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Crete

Things to see in Crete

25 sights, museums, parks and places worth the stop.

A large, cream-colored cathedral with a central red dome, arched windows, and a stone facade under a blue sky, with people walking in the plaza in front.

Heraklion · Historic Sites & Ruins

Agios Minas Cathedral

19th-century Greek Orthodox cathedral in Heraklion
The red facade of the Maritime Museum of Crete in Chania

Chania · Museums

Maritime Museum of Crete

At the entrance to the old harbour of Chania, a stout Venetian fortress called Firka guards the water, and inside it lie...
An aerial photograph of a long, sandy beach with rows of umbrellas and sunbeds, backed by arid hills and mountains, with a large rocky islet visible in the sea to the left.

Crete · Beaches

Falasarna Beach

Ancient Dorian harbor site and sandy beach
A close-up of a rusty metal mooring bollard on a pebbled quay, with a blurred stone breakwater and blue sky in the background.

Rethymno · Historic Districts

Venetian Harbor

Historic Venetian harbor in Rethymno, Crete
A stone Venetian fortress with crenellated walls, a central tower, and a prominent sculpted relief of a winged lion on the facade, situated by a harbor with a boat visible in the background.

Heraklion · Historic Sites & Ruins

Koules Fortress

Venetian fortress guarding Heraklion's old port
A stone lighthouse situated at the end of a long harbor breakwater, viewed from a wet promenade with a bench and lamp post in the foreground during rough seas.

Chania · Monuments

Lighthouse of Chania

Located at the end of a long stone breakwater at the mouth of the old Venetian harbour, the Lighthouse of Chania is the...
A view of a harbor with numerous sailboats docked on the left and a distinctive stone lighthouse situated at the end of a long breakwater on the right.

Crete · Fortifications

Hania Old Town

Venetian Old Town in Chania, Crete
The image shows the rear exterior of a historic stone church featuring a central dome, two smaller apses with terracotta tile roofs, and circular windows set against a clear blue sky.

Rethymno · Monasteries

Arkadi Monastery

The Holy Monastery of Arkadi stands on a plateau in the hills of Rethymno, roughly twenty-five kilometres southeast of t...
A yellow neoclassical building with a modern glass extension, flying Greek flags, and a poster board in front.

Heraklion · Museums & Culture

Lerapse Museum

Historical museum in Heraklion, Crete
Waterfront quay curving around the Venetian Harbour of Chania

Chania · Historic Districts

Venetian Harbour of Chania

The Venetian Harbor of Chania is the old port of the city, a crescent-shaped basin on the north coast of Crete that was...
The reconstructed north entrance of the palace of Knossos

Crete · Ancient Ruins

Knossos

Ancient Minoan palace ruins near Heraklion, Crete
An interior view of a covered market hall with a high, arched metal truss roof, featuring stalls selling food products like cheese, wine, and produce, with Greek signage visible on the shop fronts.

Chania · Markets

Agora Market (Chania Municipal Market)

1913 cross-shaped market in Chania, Crete