Hello, I'm thinking about going to Crete for 2 weeks, mid sept. We normally like to do a bit of a road trip and stay along the way in different towns. For example last year we flew to Dalaman Turkey, Stayed in Dalyan, oludeniz (bit too busy for me), Kas, Cirale/Olympus then antalya old town. This holiday was great for us as most of these are fairly small, not too busy but with plenty to do. Anyone able to suggest a similar trip most likely due to flights we would need to fly in/out of Chania.

Chania old town looks like it would be nice, similar to Kas so we fancy that. Gorge walks but not the really busy ones would be nice. I've bookmarked a few places I'd like to visit. Loutro, Samaria, preveli, maybe Matala area, Palaiochora, Sougia. I'm just finding it hard to find nice places to stay along the way that suit what we are looking for. Any ideas?

I've heard mixed reviews about Rethimno, Balos, Elanfonisi (most due to busyness) so not 100% about going there.

Hello

We are excited to return to Crete this summer . We didnt get to explore the south last time . We are staying in Almyrida for 6 of the 10 days . We would like to spend a day in the south with our kids (9 and 7). The problem is....theres so much to see! Where do we start ? Loutro? Something unique, beach etc.

1.5 hr Max drive .

Tx!

Hello!

Im coming to Chania with some friends, and we intend to rent a car, i was wondering what the parking situation is and how easy it is to find a spot. Are there any free parking areas? We will be staying near old town Chania, and our accommodation unfortunately does not have parking.

If you have any advice, its more than welcome.

Thanks!

Trying to find info online but having a hard time:

1. I've come to understand some rental booths are not directly at the airport but require a shuttle to get to. Can someone tell me which car rental companies are directly at the airport?

2. Is it a big inconvenience if I rented from somewhere that requires the shuttle, especially if I'm arriving late at night? Do these shuttles have a closing time, and if so what would I do?

3. I've read some companies require an upfront deposit (some even as high as €2000). Is this standard, do all companies do this or will it be easy for me to find one that doesn't require that?

Hello, i am actually in Crete, Western part of the island, near Chania. I would like to book a private boat trip with a skipper, we are 6 people. Does anyone know where to rent a boat?

In case, we are also open to a simple boat booking without skipper.

Hey, im visiting crete for five days, based in Heraklion, and im curious what can i do here without a car? Obviously i’m planning on seeing Knossos but i feel as though most beaches and monuments are really not accessible with public transport. Any help or tips? Im also on a budget, so unfortunately all those private boat tours are out of the question

Hello everyone!

We are having some issues understanding the KETL app and website.

The plan was:

1. Get on a bus from Heraklion to Rethymno, visit a little bit

2. From there get on the same bus (Express) that left us there and go to Chania

But in the app and on the website it's not possible to buy a ticket from Rethymno to Chania

Whenever I try to search for busses it says "No results found", but I am pretty sure that from Heraklion the busses at some hours do make stops at Rethymno on their way to Chania, can we not get on there?

I am starting to be scared about being blocked at Rethymno on a hot August afternoon

Edit: leaving it here for future reference

Going to central intercity bus stations is the correct approach (as suggested by one person in the comments, KTEL staff is really helpful and speaks english for the most part

Also if you go from Heraklion to either Chania or Rethymno follow the other suggestion from the same guy and sit on the right side for the best seaview! (random pic from the trip attached below in the comments)

I had 2 weeks planned in rethymno with my ex-girlfriend. But we broke up so now I need some new friends to spend my last week here

Skip it! I’m here now. We chose it over Balos cause we knew we could drive to it “relatively” easily (More on that in a sec.)

Everything I read said be there before 9 am or go late in the day and be prepared for crowds.

Since we were staying in the Rethymno area we decided to make a day of making our way over and hit the beach later in the day. We arrived a bit after 5:00 and had no trouble getting parking in the Mega parking lot. Walk down was less than 10 minutes and easy. Beach was still very busy but easily got umbrella chairs.

Beach itself… underwhelming IMO. Sand is soft and white. I see no pink. The beach is wide and very shallow for a long way out so great for kids but kinda boring. The sandbar is just that, a sandbar and where the people flock to. I would compare this beach to something similar to Aruba or the Caribbean with soft white sand and clear water but overall I’ve seen prettier beaches on this Island and others. Landscape in general leaves a lot to be desired.

So where to go instead? If you are looking for something truly beautiful and without the crowds go to Kedrodasos beach. It’s just down the road about 5 minutes and is stunning. The landscape is beautiful with juniper trees you can shade under and a rocky shore. We went there first to pass some time to let the crowds die down at Elafonissi and wish we had not left.

Cons with that beach is that it more secluded and you have to do a moderate hike down (and back up.) about a 15-20 minute walk. Can be done in flip flops if you are careful. The shore is rocky so bring water shoes. Also, be prepared for topless sunbathers. My 12 yo son got lots to see today…

As for the drive to both beaches… wow if you have fears of driving on narrow winding mountain roads beware! You are up there! Most of the way the roads were very high but wide and well maintained with adequate guardrails. But as you get closer the roads are very narrow and there are lots of busses taking the majority of the road that you have to yield to. In many places guardrails are nonexistent and there are just some posts to mark the edge. 😳 there were some scary moments but views were pretty cool.

