Travel to Crete, Greece

This island is the largest from all islands of Greece and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. Crete, whit its capital Heraklion, is famous not just in Greece, but also in the entire world and is a favorite travel destination for many vacationers. The main travel attractions in Crete include the archeological sites from Knossos, Phaistos, and Gortys. Many other places, such as the Venetian castle from Rethymno, the Samaria gorge and other minor gorges - Agia Irini or Aradena - are worth for a visit during your vacation on Crete.
Crete was the center of the Minoan civilization (ca. 2600-1400 BCE), the oldest civilization of Europe and now is one of the most popular vacation destinations in Greece, having also a few very good all-inclusive hotels and luxury villas for rent. 15% of all arrivals in Greece come through the city Heraklion. Crete is so famous that every summer more than two million travelers visit it! The tourism infrastructure in Crete caters to all tastes and budgets. There can be found all types of accommodations, from large all-inclusive hotels and luxury villas settled in exquisite vacation resorts, with great facilities such as swimming pools, to family owned apartments and small houses.

All-inclusive hotels & vacation resorts & villas

Travelers that come in vacation in Crete can arrive at the island through two international airports - located near Heraklion and Hania - or by boat - in the ports Heraklion, Hania, Rethimno, and Agios Nikolaos.
Heraklion or Iraklion is the largest city and the capital of Crete and of Heraklion Prefecture. It has an international airport named after the writer Nikos Kazantzakis. Heraklion is close to the ruins of the palace from Knossos, which in Minoan times was the biggest centre of population on Crete. The present city Heraklion was founded in 824 AD by the Saracens - an Arabic people. They built a moat around the city for protection and named the city Handaq. The Byzantines attacked and defeated the city in 961, slaughtered the Saracens, looted the city, and burned it to the ground. They remained in control of the rebuilt Khandak for the next 243 years! In 1204 the city was bought by the Venetians as part of a complicated political deal. Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade restoring the deposed Byzantine emperor Isaac II Angelus to his throne. The Venetians built giant fortifications, from which most are still in place, including a big wall with 7 bastions and a fortress in the harbor.
Crete has some of the best vacation resorts, all-inclusive hotels and luxury villas of Greece. Most of the all-inclusive hotels offer a large number of vacation activities: tours, surfing, yachting, wine tasting, cruising, etc. Due to the island's popularity it's advisable to book a room well in advance, other way will be hard to find a decent hotel room in the peak season...

Historical places

The name Khandak became Candia in Italian. The city retained the name Candia for a few centuries. After the Venetia era came the Turks of the Ottoman Empire and they ruled the city for 22 years. The city was spelled during the Turkish rule as Kania, but also known as Megalo Kastro - The Big Castle. During their occupation the harbor silted up, so they moved most of their business to Hania, in the west of the island. The city became independent with the withdrawal of the Ottomans in 1898, then in 1908 part of the Cretan state, and then it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece in 1913. Upon its independence it was renamed to Heraklion, meaning "City of Hercules".
One of the most interesting attraction for travelers is the medieval fortress Rocca al Mare, built by Venetians, also known as Koules, located on the port.