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.