Top Things to do in Crete with 4 days on the Island

We stayed in Heraklion which is the capital city of Crete, it seemed to be mainly locals, students, and Greek islanders visiting which was great as it meant that we really got to feel an authentic Greek vibe and most of the bars and restaurants were extremely well priced instead of tourist prices. Hiring a car was a no brainer for us as most of the things we wanted to see and do were a bit of a drive away - we rented from Caravel in the centre of Heraklion. The list below is accessible from wherever you should choose to stay on the island and bus tours are often possible if you do not want to drive.

Things To Do in Crete

Kournas Lake - Crete's only natural freshwater lake and the perfect place for turtle

spotting. There is free Parking at the café and only a short walk to reach the lake. Although the weather was a bit overcast on the day we visited, it was still pretty busy. We arrived around 2.30pmwhich was plenty time to enjoy the lake, grab something to eat and rest on the beach. The water here is crystal clear and we rented a pedal boat for €10 for the hour and off we went onto the lake to see if we could spot any turtles - we were in luck and managed to spot quite a few and we enjoyed a little swim in the lake.

Top tip - we found the best place to see them was near the trees as they quite liked to hide.

Kourtaliotiko Gorge & Waterfalls -

we arrived here pretty late so were limited for time. We managed to park along the roadside and then we paid €5 entrance fee each (it is also possible to park at the church car park and walk down the stairs bypassing the entrance and the fee). After a 10 minute walk you will reach a fork where it is possible to take entrance A or entrance B. Entrance A takes you down to the riverbed and allows you to swim in the waterfall, whereas entrance B takes you to the church and to view the waterfall from above. We opted for A and went straight down to the water where it was still relatively busy. Of course we were going to swim through the gorge to the base of the waterfall so off we went - now when I tell you that the water was cold - ohya 😅🥶. The water gets pretty deep before it levels off again and you can stand and marvel at the caves above your head and see the impressive waterfall. This was so thrilling and I was so proud of myself for braving the swim as I'm not the strongest swimmer. On the journey back we decided to tackle a bit of route B and popped down the see the church.

Samaria Gorge - the longest gorge in Europe, a 16km descent down into a dramatic gorge. My first piece of advice it to try to stay somewhere as close to the starting point as possible, we had a 3 hour drive from Heraklion, which was a bit of a stinker first thing in the morning. The hike starts at Xyloskalo where you an park your car for €5. There is an entry fee of €10 per person to access the trail. Starting at an elevation of 1250metres the only way is down, down, down until you reach sea level. The first section is down a fairly steep hill through a woodland, I noticed a few safety nets to protect from falling rocks. There are picnic spots, water filling stations and toilets at several points along the way. As well as official resting areas - you are encouraged not to stop along the way, maybe due to landslide risks. You pass the abandoned Old Samaria village which is basically the bottom of the steep section. From here it is just a short while more to reach the gorge - wow, a gift that keeps on giving. The walls reach up to 100m high and the narrowest part of the gorge is only 3m. This hike took my breath away and continued to do so until we reached the end. You need to be fairly fit and should carry enough water and snacks to keep your energy up. There is a café at the end with juice and beer, but don't get too comfortable as you still need to make your way to the ferry in Agia Roumeli - it is possible to get a bus but we walked. Agia Roumeli is a thriving little beach town with lots of great food, bars and the most blue sea water which is perfect for a swim before catching the ferry back. Samaria Gorge Blog

** It is optional to enter the gorge from the bottom where you could walk half way up the gorge and then turn around before the village. If I was to do this again, I would probably opt to do it this way as you get to see views of the best part (in my opinion) twice. You would need to check the ferry times to enable you to do this.

Preveli Beach & Palm Forest - it was €3 for the car park but you could have easily parked up at the nearby taverna and walked an extra five minutes down to the start point. The descent down is pretty steep (470 steps in total) but totally worth it. The beach is stunning but we didn't spend much time there and instead headed straight for palm forest - which is exactly as it says, a forest full of palm trees alongside the lush green river. I believe you can also reach here by boat.

