Crete is easily accessible by both air and sea. The island has two international airports in Heraklion and Chania, which are usually served by direct flights from many European cities.
Crete is also well connected by sea. Several ferry lines connect the island with the Greek mainland, in particular with the port of Piraeus near Athens, as well as with various islands in the Aegean Sea. If you want to travel by ferry: www.minoan.gr/de
A real sunny island – you can expect cloudless skies from late April to mid-October! With 300 days of sunshine a year, Crete is the sunniest island in Greece and the entire Mediterranean region, alongside Cyprus. In summer, the thermometer often rises above 40 degrees, and on the south coast you can still venture into the water in December. In general, it is two or three degrees warmer there than in the north of the island.
| Information in C° | March | April | May | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. |
| Daytime temperature | 17 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 24 | 21 |
| Night-time temperature | 10 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 14 |
| Daily hours of sunshine | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Rainy days | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Water temperature | 16 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 20 |
At a glance
Size: Crete is the largest island in Greece and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus and Corsica – approximately 8,300 km² in size, 260 km long and between 18 and 60 km wide.
Highest peaks: The highest peak is Timios Stavros in the Ida Mountains (central Crete) at 2,456 m, followed by Pachnes in the Lefka Ori (western Crete), which is 4 m lower.
Plains: The largest plain is the Messara Plain in southern central Crete, covering 140 km². Other large plains are located around Chania and Rethymno.
Population
Transport: Crete has two large ports, namely Heraklion and Souda Bay (near Chania), as well as other ports in Kastelli, Rethymno, Agios Nikolaos and Sitia. There are three civil airports – Heraklion, Sternes (on the Akrotiri peninsula near Chania) and Sitia. International flights only fly to Heraklion and Chania.
Economy: Only slightly more than 30% of the land area is suitable for agriculture, with grapes and olives being the most important export goods. Industry exists on a small scale only around Heraklion. Tourism is of immense importance and already dominates the economy in large parts of the island. The district of Heraklion accounts for 53% of all guest beds in Crete, Lassithi for 24%, Rethymno for 12% and the district of Chania for 11%.
Administration: The island is divided into four administrative districts, known as nomi: Chania (capital Chania), Rethymno (capital Rethymno), Iraklion (capital Iraklion) and Lassithi (capital Agios Nikolaos).
University: The University of Crete comprises six faculties in Rethymno (languages, philosophy, sociology, psychology, education and economics – approx. 3,000 students) and four in Iraklion (physics, mathematics, chemistry, medicine – approx. 5,000 students). The Polytechnic University is located in Chania.
Plants
Where once vast forests of cypress and cedar trees stretched out, today bare karst rock is exposed, dotted with a sea of silvery-green olive trees. In between, macchia, knee-high phrygana and countless fragrant herbs thrive. Meter-high agaves, wild carob trees, lush vineyards and oleanders provide contrasts.
Despite the severe drought in the summer months, over 1,500 different plant species are still native to the island today. This makes Crete one of the most vegetated islands in the Mediterranean.
Nature is at its best, especially at the end of March/April. The large pastures and karst areas are then pure seas of flowers. White-yellow daisies, bright red poppies and white daffodils form huge fields of flowers that move in the wind, above which is the vibrant buzzing of busy insects. If the winter was wet, everything grows twice as well. Crete in spring and Crete in summer – two completely different faces.
Animal life
The island's most famous animal species is the Cretan wild goat ibex or agrimi (scientific name: capra aegagrus creticus), also incorrectly known as kri-kri (the latter was a small wild goat raised by a shepherd). It was threatened with extinction for a long time, and even today there are said to be only a few hundred of them left – they live in the wild mainly in the inaccessible rocky slopes around the Samaria Gorge. They are rarely seen – only in the afternoons do they sometimes venture down. Hunting them is strictly prohibited. Another threat to the survival of the breed is said to be interbreeding with normal goats, which occurs from time to time. Otherwise, you will only encounter small animals such as hares and rabbits – not to mention countless cats, dogs, sheep and donkeys.
First impression: a long mountain range in the sea, its dark brown outlines far ahead in the haze – you catch a glimpse of the island's striking profile far too briefly before the plane descends over the ink-blue sea.
Crete lies like a mighty barrier on the southern edge of the Aegean Sea. The mountains are never far away and form the very heart of the island. Four mighty mountain ranges dominate the landscape: in central Crete rises the imposing Ida massif, where the mighty father of the gods, Zeus, is said to have grown up.