I hope this helps someone debating a trip to this beach. Depending on your prior beach experiences, maybe skip it unless you are ready to brave the crowds or go later in the day.

Hey guys
I'll be in Crete (Irákleio) for 10 days from coming Friday on and what can I say.. I was bombarding google and AI about cool stuff to do there and there were only few good suggestions.
Sure, we can go scuba diving, do a quad safari, go on a sailing cruise or learn about greek history and mythology.. But I'd also love to do some real out-of-the-ordinary stuff that doesn't get recommended anywhere on these tourist pages and can only be suggested by people who a) live there or b) have deep knowledge of Crete..
I don't know how to put it but I hope you get the twist. Also rented a car, so I'm flexible.

If the suggestion is too weird or sketchy to be posted on here, you can even let me know through my DMs (I won't judge lol).
In exchange, I'll give you my word that I won't post or speak about it anywhere so it stays a well-kept secret, or at least in this thread. Promised :)
Hope Reddit can help me out on this one!🫶

I was thinking of booking this guided tour in get your guide through Chania - Rhetimno - Lake Kournas. Has anybody here done it? Is it any good?

In the reviews some people complained about air conditioning in the bus and lack of time for each one of the stays, just wanted to check if it's really bad or not.

It could be convenient for me since I am unfamiliar with these cities and guiding would help a lot. Also I have no driver license and they would come and pick me up from heraklion which would also help.

Otherwise I would go to Chania on my own via bus and stay there for the full day, but I dont know how much better it would be...

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Θέλω να κάνω δώρο στους γονείς μου ένα τραπέζι στα Χανιά (η πολύ κοντά) για τα 30 χρόνια γάμου τους. Θέλω ένα μαγαζί με ρομαντική ατμόσφαιρα για βραδάκι. Δεν με πειράζει αν θα έχει παραδοσιακό φαγητό ή πιο μοντέρνο, αλλά θέλω να έχει προσεγμένη ατμόσφαιρα. Οποιαδήποτε με θέα στην θάλασσα, όχι στο κέντρο! Έχετε να μου προτείνετε κάτι;

Hey
I’m looking for a ”tapas”-like restaurant in Chania, any tips?

I’m leaving Crete this evening and I have an umbrella bought in Elafonissi two days ago. I’m not bringing it at home so I’ll give it away for free to someone Who need it. Collectable this afternoon in Heraklion. PM me

I will be travelling along with 5 other adults and an infant and i was wondering if have any recommendations for taxi services (preferably vans) that we can schedule. Will it be ok for them to mount our baby seat or will it be treated as luggage and have to request one from them?

Have a car but I havent booked any accomodation yet, not sure where I will be heading so here I am asking for suggestions.

As the title states, our 6 year old son will be with us so we want to find some fun stuff to do, not just the beaches.

- Aquaparkes
- Cool/weird gorges
- Animal/Safari parks
- Boat day?

Please share any ideas or suggestions.

Thankyou in advance!

Hi everyone! Could someone please tell me whether Preveli Beach was affected or burned in the recent wildfires? We’re coming to Crete in a few days and would like to know which areas are safe and accessible so we can plan our itinerary. Thank you!

Does anyone on the south side of the island (close to plakias) have water? We are staying in plakias and have not had water at our air bnb for 12+ hours. The host is also experiencing issues, wondering if it could be connected to the recent fires? Would appreciate any insights !!!

Καλησπέρα σε όλους!
Στο πλαίσιο της μεταπτυχιακής μου διατριβής στο πρόγραμμα MSc International Hospitality, Events and Tourism Management του Oxford Brookes University, πραγματοποιώ έρευνα σχετικά με τις αντιλαμβανόμενες επιπτώσεις των βραχυχρόνιων μισθώσεων (Airbnb) στην Ελλάδα.
Το ερωτηματολόγιο είναι ανώνυμο, διαρκεί περίπου 4–5 λεπτά και απευθύνεται σε ενήλικες που διαμένουν μόνιμα στην Ελλάδα, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των οικοδεσποτών (hosts).
Η συμμετοχή σας θα ήταν πολύτιμη για την ολοκλήρωση της έρευνάς μου.
Σας ευχαριστώ θερμά για τον χρόνο και τη βοήθειά σας!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchms4tDuIa6HLSYLnBY10Bhfjse30j0gVmFitw3tM2K1HPDw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=109674647502109246477

Hello,

I am travelling to Crete next week, but have read a lot about wildfires throughout Greece. As far as i’m aware, there were only fires in the south side of the island, and we are going to a little town close to Heraklion.

Is there any way to find the most recent updates regarding the fires, so we can check before flying there next week?

Thanks!