Crete is the largest and most heavily populated of the Greek Islands so we stayed on the island for 10 days and hired a car to get around.
We often found ourselves driving through tiny hillside villages and olive groves along narrow winding roads
The roads were often blocked by herds of sheep
And goats
The 15th century fortress town of Rethymno
The waterfront at Hania
One of the many charming streets in Hania’s old quarter
The Falassarna Coast, West Crete
We hiked down the picturesque Samaria Gorge in South West Crete which at 14.5 km is apparently Europe’s longest gorge
Sougia Beach
Moni Arkadiou, a monastery famous for its role in the Greek struggle for freedom from Turkish occupation
Like many monasteries, Moni Prevelli was a centre of anti-Ottoman resistance
The palm fringed Preveli Beach, at the bottom of the cliffs below Moni Preveli
We visited Spinalonga Island, the fortress was built by Venetians in the 16th century
These homes were originally built by Muslim settlers but from 1903 to 1957 were inhabited by lepers when the island became a leper colony
Crete is famous for being the centre of Minoan Civilisation, Europe’s earliest recorded civilisation. We visited the Palace of Knossos, the largest Minoan archaeological sight on Crete and considered to be one of Europe’s oldest cities. For us, the restored frescoes were the highlight of Knossos.
We spent a few hours one afternoon driving around Iraklio Wine Country
Of course we sampled some of the local varieties
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