Preveli Gorge - we hiked from the beach up into the gorge. The further in we got the higher the cliffs got and the scene around us was spectacular. The perfect place for swimming in the natural pools and for bathing in the mini waterfalls. Ensure you have the correct footwear as there is a lot of sections which involve climbing over rocks. Water shoes would have been great for the pools.

Richtis Gorge - another fabulous gorge walk on the eastern side of the island. A gentle 5km loop will take you through luscious green landscape, overgrown with plants, trees and wild berries. It is possible to swim in the falls so be sure to take your swimming stuff. The entry fee is €3 and worth every penny

Diktaion Andron Cave - this one was closed for maintenance whilst we were on the island and I'm gutted about that. Believed the have once been the birth place of Zeus, it is now a visitor site full of stalactites and historical tales of Greek mythology.

Beaches - there are many beaches and beach coves with golden sands located across the island. Perfect for sunbathing and jumping the waves but be careful of the riptides.

Where To Eat in Crete

We mostly ate in Heraklion as this is where we were stayed for most of the trip. One thing I have to say is that I felt everything was extremely cheap compared to dining out in the UK.

Chop Chop - as we landed on the island late, we opted for simple street food and this place was absolutely delicious. We each chose souvlaki - one chicken & one pork and this set the tone that this holiday was going to be full of delicious food. I also couldn't believe the price.

Ippokampos (seahorse) - a recommendation from our airport taxi driver. This lovely restaurant in on the seafront with dining tables inside and outside. We stopped here for lunch, Tom ordered tuna fish which was freshly caught and I ordered grilled shrimp.

Tacalitera - we only stopped here for some drinks & bread after jumping the waves at the nearby beach. But as per our airport taxi drivers recommendations it is supposed to be incredible for dinner here.

Paradosiako - we had a wonderful dinner here, albeit it was a little slow but there's also something quite nice about that, it was a reminder for me to slow down and just enjoy the chat without rushing, what am I in a rush for? We got free desert here and I've noticed that it is a very common practice throughout the island. This meal only cost us €22.50 for 2 x souvlaki, bread, a large bottle of water, chips, desert & raki.

Infinity Central Park - this was delicious but another really long wait when we were already pretty hungry. After being full of gyros and souvlaki we opted for pork belly and chicken thighs - these were delicious. They also do an amazing rose sangria. This one was a little more costly than the previous nights but I think that was down to it being located right in the square and in a more lively upmarket hotspot. Definitely worth a visit.

Lartecono Davinci Gelato - I'm not usually a sweet toothed person but the smell of these desert places as we passed by were too irresistible to resist. I opted for mini waffles and marshmallows but you really are spoilt for choice.

Guernica - found on the back streets of Haraklion within an old city mansion, we stopped by for some drinks on the way back to our hotel and enjoyed a few cocktails.

Kayabee Mezedopoleíon - it was the atmosphere that drew us in here. Located on a lively backstreet in Heraklion, this restaurant offers traditional Mediterranean and Greek food and outdoor seating on a street that was busy and buzzing. Anywhere on this street is a great option for drinks if you want to soak up the atmosphere.

Where We stayed in Crete

Whilst in Heraklion we stayed in the Ethereal White Resort - a beautiful adults only spa hotel, hidden amongst the old traditional buildings it's hard to believe that this is going to be up to much but once inside you a transformed into a serene paradise. The staff could not do any more to help you, they are so friendly. So let me tell you a little about all the amenities here:

The Spa - on the lower floor there is a spa with a thermal pool and jacuzzi. There are additional amenities including a sauna, cold plunge and bookable spa treatments

Buffet Breakfast - with so many tasty options and fresh fruit drinks and coffees from the bar. There was a huge assortment of choices

Rooftop Pool & Bar - make sure to visit the rooftop pool, there are sun loungers where you can relax and have a drink

Private Pools - some of rooms even have their own little balcony pools

I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a little bit of luxury.

This brings me to the end of all the wonderful things I did whilst in Crete. I hope this can help you to plan your very own trip to this fantastic little island. As always any comments, questions, likes or shares are very much appreciated.

Happy Adventuring ✈️