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What is your favorite city in Crete?

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ssherie_

ssherie_

Active member
I'm trying to plan my itinerary and I want to hit up as many cities in Crete as possible. What are your favorites? :)
 
Great question!

In no particular order here are some of the top cities to visit in Crete:
- Chania
- Heraklion
- Rethymmo
- Lassithi

chania-crete-720x480.jpeg
 
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My personal favourite is Chania but one of the great joys of Crete is its diversity! To be honest I would suggest limiting how many places you sim to visit on your first trip - distances are short and roads are good but you don’t progress quickly over the mountains. Suggest taking it slowly, soak up the atmosphere, enjoy the great food, lovely people and stunning scenery - it’s all too good to rush ?
 
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RogerC said:
My personal favourite is Chania but one of the great joys of Crete is its diversity! To be honest I would suggest limiting how many places you sim to visit on your first trip - distances are short and roads are good but you don’t progress quickly over the mountains. Suggest taking it slowly, soak up the atmosphere, enjoy the great food, lovely people and stunning scenery - it’s all too good to rush ?
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Which two or three locations would you recommend to see during a trip to Crete?
 
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I would stay in or near Chania, hire a car and drive west coast route down to Elafonisi beach, go over the mountains to south coast at Chora Stakia and maybe Paleochora, visit Knossos (busy in peak season), go to Aptera (nearby Chania and fantastic). There are amazing drives through the mountains and some of the best scenery you could hope for
 
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All crete is beutifull but the best place is Agios Nikolaos in Lassithi !
 
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I think all of crete has much to offer. All of us having a favourite place. Mine I prefer the smaller villages more family oriented. As I live some of the time there I've seen only a bit of the island even after 13 years loving everything each time I go ❤
 
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RogerC said:
I would stay in or near Chania, hire a car and drive west coast route down to Elafonisi beach, go over the mountains to south coast at Chora Stakia and maybe Paleochora, visit Knossos (busy in peak season), go to Aptera (nearby Chania and fantastic). There are amazing drives through the mountains and some of the best scenery you could hope for
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Elafonisi beach is a must see! I went to Chania and Rethymno when I visited, it was just enough to get a full taste of what Crete has to offer.
 
ssherie_ said:
I'm trying to plan my itinerary and I want to hit up as many cities in Crete as possible. What are your favorites? :)
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Chania; Rethymnon
 
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MATALA! Though hardly a city it's where I fell in love with Greece. Featured in a mid-sixties Life magazine article it embodied the history and simple life and food that I came to love.
 
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Jim Cahoon said:
MATALA! Though hardly a city it's where I fell in love with Greece. Featured in a mid-sixties Life magazine article it embodied the history and simple life and food that I came to love.
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Woooah these caves in Matala look unreal, I've never heard of it before thanks for the tip. I'll definitely be headed there
 
I have only spend quality time in Chania and Heraklion, both on separate trips, and I have loved both. There are pros and cons to each! What I love about Chania is its unique and interesting charm, and it is a bit of a gateway to some of the more interesting beaches and outdoor activities. Chania, for example, is a nice launching point for hiking the Samaria Gorge. Heraklion is a great city. There are also wonderful beaches here, a lot of culture things to do. My advice really is to pick one area or city to explore and just focus on that.
 
Chania is my favorite, thanks to its Venetian harbour, lighthouse, narrow lanes and tasty tavernas. Rethymno comes a close second. Both make good bases, and a rental car from Cretarent helps you reach nearby beaches and mountain villages easily.
 
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