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Vacation Crete
 Sun, Sea and Sand, a perfect combination at Crete's Bali resort between Heraklion and Rethymnon.
Photo © Gerald Brown
Crete is a great place to Holiday in . Period. More than one million Brits and Irish annually visit the Island, one of Greece's most popular travel destinations. Why? Because It's hot, it's sunny, the sky is blue, the sea is clear and warm and apart from the odd mozzy there's nothing very much to spoil the fun.
Getting to Crete
Most Brits and Irish come to Crete from airports across the UK and Ireland, landing in Chania or Heraklion. Also, you can get to Athens first and then transfer to a ferry or take an onward flight connection. Chania (Souda), Rethymno, Heraklion, Aghios Nikolaos and Sitia all are connected to Piraeus (port for Athens) by ferries.Another route connects Kissimos with Kavala in he southern Peloponese. In summer there are also ferries connecting Heraklion with Thessaloniki and Santorini. There are also local flights on the same routes.
Car Hire in Crete
Car Hire in Crete is highly competitive.
Several points to watch out for:
- car insurance - do not skimp or try to get a cheapie, and read the fine print!
- always try to get a reasonably new car, as the practice of car hirers is: "If it ain't broke don't fix it", in other words, some less reputable car companies only service or perform maintenance on their rental vehicles if they go wrong, but of course sometimes that may be too late. Our advice is stick to the bigger car rental firms like Hertz, Europcar, Avis etc.
- It is law in Crete to wear a seatbelt. Indeed seatbelts are mandatory with heavy fines if you are caught with a seatbelt unbuckled.
Quad Bikes Rental
Quad bikes can be driven on the streets in Crete, they are a lot of fun but also they may not be maintained for roadworthiness or pass safety checks until something goes wrong which can and has had catastrophic results to a renter. Quads are also not permitted on motorways. Again if you really want to hire a quad bike look for a company with newer ones, be specific to ask about insurance cover and avoid the old crocks that have probably been up every mountain (and down the other side) in Crete. Road insurance and a motorcycle licence are also mandatory. More on Insurance, The local police are on the look out for those not wearing head protection. Quad bike riders require a full-face helmet (or non-full-face helmet plus goggles) under Greek law. More on Quads in Crete.
Scooters and Motorbikes
Scooters and Motorbikes are also available for hire and the same rules apply as for the Quad Bikes. Also don't be fooled by the fact that you see lots of local Cretan bikers without Helmets on. They may get away with it because they ARE local. If, as a Holiday Maker/Tourist you are caught without a Helmet on you WILL get fined. The minimum is around €85.00 which is a fair old whack out of your holiday pocket money. Not to mention that the chances of getting your head cracked open or worse in the case of an accident are much higher if you're not wearing biker's head gear. More useful information on motorbikes, mopeds and scooters in Crete.
Also, there is an excellent page with advice and guidance on to how to stay out of trouble while taking to Cretan roads at driving in Crete.
Explore Crete
The big island of Crete does consist of more than Bars, Restaurants and Beaches. Get out and explore; visit the south side of the island with its quaint villages, high mountains and deserted beaches. Crete is the biggest Greek island, more than 250kms long. Make the most of your holiday and explore its length and breadth - get out of the resort areas, go trekking,
biking, orchid, butterfly and bird spotting, horse riding,
walk around mountain villages
and witness a bygone era of donkeys and windmills, especially on the high plateaus such as Lassithi. There is wine making, olive oil production - literally hundreds of possibilities for a rewarding, recreational vacation.
Recommended Cretan Places to Visit
Some attractive touristy spots we recommend that are beyond the usual Knossos, or Spinalonga top tourist attractions are listed below. But do plan for day trips, for journeys can be longer than they look on the map:
Elafonissi (South Western Tip)
Vai (North Eastern Tip)
Makrigialos (South East)
Paleohora (South Central)
Matala (South Central)
Krissi Island (off South Coast)
Gramvousa (North Western Tip)
Elounda (North Central)
Preveli (South Central)
Samaria Gorge (South West)
Below are a couple of Quicktime Movies of Crete
Dress Appropriately
If you want to visit any Monastery, Church, Synagogue or Mosque, etc please respect those communities' beliefs by dressing appropriately for such visits: shorts and T shirts are not really acceptable for either men or women.
Adopt Crete Time, R-e-l-a-x
Please remember to leave your watches off your wrists and wind down when you are on Crete for your holiday. Try not to hurry shop staff to serve you; shout, or become frustrated if you think staff do not understand. Crete people have a way of finding solutions to a problem or situation if everyone is calm, rational and smile a lot. We may be in the EU but we are still guests as visitors in Crete!
Good Telephone Stuff to Know
Below are some useful telephone numbers for you, if you are on Holidaying in, Crete:
Crete's Airports
Heraklion Airport: 2810 397800
Chania Airport: 28210 63224
Sitia Airport: 28430 26506
Tourist Police
Heraklion Tourist Police: 2810 283190
Chania Tourist Police: 28210 53333
Rethymno Tourist Police: 28310 53450
Lassithi Tourist Police: 28410 56900
For the Brits and Irish the love affair with Crete starts with the holiday and ends up as retirement bolthole or a place to live, work or run a business. The Youtube.com video below covers the most popular destinations for both the short term visitor or the long term expat resident.
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