Crete it’s certainly one of the most interesting and the most visited Greek Islands. Almost a quarter of all tourists who go to Greece stay in Crete, which means that a lot of the island is taken up with the apartment complexes and hotel resorts that you’d expect, but the island is also big enough to provide some beautiful scenery and plenty of different villages and mountains to explore.
For 2014 Crete holidays look set to be extremely popular, after all, there aren’t many destinations that offer the best kind of environment for both family holidays and adventure holidays at the same time. Add to this the beautiful weather and the relatively cheap prices, it’s easy to see why Crete is so popular. Five of the many things you must do when you visit Crete and rest assure that you can find many more.
Visit the Ancient Palace of Knossos
While you’re in Crete you’re bound to visit or stay in the town of Heraklion and you absolutely have to visit this infamous ancient site. It’s the place where the legend of King Mino and the labyrinth originated a couple of thousand years ago. Set in a beautiful valley near a river, you can spend a few hours on a guided tour around this fabulous place, which was excavated and rebuilt in 1900. A real must visit for culture vultures.
Hike the Gorge
This is definitely for those who love to walk and have a reasonable level of fitness, and would even challenge those who fancy themselves as real hikers. You hike up a steep stone pathway from Xyloskalo to Agia Roumeli along the coast and it will take up to six hours to complete. Depending on the time of year it may be possible to actually wade through the stream. If you do find it too tough, don’t despair, there are wardens with donkeys at the ready to take weary stragglers back to the beginning!
Jump off a bridge!
Around 14km from Hora Sfakion there is a bridge crossing the Aradena Gorge. Next to the bridge is a cantina where people will direct you to nearby Agios Ioannis where you will find people jumping off the bridge – it’s the highest bungee jump in Greece at 138m and is certainly worth a go if you’re an adrenalin junky. If you’d rather take it easier, you can just go for a ramble through the ruined village.
Go on a dolphin cruise
There are plenty of these available, particularly in Rethymno, which has a lot of companies along its harbour offering boat trips, including dolphin cruises and visits to nearby caves as well as the option to take a speedboat on a fishing trip.