~ Carmen
When Joe and I were first planning our trip to Greece, Crete wasn’t even on the itinerary. We’d been to Crete once before, but it was just a pit stop (1/2 day) on our Greek island cruise, so we hadn’t really been able to truly experience what all Crete has to offer. This past trip, we gave ourselves 3 whole days to see and explore Crete.
As the largest of the Greek islands and fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea, Crete has a distinctive culture that sets it apart. Greek civilization started here and after four thousand years of invasions, Cretan people have endured and developed a culture that includes hearty diet, welcoming homes, and a love of their rugged landscape.
Check out our youtube video that summarizes our 3 days in just 2 minutes!
Lodging in Crete
Like most Greek islands, Crete has a variety of accommodations to chose from. Since we were close to the beach in Mykonos and Santorini, we decided to stay in Crete’s capital city, Iraklio (also called Heraklion). Iraklio is Greece’s fifth largest city. We chose the GDM Megaron. Not only is it located within walking distance of the ferry harbor, but it is close to major bus stops, historical sites, and the old city center. This by far was the nicest hotel we’ve ever stayed at, but not the most expensive. We got a great rate through Hotels.com! We made the most of our stay which included a fantastic balcony view of the harbor, opulent breakfast, and 5-star service!
Click here for great hotel deals at the 5-star GDM Megaron!

A girl could get use to this!
Transportation in Crete
Crete is a quick ferry ride from Santorini (our previous stop). Flights back to the USA weren’t super convenient, but we were able to get a connection to Amsterdam, then on to Detroit. Taxis and car services were simple for us to catch from the GDM Megaron, and the public bus system was extremely easy to navigate.
How to Spend 3 Days in Crete, Greece
Eat Cretan Food
Yes, this should be at the top of your itinerary! Cretan food has all of the basics of most Greek/Mediterranean cuisine (read What to Eat & Drink in Greece), but think “earthier”. It reminded me of southern food in the USA where you can feel the history in every bite. Our lodging was within walking distance of a multitude of great restaurants, but we ended up going to the restaurant Peskesi 2 out of our 3 nights. Located in an old, converted cottage, it just oozes farm-to-table. The prices are decent, too!

Smoked pork hanging above smoking herbs–the food at Peskesi was as delicious as the atmosphere!
Take a Day Trip to Spinalonga Island
If you love history like we do, taking a cruise to Spinalonga lsland is a must. Spinalonga has a long and varied history that includes Saracens pirates and Venetian armies. However, the island is most famous for being home to exiled lepers from 1903 to 1957. It is also the setting for the 2005 novel The Island by Victoria Hislop, the story of a family’s ties to the leper colony. Our cruise included a stop at the sweet seafront town of Plaka and a delicious swim/barbecue stop at a secluded beach.

Part of the leper colony ruins on Spinalonga Island
Castello del Molo (Koules) Venetian Fortress
This fortress is the landmark of Crete’s capital city, Iraklio and is within walking distance of the harbor and old city center. The first time we were in Crete, it was closed for renovations, so we were curious to finally see the inside. The admission price is almost nothing (2 euros), and includes videos and exhibitions about the history and renovations of the fortress. Plan on spending about an hour.

View of the Koules Venetian Fortress and harbor from our hotel balcony

View of the sea from the top of the fortress
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
The Archaeological Museum of Heraklion is Crete’s most prized attraction. It was renovated in 2014, and now includes two floors of priceless artifacts that cover over 5,000 years of Crete’s history, from the Neolithic Era to the occupation by the Roman Empire. The rooms flow chronologically and include extensive captions in English and Greek. As someone who teaches Minoan history, I was in heaven!!! Plan on spending 1-2 hours here. Combine with a Palace of Knossos tour for 16 euros.
Palace of Knossos
After a visit to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, walk across the street to the bus stop for the Palace of Knossos. The Archaeological Museum might be Crete’s most prized attraction, but the Palace of Knossos is more famous and popular. The Palace of Knossos was the capital of Crete in Minoan times and is the setting for the myth of the minotaur and labyrinth.
The palace was reconstructed in the early 1900 by British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans with some definite “broad interpretations”. Even though Evans took liberties with historical accuracies, I found the reconstructions fascinating, especially following our tour of the Archaeological Museum. There are limited informational markers, so hiring one of the local tour guides that hang around the entrance would have been beneficial to us. A tour guide will run you around 10 euros if you join a group. Plan on spending 1-2 hours.

