Greek Islands
Crete

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Crete, Elounda Beach. More Crete Pictures below.
Photo © Gary Chapman

Other Greece Islands and beaches

Crete is the largest island in Greece and one of the most interesting, both scenically and historically. From the Samaria Gorge to the Lasithi plateau hikers will keep fit in spectacular surroundings while historians and archeologists will pass easy hours in Heraklion's museums and the Minoan ruins of Knossos.
Most travellers, however, are primarily in Crete for the beaches - with a touch of culture, perhaps to keep their intellects functioning while they bake in the sun and pickle their brains in Ouzo.
Pictured above is Elounda, typical of many- soft sand, clear water and rather too many neighbours. Crete's best strands of sand are on the west coast, Falasarna and Elafonisi.

Matala Beach

The Balos lagoon on the Gramvoussa peninsula.

Agios Nikolaos town [aka Ayios or Aghios]
The island's worst tourist resort and arguably Greece's primary destination for binge-drinking is Malia, on the north-east coast, which leads Europe in ultra-violence, often perpetrated by Brit-on-Brit. Cheap - yes, pleasant old town - yes, pulsating with people you normally cross the street to avoid - yes.

Knossos, Crete's famous ancient site and core of the very sophisticated Bronze Age civilization of the Minoans - who may have been the advanced seafaring people of the Atlantis legend [See Santorini]. Conveniently near Crete's large city of Heraklion, Knossos has been partially reconstructed as it may have been several thousands of years ago.

Arkadia monastery

The famous Cretan palms and beach of Vai, east Crete.

Early morning in Sitia, Lasithi province, Crete.

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