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ISS Expedition 28 crew, Public domain

Crete

Crete is Greece's largest island: Minoan Knossos, the Samaria Gorge, Venetian harbour towns and beaches on three seas.

2321 places to stayWalking times to the beach, hills and evening noise for each one

Where to stay, by what matters to you

Best things to do in Crete

The one thing not to miss

Visit Knossos, the largest and best-known centre of the Minoan civilisation, about 5 km south of Heraklion.

Knossos

  1. Knossos

    • 2 to 3 hours
    • Tickets needed
    • Families
    • Couples

    The largest and best-known centre of the Minoan civilisation, an archaeological site about 5 km south of central Heraklion.

    22,695 readers a month

    Sources
  2. Aerial view of the Old Venetian Harbour in Chania, Greece
    dronepicr, CC BY 2.0

    Chania old town

    • Half a day
    • No booking needed
    • Couples
    • No car needed

    The city on Crete's north-west coast, about 145 km west of Heraklion and capital of its regional unit.

    12,489 readers a month

    Sources
  3. 20090620 Spinalogka Elounta panoramic view from the mountain
    Ggia, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Spinalonga island

    • Half a day
    • Tickets needed
    • Families
    • Couples

    An island in the Gulf of Elounda in north-eastern Crete, next to the village of Plaka.

    It is an island, so you reach it by boat; check boat times locally.

    6,828 readers a month

    Sources
  4. Lake Voulismeni
    fs, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Agios Nikolaos

    • Half a day
    • No booking needed
    • Couples
    • Families

    A coastal town east of Heraklion and capital of the Lasithi regional unit.

    3,683 readers a month

    Sources
  5. Rethymno - Venetian fortress
    Lapplaender, CC BY-SA 3.0 de

    Rethymno old town

    • Half a day
    • No booking needed
    • Couples
    • No car needed

    A city of more than 35,000 people between Chania and Heraklion, believed to stand on the site of ancient Rhithymna.

    3,245 readers a month

    Sources

  6. Phaistos

    • 1 to 2 hours
    • Tickets needed
    • Couples

    A Bronze Age site in south-central Crete with the remains of a Minoan palace and its town.

    2,780 readers a month

    Sources
  7. Landkarte Westkreta
    Unknown author, Public domain

    Samaria Gorge

    • A full day
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Active

    A Greek national park since 1962 and a World Biosphere Reserve, and one of Crete's major attractions.

    Check the gorge's opening season and entry rules before you go.

    2,129 readers a month

    Sources
  8. Gortys R02
    Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), CC BY 3.0

    Gortyn

    • 1 to 2 hours
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Couples

    An archaeological site 45 km from Heraklion. It was the Roman capital of the province of Crete and Cyrenaica.

    1,726 readers a month

    Sources
  9. Dikteonandronkreta - 4
    Z thomas, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Psychro Cave

    • 1 to 2 hours
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Families
    • Active

    An ancient Minoan sacred cave on the Lasithi plateau, linked by some scholars with the myth of Zeus's upbringing, a link others dispute.

    1,492 readers a month

    Sources
  10. Ελαφονήσι 1287
    C messier, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Elafonisi

    • Most of a day
    • No booking needed
    • Families
    • Couples

    A protected island off Crete's south-western corner, known for pink sand. In fine weather you can walk across to it through the shallow water.

    1,377 readers a month

    Sources

Just missed the list: Arkadi Monastery (11th by readers); Heraklion Archaeological Museum (12th by readers)

How we ranked these

By how many people read about each place on English Wikipedia in a typical month, measured October 2026. It is a popularity measure, not our opinion. Knossos leads with about 22,695 readers a month. Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are on each photo.

Affiliate disclosure: We earn a commission if you book through links on this site. It costs you nothing extra and does not change what we recommend. How this works.