One of the many reconstructions at the Palace of Knossos
Land Rover Safari Tour
This day-long tour was a concession to our aching “end of trip” feet, but it turned out to be one of my favorite activities of the entire trip! We love hiking and being outside. We had been told that a hike along the Samaria Gorge was a must. Well, as much as I wanted to explore the beautiful Cretan landscape, the idea of a 6-hour hike (after 12 days touring) made me cancel those plans.
Our hotel recommended the Land Rover Safari Tour as a fun, less strenuous alternative. We loved it! Now don’t confuse the Land Rover Tours with other self-driving tours. We saw many of these tours and our driver told us that there had been so many accidents along Crete’s winding mountain roads, that many tourism boards were advising against them.
I loved our knowledgable driver filling us in on all the different parts of Crete’s rugged landscape and fertile valleys. The stops were frequent and there were plenty of photo ops. Our tour included lunch and stops at Zeus’s Diction Cave, a goat farm, the scenic Lassithi Plateau, and an eco park where traditional crafts are still practiced.

Land Rover Safari Tour- the highlight of our 3 days in Crete
Have you been or want to go to Crete, Greece? Please share by commenting below! Any questions? Please ask!
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~ Carmen
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Riley
September 24, 2017 5:13 pmI wish I could go to Crete! You make it sound amazing!
Pack Your Baguios
September 25, 2017 8:52 amAs much as you love history, you must plan a trip sometime!
Renata Green
September 25, 2017 5:23 amI’ve been to so many place faaar away, but never to Greece, which is practicly ‘around the corner’. This post is very motivating – thank you 🙂
Pack Your Baguios
September 25, 2017 8:54 amI’m the same way about parts of the USA. There is so much to see here that I need to spend some time exploring in my own backyard!
Ada
September 25, 2017 8:33 amIve only been in Santorini but I do hope I will get to return to Greece one day and explore more places like Crete! Ive heard so much about this wonderful island and now I see that theres also a lot of to do besides beautiful beaches. And I love how you prioritise the food 🙂 I love greek food so I would definitely spend most of the time in restaurants 🙂
The Wise Travellers
September 26, 2017 6:41 amGreece looks such a great country to visit. We are from Portugal and we share some things with Greece like the Mediterranean Cusine, one of the best in the World. A visit to Greece should be amazing and Crete keeps so many histories and mythology. Lovely Post.
Pack Your Baguios
September 27, 2017 9:45 amThank you so much!
Punita Malhotra
September 26, 2017 10:33 pmThree days in Crete sounds just about right. I would love to pretend that I am a local in this lovely place. The history and the landscapes are both so amazing…tough deciding which is a notch higher for me.
Pack Your Baguios
September 27, 2017 9:47 amHaving such a rich history plus the gorgeous landscape were the main reasons we loved Crete so much!
Lydia Smith
September 27, 2017 2:35 pmSo much to do in 3 days. Greece is beautiful and isn’t tagged ancient for nothing. Look at artifacts at the archeological museum, it says a lot. A trip to Spinalonga(sounds like the study of Spain, haha) would also be a pass for me.
Pack Your Baguios
September 27, 2017 6:45 pmI felt like three days wasn’t near long enough! We meet other travelers who were staying a week and longer. I think I could spend a week just exploring all of the beaches.
Pericles Rosa
September 27, 2017 5:06 pmHi guys.
I haven’t been to Crete yet, but it’s on my list. My first time in Greece I went only to Athens, Santorini and Mykonos.
Crete on your post seems even more interesting than I thought. I’d love to visit the Archeological Museum definitely and eat plenty of Cretan food for sure 😉
Cheers and safe travels guys.
Pack Your Baguios
September 27, 2017 6:46 pmThere was definitely more to Crete than I first realized. 3 days didn’t do it justice!
Kate
