CretAquarium, known also as Thalassocosmos, is the largest aquarium in Greece and sits on the north coast of Crete at Gournes in the Heraklion region. The complex occupies the site of a former American air-base between Heraklion and the resort of Hersonissos. Around sixty tanks hold roughly two thousand marine creatures, from sharks and groupers … Read more
Gouves is a coastal resort area on the north coast of Crete, in the Heraklion region between Heraklion city and Hersonissos. The area splits into two distinct halves. Pano Gouves is the old inland village in the hills, while Kato Gouves is the beach resort on the shore, lined with sandy and pebbly beaches, hotels, … Read more
The Fortezza is the Venetian citadel that crowns the low hill of Palaiokastro above the old town of Rethymno, on the north coast of Crete. Its low, star-shaped ramparts and angled bastions were built to absorb cannon fire, and inside stand a domed former mosque, a gunpowder store, cisterns and the rector’s residence. The walls … Read more
Akrotiri is a broad, rocky peninsula reaching north-east from Chania in western Crete. The peninsula holds the city’s airport, the deep natural harbour of Souda Bay, and a scatter of beaches and historic monasteries across its bare hills. Clifftop religious sites, the sandy cove of Stavros, and the hilltop graves of the statesman Eleftherios Venizelos … Read more
The Koules fortress is a squat stone sea fort guarding the entrance to the old Venetian harbour of Heraklion, the capital of Crete. The Venetians knew it as Rocca a Mare and Greeks call it Koules. It stands beside the old Venetian arsenali shipyards, a low block of thick walls that has become the emblem … Read more
Xerokambos is a remote scatter of beaches and a tiny settlement at the far south-eastern corner of Crete, in the Lasithi region beyond Zakros and the mountain village of Ziros. Long stretches of soft pale sand and clear, shallow turquoise water back onto low dunes, tamarisk and old salt pans, and the coast stays undeveloped … Read more
Myrtos is a small whitewashed seaside village on the south coast of Crete, set in the Lasithi region west of Ierapetra. A long grey-sand and pebble beach fronts the village, and narrow flower-filled lanes climb the slope behind the shore. Low-key tavernas, cafes and rooms line the seafront, and the village keeps a relaxed, alternative … Read more
The Dikti mountains form the great highland range of eastern Crete, a high limestone massif also called the Dikti massif or Lasithiotika Ori. The range spans the Lasithi and Heraklion regions and rises to the peak of Spathi at about two thousand one hundred and forty-eight metres. Dikti cradles the fertile, ring-shaped Lasithi Plateau, feeds … Read more
The Milatos cave sits in the hills above the village of Milatos, on the north coast of Crete in the Lasithi region near Neapoli and the fishing village of Sissi. This wide, low stalactite cavern spreads through interconnected chambers rather than one tall hall, and a small whitewashed chapel dedicated to Saint Thomas stands inside. … Read more
Sissi is a small traditional fishing village and low-key resort on the north coast of Crete, set in the Lasithi region east of Malia and close to Milatos. A pretty little harbour lined with fish tavernas and cafes forms its heart, framed by low cliffs, with small sandy and rocky coves close by. The atmosphere … Read more
Stalis, also spelled Stalida, is a relaxed beach resort on the north coast of Crete, in the Heraklion region. It sits on the same coastline between the larger resorts of Hersonissos and Malia, giving it amenities and nightlife nearby without the loud fronts of its two busy neighbours. A long, shallow, gently shelving sandy beach … Read more
Malia is a lively beach resort on the north coast of Crete, set in the Heraklion region east of Hersonissos and the airport. A long sandy beach fronts the resort, and the town carries one of the island’s busiest nightlife strips, the bar street that draws a young summer party crowd. The older traditional village … Read more