EASTERN CRETE, THE ESSENCE OF SUMMER

AN ENDLESS COASTLINE OF FINE BEACHES, HIDDEN COVES, AND SPARKLING BAYS AWAIT ON THE LARGEST GREEK ISLAND

Explore eastern Crete where mountains soar above pretty villages and seaside towns, and where deep gorges and valleys drop into the sea. Steeped in myth and mystery, reminders of the Minoan empire wait to be discovered everywhere here. It is not all about the past, though, as this is a land that lives in the present. Where better to enjoy the exceptional food and handcrafted local drinks than by the shimmering seas that surround eastern Crete?

ATMOSPHERIC SPINALONGA

A short boat hop from the mainland, Spinalonga, a former Venetian fortress and leper colony on an islet in the Mirabello Gulf, is an imposing and evocative sight.

VERDANT VAI

Exotic Vai beach with white sands and emerald green waters looks like it belongs in the Indian Ocean or Caribbean with a Palm tree forest behind the beach.

MINOAN MAGIC

Follow in the footsteps of the ancients, and step back nearly four millennia to one of the largest archaeological sites in Greece at Kato Zakros.

A PALACE FIT FOR A KING

The jewel in Crete’s historical sites, Knossos was the centre of the Minoan civilisation. Marvel at the impressive frescoes in the mythical home of the Minotaur.

PRETTY AS A PICTURE

Plaka sits opposite the island of Spinalonga. If your idea of paradise is a handful of tavernas, clear water, and dramatic mountains set against cloudless blue skies, then this is the place for you.

ATMOSPHERIC SPINALONGA

A short boat hop from the mainland, Spinalonga, a former Venetian fortress and leper colony on an islet in the Mirabello Gulf, is an imposing and evocative sight.

VERDANT VAI

Exotic Vai beach with white sands and emerald green waters looks like it belongs in the Indian Ocean or Caribbean with a Palm tree forest behind the beach.

MINOAN MAGIC

Follow in the footsteps of the ancients, and step back nearly four millennia to one of the largest archaeological sites in Greece at Kato Zakros.

A PALACE FIT FOR A KING

The jewel in Crete’s historical sites, Knossos was the centre of the Minoan civilisation. Marvel at the impressive frescoes in the mythical home of the Minotaur.

PRETTY AS A PICTURE

Plaka sits opposite the island of Spinalonga. If your idea of paradise is a handful of tavernas, clear water, and dramatic mountains set against cloudless blue skies, then this is the place for you.

IN VINO VERITAS

Part monastery, part vineyard with impressive 10 metre high walls and a bell tower, Toplou is surrounded by an unspoilt landscape in the far northeastern tip of Crete.

GORGEOUS GORGES

Countless ravines and valleys carry streams and rivers down to the sea from the elevated Lasithi plateau in eastern Crete, while to the west is the famous hike down the Samaria Gorge.

SLEEPY SEASIDE STAY

A quiet and friendly village, Mochlos has retained its traditional Cretan character. Small boats run out to the island of Agios Nikolas opposite, an ancient Minoan settlement.