A lot of visitors select holidays in Crete to crash in among resorts along the island's north coast, however the best holidays in Crete include exploring the residues of the great Minoan, Roman, Venetian and Turkish cultures that existed here along with the terrific beaches.

This suggested itinerary for vacations in Crete visits all the major sights and sites from Chania travelling west to Agios Nikolaos, and spares more time for checking out the ancient side of the island than reclining on the beach. There's a little worldwide airport in Chania and a larger airport in Heraklion, as well as multiple ports, so there are plenty of travel alternatives to get you en route to your holidays in Crete.

Vacations in Crete Day 1 - 3: Chania

A well as being the largest city in western Crete, Chania also has beauty and history on its side, making it a good place to begin your holidays in Crete. The old town and the port, and Firkas fort, now home to the Naval Museum are the first places to check out. Halidon Street is the primary road down to the harbour, passing Chania's Cathedral, the Cretan Folk Museum and Chania's Archaeological Museum: developed into an old Venetian church, an excellent location to begin checking out Crete's history. While in Chania get your Cretan rugs and blankets, jewellery, art and ceramics at Carmela, your leather on the Leather Street: Odhós Skrídhlof, and your food from the Public Market.

There are a couple of excellent day and half day trips out of Chania, to separate your holidays in Crete: Elafonissi Beach and lagoon and scenic Samariá Canyon are stunning choices. Throughout longer holidays in Crete an excursion to Gramvousa Island and Balos Lagoon might be worth considering if you like collapsing Venetian castles and shallow, clear blue lagoons. Fragokastello Fort, a well maintained Venetian fort, enduring from the 14th Century, is 80kms directly south of Chania as the crow flies.

If you 'd rather do less than more on your vacations in Crete, Golden Beach, a short walk out of Chania, is called for the colour of the sand, and is a pretty place to do very little.

Holidays in Crete Day 4 - 6: Heraklion

Rethymnon has to do with midway in between Chania and Heraklion along the coast road and deserves stopping in for the 16th century Venetian castle fort, and just east of Rethymnon is one of the longest sand beaches on Crete, with about 12kms worth of area to lay your towel out on, an excellent place to take a break while on vacations in Crete. Beyond that on the roadway south towards Plakias, is the Abbey of Arkádhi. It looks like something out of a western film however it's actually in the discovergreece.com/de/greek-islands/crete Renaissance style

Heraklion is Crete's largest city, but even if you don't want your vacations in Crete to be a city break this is a good location to remain to be near some of the island's most important historic websites - most notoriously the Palace of Minos at Knossos, which is where the story of the Minotaur in the labyrinth originates from - and the maze-like ruins back up mythology, and the Heraklion Museum, home of some of the fantastic archaeological sediment of the Minoan civilisation. This is not as great looking a place to stay as the others recommended by this schedule, but the Venetian fortress and loggia, and the church of Saint Titus are quite stylish if you're strolling round town. The more relaxed resort town of Hersonisos is an alternative location to invest your nights.

Phaistos, south of Heraklion, deserves a day of your vacations in Crete. It was once a fantastic Minoan city, till it was destroyed by a Bronze Age earthquake, and regardless of a number of rebuilds it was ultimately shaken beyond repair work. The several rebuilds have made excavations here particularly rich, and it is among the best maintained and presented of Crete's historical sites. The Malia Minoan palace ruins, are on the roadway to the next port of call on your holidays in Crete schedule, Agios Nikolaos

Holidays in Crete Day 7 -8: Agios Nikolaos.

Agios Nikolaos has more than its reasonable share of cafes and tavernas, and lots of them have sea views, best for individuals on holidays in Crete. Spinalonga Island, a picturesque old leper colony, makes a good day journey out on the water, especially if you return via the well-known fishing town of Elounda, and Agios Nikolaos' beaches are some of the best on the island, specifically Amoudara, Istron and Kalo Hori beaches.