A traveler's guide to Crete
Crete is too big for a single base and a whim. Pick west or east, and drive to the famous beaches on purpose.
Crete is a real island with cities, gorges, and a south and west coast of famous sand. Elafonisi's pinkish beach and Balos's lagoon are the photographs. Chania and Rethymno are where you sleep if you want a harbor instead of a resort gate.
When to go
May, June, and September are the sweet spot. August is hot, crowded, and windy on the north. October still swims. The south holds the weather differently from the north.
The beach
Elafonisi is shallow, pale, and overrun by midday in summer. Balos is a lagoon you earn by boat or by a rough road. The north-coast city beaches are pleasant and not why you crossed Europe. The south has smaller coves if you ask.
In the water
The famous shallows are a walk, not a dive. Boat trips from Kissamos toward Balos are the easier arrival. Snorkel the rockier coves on a calm morning. The Libyan Sea on the south can be clearer and less visited.
If you only remember this
- A car is assumed. The bus is a partial solution.
- Start for Elafonisi at dawn in July and August.
- Cash in the small beach canteens.
- The Samaria Gorge is a different pair of shoes and a whole day.