In the west, the Lefka Ori, the ‘White Mountains’, form an imposing high mountain backdrop. In the east, the steep rim of the Dikti Mountains surrounds the Lassithi Plateau with its white-clad windmills.
And finally, the Thripti Mountains dominate the narrow easternmost part of Crete.
To the north, the Cretan mountains gently slope down into rolling foothills, forming large coastal plains where all the major cities and large holiday resorts are located. The south, especially the southwest, is different. Here, the two-thousand-metre peaks end in rugged cliffs: steep coasts with sandy and pebble beaches, tiny villages between high rock faces, where the sun beats down mercilessly. Some places and beaches can only be reached by boat, over bumpy dirt roads or on foot. Coastal hikes and the deep gorges that cut through the steep mountain slopes for many kilometres offer magnificent landscape experiences here. The world-famous Samaria Gorge, often referred to as Europe's longest gorge, is just one of the many highlights.
Western Crete
The most mountainous and largest part of the island. The Lefka Ori (White Mountains) dominate the landscape. Their bare rocky peaks rise to almost 2,500 metres. Towards the south coast, they are broken up by huge gorges – the Samaria Gorge and its neighbouring gorges are among the most impressive phenomena on the island. Today, only a few mountain passes lead through the lonely heights down to the small villages on the Libyan Sea.
Central Crete
The hinterland of Heraklion is one large vineyard. The endless hilly landscape forms the largest contiguous wine-growing region in Greece. The sun-scorched region is flanked to the west by the mighty Ida Mountains. At 2,456 metres, Timios Stavros is the highest peak on the island. The most popular destination is Anoghia – the centre of high mountain pastures for a good hundred thousand sheep. Mountain hikers continue on to the Nida plateau and the famous Zeus Cave. The Dikti massif in eastern central Crete is easily accessible from the north coast and Agios Nikolaos. The magnificent drive up ends in the completely flat and almost circular plateau of Lassithi – this is where Zeus was born! The south is characterised by the wide Messara plain, one of the most fertile regions on the island. The legendary cave dwellings of Matala are one of the many attractions in the region.
Eastern Crete
The east of Crete is largely barren, dry and rocky. It is dominated by the grey Sitia Mountains, which are only about 1,500 metres high but wild and largely undeveloped. Agios Nikolaos has established itself as a lively tourist town that still manages to convey a certain atmosphere despite all the hustle and bustle. The huge Mirabellou Bay, the legendary palm beach of Vai and the Minoan palace of Kato Zakros are further highlights. At Ierapetra, endless grey pebble beaches invite you to take a dip.
Kreta ist in vier Verwaltungsbezirke aufgeteilt.
Von Osten nach Westen: Lassithi, Heraklion, Rethymno und Chania.
Die Verwaltungsbezirke werden in Landkreise aufgeteilt.
Unfortunately, we cannot offer you a real marathon here.
However, you are surrounded by nature with many paths that you can use for jogging and hiking.
Cretan music
Cretan music is wild and untamed. It is quite different from the more sedate bouzouki music of mainland Greece! The main instrument is the lyra, a traditional three-stringed stringed instrument made from mulberry wood.
Cretan dances
The Cretans express their feelings and state of mind through dance. But it is not only joy that comes to the surface, but also sadness, anger and pain.
Cretan festivals
The Cretans love to celebrate, and they do so extensively – you are sure to have the opportunity to experience one of the countless festivals, usually on a saint's day or for political reasons.
Traditional costumes
The traditional costumes of the past varied from village to village and were often influenced by Turkish or North African styles. Today, only the old men in the mountainous regions occasionally wear the wraka, wide black bloomers worn with shaft boots (stivania) or wrap-around gaiters, along with a fringed cloth wrapped around the head, known as a sariki or mandili. The magnificent Cretan waistcoats with their intricate embroidery and the wide red sash in which the bounialo, a silver knife, was tucked, are hardly ever seen anymore. However, shepherds still often use the sakouli, a colourful, hand-woven rucksack.
The richly decorated women's costumes (sakkos and phousta) have almost completely disappeared today.
Church
The Cretan Church is a true folk church and follows the traditions of early Christianity. Church, faith and life are very closely connected in Crete. Church services are informal gatherings without stiff formalities and remain natural even in moments of great solemnity. People in Crete enjoy going to church, which is an important meeting place and the centre of village life.
The Cretan Orthodox Church is directly subordinate to the Patriarch of Istanbul.
