Crete island

"Out in the dark blue sea there lies a land called Crete, a rich and lovely land, washed by the waves on every side..." --- The Odyssey


Crete is the largest of the Greek Islands. It is home to around 650,000 people and several million olive trees.

The island has visitors from northern Europe, other parts of Greece, and indeed, visitors from all over the World.
It consists of four prefectures: Chania, Rethymnon, Heraklion and Lasithi. Crete, is one of the 13 regions into which Greece is divided. It forms the largest island in Greece and the second largest (after Cyprus) in the East Mediterranean. The island has an elongated shape : it spans 260 km from east to west and 60 km at its widest, although the island is narrower at certain points, such as in the region close to Ierapetra , where it reaches a width of only 12 km.
















Crete is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Greece. Fifteen percent of all arrivals in Greece come through the city of Heraklion (port and airport), while charter journeys to Heraklion last year made up 20% of all charter flights in Greece. Overall, more than two million tourists visitCrete every year, and this increase in tourism is reflected on the number of hotel beds, rising by 53% in the period between 1986 to 1991, when the rest of Greece saw increases of only 25%.

Today, the island's tourism infrastructure caters to all tastes, including a very wide range of accommodation; the island's facilities take in large luxury hotels with their complete facilities, swimming pools, sports and recreation, smaller family-owned apartments, camping facilities and others.


Crete lies to the southeast of the Greek mainland in the Mediterranean Sea. Crete’s unique geographical position – between Europe, Asia and Africa – has shaped its history from antiquity to modern times. The island of Crete has a rugged, mountainous terrain, with numerous gorges and ravines. The most well known is the Samaria Gorge, which is 18 km long and has vertical walls of rock that reach a height of 500 m. Samaria is the last refuge of the kri-kri, the Cretan wild goat, and home to many rare Cretan wildflowers. Samaria and the many other ravines in Crete have played a crucial role in preserving the rich flora and fauna of the island, because they are far removed from human activity.

The island has three significant airports, Nikos Kazantzakis at Heraklion, the Daskalogiannis airport at Chania and a smaller one in Sitia. The first two serve international routes, as the main gateways to the island for travellers.

Crete is a different world compared to other parts of Greece. Crete is a place with its own tradition, its own character and its own dialect. Local people are very proud of their Cretan origin.

Nowadays, Crete has a flourishing economy which is based partly on tourism. It has giant hotel resorts where you can enjoy splendid facilities. In the south of the island, you will find hundreds of exotic beaches, some crowded and some isolated which can satisfy any taste.







































Crete is famous for its fruit and vegetable production. So by visiting Crete, you have the chance to taste the world-known Cretan diet based on vegetables and pure olive oil.





For centuries Crete has held intact its own distinctive rich and proud culture. While Crete has a modern, rapidly growing economy based on tourism and agriculture, the Cretan people, especially those in small towns and villages still maintain time-honored customs and traditions, including Cretan music played on the Cretan lyra, Cretan dances like the pendozalis, and Cretan food.

















Crete has a rich and fascinating history. Modern archaeological discoveries reveal that from about 3000 to 1200 BC Crete was the centre of a flourishing Bronze Age civilization. The Cretan cultural achievements of this period, called the Minoan period, revealed those of Egypt and Mesopotamia in the same period. The island had 90 independent cities, the greatest of which was Knossos, capital of the realm of the legendary Cretan king Minos.

In 67 BC the island was conquered by the Romans. In 395 AD it passed to the Byzantine Empire. The island fell to the Arabs in 826 and remained under their rule until 961, when it was re-conquered by the Byzantines. Following the Fourth Crusade (1204), Crete was sold to the Venetians. In 1645 the Ottoman Empire began military operations in Crete against the Venetians, completing conquest of most of the island in 1669 and acquiring complete control in 1715. Cretan revolts against Turkish rule subsequently occurred and in 1913, following a bitter and lengthy struggle, Crete was ceded to Greece.



Crete’s archaeological sites – most notably the Minoan palaces at Knossos and Phaistos, its rich historical and cultural development, and its striking natural beauty, make it an ideal location for a university.



Cretan people are known for their love of freedom and independence; they have played a leading role in all the struggles of the Greek nation.