Crete attractions

One of the Mediterranean’s largest bays, serene Mirabello Bay is a sight for sore eyes—and sore travelers. Lined with excellent beaches, pretty towns like Agios Nikolaos, and plenty of historic landmarks, Mirabello Bay offers a little bit of everything, with a sea breeze to top it off. If you’re anywhere near Mirabello Bay, you’re in luck.

Located in southwestern Crete, Kedrodasos Beach is a scenic and secluded beach with a long stretch of white sand, scattered rocks, and clear turquoise waters backed by juniper trees (despite its name of cedar forest). Ideal for sunbathing, swimming, and snorkeling, the beach is also popular with naturists, windsurfers, and kiteboarders.

Dominating an airy, palm-fringed square in the heart of Heraklion, the Orthodox St. Titus Church (Church of Agios Titos) is the latest place of worship to reside here—the site has hosted a Byzantine church, a Catholic church, and a mosque. Today, visitors come here to see the skull of St. Titus, who many believe brought Christianity to Crete almost 2,000 years ago.

A small, sandy, sheltered beach in the north of central Agios Nikolaos, Ammoudi Beach offers sunbeds, beach bars, and calm, clear waters. The views across Mirabello Bay are spectacular, while the water conditions are ideal for windsurfing, sea kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and the ever-popular pedalo paddleboats.

An airy modern winery set in the hills behind Heraklion, the Scalarea Estate crafts award-winning wines that fall under the PDO Archanes. The tasting room features floor-to-ceiling windows with spectacular views and alfresco seating. In addition to touring, tasting, and eating, you can stay amid the vineyards in one of three houses within the grounds.

Rarely visited and vastly less crowded than the Samaria Gorge, Crete’s Aposelemis Canyon guides the Aposelemis River down towards the sea. The canyon makes a rewarding wilderness walk, with the possibility of seeing vultures circling overhead. You can also follow the river to or from the sea as the gorge evolves into a valley and wetlands.

Crete has more than its fair share of ancient monasteries, churches, ruins, and the like, and yet Panageria Kera still stands out. Containing the finest-preserved Byzantine-era frescoes on the island, this 13th-century church is a must-visit for travelers interested in architecture, religion, history, and European culture.

Located in northern Crete, Gournes Beach is a collection of small sandy beaches off a beach-front promenade that stretches along the charming and laid-back village of Gournes, situated between Kokkini Hani and Kato Gouves. Easily accessible from Heraklion, Gournes Beach offers an idyllic and peaceful beach escape.

Crete’s Katharo Plateau is about as serene as it gets, featuring little beyond shepherds, their flocks, and a few tavernas. High in the Dikti Mountains, this barely inhabited spot offers fabulous views, open landscapes, and a tranquil atmosphere known for shepherding—and ancient myths. For visitors with a 4-wheel drive and boots to dirty, the Katharo Plateau provides an enticing glimpse into Crete's rural life.

Despite the name, Crete’s White Lake (Aspri Limni) Beach does not have a lake: The name refers to the rocks that almost completely enclose the cove, creating a shallow natural lagoon. Between the pale sands, the blue sea, the sun-warmed waters, the palm-leaf umbrellas, and the cluster of protected Cretan date palms, it has an almost tropical feel.

A green oasis amid downtown Heraklion’s noise and bustle, Georgiadis Park is one of the city’s largest green spaces. There’s a tree-lined playground that will please small children, a garden of richly scented herbs, a large rock garden, a café, plus lawns to picnic on, benches to people watch from, and shady paths on which to stroll.

Named for the Cretan poet Vitsentzos Kornaros, Kornarou Square is a bright, airy space close to Heraklion Central Market. One side hosts the Turkish Pumphouse and the Bembo Fountain, a Venetian fountain made from a Roman statue and sarcophagus; the other boasts sculptures of Erotokritos and Aretousa, the lovers from Kornaros’ best-known work.

Set slightly back from the Old Venetian Harbor of Heraklion, a cluster of high vaulted tunnels is all that remains of the city’s Venetian Shipyards. Four old tunnels rest side by side towards the south of the harbor; one newer tunnel remains to the east. Their impressive scale shows how big the Venetian ships of yore were.