About Crete

Crete is a multicoloured blend of mythology, history, proud people, mountains, gorges and sea. Being situated in the Southeastern corner of Europe, Crete is the crossroad of three continents and three different worlds: Europe, Asia and Africa. Cretan culture is the offspring of a successful marriage between Western and Eastern culture. Birthplace of the ancient God Zeus, the famous painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos (El Greco) and Nikos Kazantzakis (the critically acclaimed writer of ‘Zorbas’), Crete is a spirited and enchanting place.

The island witnessed the development of one of the most important civilizations on Earth, the Minoan (2.800 - 1.150 B.C.). The palaces of Knossos, Phaistos, Malia and Zakros and the archaeological treasures of the Museum of Heraklion present great evidence of the high civilization that flourished for the first time in an European land.

Natural beauties that captivate eye and breath. Unparalleled richness in flora and fauna. Majestic mountains rising in the center - the White Mountains, Psiloritis and Dikti with plateaus that are split by deep gorges and end up in fertile valleys. The constantly changing scenery, harsh and barren in one place, wooded and gentle in another. Villages smothered in greenery, olive trees, orange grooves and vineyards. These are only some of the images which compose the magical beauty of Crete’s nature.

The coastline is outlined by shores lined with forbidding rocks, often inaccessible but also lots of endless sandy or pebbly beaches. The north coast is rich with deep inlets, bays and inviting ports, while the south coast is remote, sharp, with few inlets. This configuration accounts for the development and prosperity of northern over southern Crete.

The main cities-ports of Crete (Heraclion, Chania, Rethymnon, Agios Nikolaos, Sitia) grew up on the north side. In modern Crete, the ancient palaces, the medieval castles and the contemporary pictures blend together more than three thousand years of history. In the main cities still stand Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman buildings, remindining to the visitor the sequential phases of the Cretan history through the ages. One of the unique characteristics of Crete is the traditional face of the old villages, in contrast to the vivid and changing features of the larger cities.

All in all, Crete is a treasure of natural beauty, history and mythical magic waiting to be explored...