September 30, 2017 4:32 pmWhat a beautiful video! I cant wait to visit Greece next summer. I got a taste of the ancient cities when I went to Croatia and I’m hooked! Seems like great food, beautiful architecture, and sparkling waters.
Pack Your Baguios
October 9, 2017 7:46 amCrete does have a great combination of all of those things: hearty food, old world architecture, and turquoise waters!
Eve Kay
October 1, 2017 11:03 amI love history and Crete is a must-visit! Thank you for the guide as I am hoping to visit Greece end of this year. Hope to make it to Crete. The Archaeological Museum and the Palace already make me very excited!
Paul and Carole
October 2, 2017 3:53 amWe have a joint love of Greece, such a wonderful post! We have visited Crete a couple of times now but not got to Heraklion or Spinilonga. Great post, have pinned for future reference #feetdotravel
Pack Your Baguios
October 9, 2017 7:51 amWe do seem to enjoy similar places! We just hope to cruise as much as you guys do!
Taiss
October 2, 2017 6:30 pmCrete looks like a fabulous place to visit! I would certainly be down to eat the local food, especially since you say you can taste the history! I know what you mean about having a driven tour after you’ve been all around on your feet. Good thing you guys didn’t get the self driving one. It seems like that would not be a good idea since tourists are not really used to those roads.
Pack Your Baguios
October 9, 2017 8:03 amNot only are the self driving tours not safe, you don’t have anyone explaining what all you are seeing.
Angie (Feetdotravel)
October 3, 2017 12:42 amI definitely want to visit Create, I love Greek History and it’s on my bucket list to do island hopping around he Greek islands. Great post with lots of information, pinned for when I visit #feetdotravel
Pack Your Baguios
October 9, 2017 8:05 amI hope when you visit, you enjoy it as much as we did!
Michael - The Boys Abroad
October 3, 2017 2:05 pmWe’re heading back to Greece next summer and we’re trying to decide which Island to visit. I think we’ve now made our decision to head to Crete! It looks amazing and you’ve done such an awesome job of capturing it.
Pack Your Baguios
October 9, 2017 8:07 amIf you like variety, you’ll love Crete! From the beach to history to hiking, there is a ton of places to visit and things to do.
Shona
October 5, 2017 4:36 pmCrete is definitely on my list. I love the idea of the food being “Greek but earlthier” and the history gets me every time. Have pinned for when I go and love the video too.
Pack Your Baguios
October 9, 2017 8:08 amThe Cretan food reminded me of southern food here where we live in the southern USA. Eating it makes you feel like you’re home.
James
October 6, 2017 2:30 amI have my mind set on Athens and Santorini when I visit Greece this winter. I think Crete would make a good destination too though after reading about it. The tour to Spinalonga Island seems to have so many wonderful photography opportunities. The fortress in the capital would make for an interesting walk too, for photographing the fortress and the views from it!
Pack Your Baguios
October 9, 2017 8:09 amI have started reading more about the history of Spinalonga. The tour really peaked my interest in how the lepers build a community and made the most of a terrible situation.
Travel Lexx
October 6, 2017 11:49 amYou guys have managed to fit loads into your three days and there seems to be so much to see and do. Love all the architectural marvels – museum looks incredible and so does the palace. I didn’t realise Crete is so close to Santorini – i would love to island hop in Greece! Love your posts about the region!
Pack Your Baguios
October 9, 2017 8:11 amAt first Crete wasn’t on our itinerary until I realized how close it was to Santorini. Since I teach ancient history, I could pass up the chance to walk where the Greek civilization first started.
Sandy N Vyjay
October 16, 2017 1:50 amCrete looks different. For eyes tired with the glossy instagrammable pictures of Mykonos and Santorini, Crete comes as a breath of fresh air. Can see you had a great time. A great indulgence for the senses.
Pack Your Baguios
October 16, 2017 10:22 amCrete was definitely a nice change of pace! I loved the food and the people were super friendly!