Creating the Perfect Crete Plan

Greece is celebrated as a destination for diverse vacations that blend together culture, ancient history, and leisurely beach days. Yet one island holds more historic importance (and mystery) than the others, while still offering quintessential Greek bucket-list activities, from dining on local cuisine to visiting historic port cities and idyllic Mediterranean beaches. That island is Crete, the birthplace of Europe’s earliest advanced civilization and home of the legendary Minotaur.

Enter Here and Be Delighted

Many travelers stay in Heraklion, the lively Cretan capital on the island’s northern coast. But as Greece’s fourth-largest city, it can feel hectic and clash with laid-back vacation vibes. Instead, stay in Chania, a slower-paced picturesque port town on the island’s northwestern coast with plenty to see, eat, and experience.

Chania is charming, with its 14th-century Venetian Harbor and ancient Old Town, where traces of Crete’s Roman, Venetian, and Ottoman heritages are still evident today. It’s the perfect place for a late-afternoon stroll, taking in ancient archeological sites like the Church of Saint Nicholas, a 700-year-old Greek Orthodox church with both a bell tower and a minaret, Venetian mansions, Byzantine Walls, and picturesque medieval alleys, before climbing out to the Chania Lighthouse for epic sunset views over the Old Venetian Harbor.

Divine Delicacies

Monogram is a great place to grab a coffee before exploring the port city. For lunch, try vegetarian renditions of local Cretan specialties at “To Stachi” Bio Slow Food such as giant lima beans cooked with aromatic herbs. Cool off from the afternoon heat with tahini gelato at Domenico. For dinner, go to a tavern loved by locals, The Well of The Turk. Grab a table on the terrace surrounded by bougainvilleas and order family-style. You can’t go wrong with ordering lahmajun, mushroom saganaki, and beetroot dip, followed by a round of ouzo for the table.

Book a suite with a private dipping pool at the nearby Cretan Dream Resort & Spa, a luxurious beachfront property that’s locally-owned and offers guests culturally-relevant experiences such as Cretan dancing lessons, live Greek music, and stargazing through a telescope with a Greek astronomer who shares Greek mythology related to the stars, and more. The resort’s massive infinity pool overlooks Kato Stalos Beach. The Tavern Restaurant offers a gigantic breakfast buffet featuring Cretan delicacies such as locally made cheese, a selection of pastries, freshly squeezed juices, fresh honey from the resort’s apiary, and unlimited Cretan olive oil from the resort’s own grove, Visit the olive grove for a sommelier-guided tasting of local wines and cheeses and see the ancient 3,000-year-old olive tree.

Myths and Mountains

There’s no better way to experience Crete’s rich cultural heritage than a day trip to the Palace of Knossos, where Greek mythology comes to life at the Minoan site. The local lore is that children were fed to the Minotaur every eight years, and the labyrinth where the Minotaur once walked can still be seen today. The palace has fully intact pithoi, large clay storage jars that are at least 3,700 years old, and a functioning potable water and.… 

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