• Home
    • Resource Library
    • Business Resources
  • Blog
  • Craft Supplies
  • Free Primitive Patterns
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us

Prim Mart

For Home, Garden, and Lifestyle

  • The Home
    • Decor & Design
    • Cleaning & Organizing
    • Buying and Selling Homes
    • Electrical & Energy Use
    • Heating & Cooling
    • Home Appliances
    • Pest Control
    • Plumbing
    • Roof Maintenance
    • Security
    • Tools & Equipment
  • Outdoor Living
    • Gardening
    • Landscaping
    • Lawn Care
    • Patio Decorating
  • Art & Crafts
    • Craft Tutorials
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
    • Family
      • Parenting
      • Pets
    • Beauty & Fashion
    • Finances
    • Education
    • Fun
    • Legal Matters
    • Technology
    • Car Care & More
    • Celebrations & Holidays
    • Safety
    • Shopping
    • Travel
  • Wellness
    • Dental Health
    • Diet & Fitness
    • Holistic Health
    • Mental Wellness
    • Physical Health
    • Self Improvement
  • Work & Business
    • Business Tips
    • Business Marketing
    • Office Design
    • Building Upkeep
    • Career Training
    • Work at Home
Home » Lifestyle » Travel » 10 Places in Crete Only Locals Know

Travel · May 6, 2022

10 Places in Crete Only Locals Know

10 Places in Crete Only Locals Know

There is much more to do on a beautiful island like Crete than just lounging on the beach. In this article, we recommend you 10 places and Crete best villages you have to visit on your next visit to this amazing island in Greece.

1. Samaria Gorge

The natural beauty of Samaria Gorge, perhaps the largest in Europe, is something you should not miss but be aware that 16 km of hiking awaits you. It has been a Greek National Park since 1962 on the island of Crete, a major tourist attraction on the island, and a World Biosphere Reserve.

2. Knossos Palace

5 km south of the town of Heraklion is the famous Minoan palace of Knossos. The most famous “attraction” in Crete, monuments discovered in 1900 by the British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans and the effective work of reconstruction has become that visitors who walk the halls of the palace, can have a picture of what must have been really ancient life. The Minoan palace at Knossos highlights the ruins of one of the world’s first sophisticated cultures, a city that flourished for thousands of years as the greatest trading power in the eastern Mediterranean. The Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments are the most impressive in Crete.

3. Archaeological Museum of Heraklion

After Knossos, visit the renovated Archaeological Museum, which characterizes ‘as one of the most important in Greece and contains the best collection of Minoan art in the world.

4. Elafonisi Beach

One of the most incredible beaches of Crete is Elafonisi, “which is famous for its pink and white sand, its small islet, and its bright and crystal clear lagoon that separates it from the main coast. At the same time, you can combine your swim with a visit to the nearby monastery of Chryssoskalitissa and the lighthouse of Agia Irini.

5. Spinalonga

The Venetians definitely left their traces in Crete after 4 centuries of domination and one of their best-preserved castles is located on the island of Spinalonga, near Elounda. Spinalonga is also known as the “leprous island”, as Greek lepers were isolated there until 1957.

6. Balos Beach

The amazing rocky jumble that reaches the surface of the water of the lagoon of Balos, surrounded by white sand and crystal clear turquoise waters is one of the most photographed places in Greece. It is a place for a tourist who has chosen Crete to visit.

7. Arkadi Monastery

The golden stone church of the monastery in Arkadi near Rethymno is worth a visit for its Venetian sculptures and unique bell tower. It still marks the history of Crete’s struggle for independence. In 1866, more than 1,000 people fled here during the revolt against Ottoman rule.

8. Chania

Chania is considered the cultural capital of Crete with a wealth of galleries to explore, museums to visit, and theaters. The old town is an evocative mix of Venetian and Ottoman buildings and its main features are the Venetian lighthouse and an ancient mosque. Nice and cozy apartments can be found in Chania for your unforgettable stay here. Some of them can be rented at https://karta.com

9. Ideon Cave

Zeus was born in Crete according to Greek mythology. Two caves in the mountains of Crete claim the honor of the birthplace of the greatest god in ancient Greece, the Dikteon cave in east-central Crete and Ideon cave on the highest mountain of Crete, Mount Idi. There is no information that tells us exactly where Zeus was born and each cave has its own followers. What is important however is that Crete was the birthplace of Zeus, and in a way that has many similarities with the birth of Christ, many centuries later, in another cave in the modern state of Israel.

10. Rethymnon City

The old city of Rethymnon is one of the best preserved Renaissance cities. It is located in the heart of present-day Rethymnon and combines the eastern vision of Ottoman rule with Venetian Renaissance architecture. After the conquest of Crete by the Venetians (1204), the construction of the city of Rethymno was based on Venetian architecture. Initially, Venetian craftsmen were used, later the Cretan “murarians” took their place, i.e. they were first trained by the Venetians. A walk through the streets of the old town of Rethymno seems like a trip to another era.

Spread the love

Posted In: Travel

You’ll Also Love

Is Flying Business Class Worth ItIs Flying Business Class Worth It? Of Course!
6 Critical Travel Safety Tips Every Traveler Should Know
Buying a Myrtle Beach Condo— What You Need to KnowBuying a Myrtle Beach Condo— What You Need to Know
Next Post >

Get Your House Summer Ready With These 5 Tips

Search

Hello There!

Welcome to Prim Mart! I'm Katharine, a mom, wife, and blogger with a passion for all things related to homemaking and enjoying life. Prim Mart was founded in 2001 and has grown from just a craft blog to an online lifestyle magazine filled with helpful and creative articles for you!

Join Our Newsletter

Archives

Popular Posts

Categories

Copyright © 2023 Prim Mart · Theme by 17th Avenue

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Read More

Accept Decline Cookie Settings
I consent to the use of following cookies:
Cookie Declaration About Cookies
Necessary (0) Marketing (0) Analytics (0) Preferences (0) Unclassified (0)
Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Analytics cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Preference cookies enable a website to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient. The law states that we can store cookies on your device if they are strictly necessary for the operation of this site. For all other types of cookies we need your permission. This site uses different types of cookies. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages.
Cookie Settings