at sea level). If you're reasonably fit, it takes 5-7 hours. It's not technical — no scrambling or climbing — but it is long, rocky underfoot, and hot. Start before 8AM. Bring 3+ liters of water (refill points exist but run dry in late season).
Logistics: bus from Chania to Omalos (6:15AM departure). Hike down to Agia Roumeli (a village accessible only by foot or sea). Ferry to Sougia or Hora Sfakion (11 EUR), then bus back to Chania. The whole day is 12-14 hours door to door.
Entry: 5 EUR. Open May to mid-October (weather dependent). Not recommended for children under 6 or people with knee problems.
Q: What about Spinalonga?
Spinalonga island — a Venetian fortress that became Greece's last leper colony (until 1957) — is fascinating and moving. Boats from Elounda (10 EUR round trip, 15 minutes) or Plaka (8 EUR, 5 minutes). Entry: 8 EUR. Guided tours available. Made famous by Victoria Hislop's novel "The Island."
Allow 2-3 hours including the boat. Combine with an afternoon at Elounda's beaches.
Practical Matters
Q: How safe is the driving?
North coast roads are good. South coast roads are narrow, winding, and sometimes terrifying — sheer drops, no guardrails, blind corners on single-lane mountain passes. The road to Balos is unpaved for 8 km. Locals drive fast and pass aggressively.
Drive slowly, use your horn around blind corners, and never drive south coast roads after dark. Get insurance that covers gravel road damage for the Balos approach.
Q: Is Crete expensive?
Western Crete (Chania, Rethymno) is more expensive; eastern Crete is significantly cheaper. A village taverna meal in eastern Crete: 8-12 EUR. The same meal in Chania harbor: 18-25 EUR.
Overall, Crete is one of the better-value Mediterranean destinations. For other Greek islands, Santorini and Athens pair beautifully with a Crete trip. A comfortable trip (mid-range hotel, car rental, eating out daily) runs 100-150 EUR per person per day.
Q: Ferry or flight from Athens?
Flights: 30-60 EUR one way, 45 minutes (Aegean, Sky Express). Practical and cheap if booked early.
Ferries: 9 hours overnight from Piraeus port. Deck seat from 25 EUR, cabin from 40 EUR (Minoan Lines, ANEK). You can bring a rental car. The ferry arrives at dawn with views of the Cretan coastline — it's an experience in itself.
If time is short, fly. If you want the journey, ferry.
