Crete: Island Of The Minotaur

Crete, the largest of the Greek islands, has become one of the most popular European holiday destinations in the last decade. This is for good reason as the island has a huge amount of history associated with it and massive amounts of things to see and do.

Getting There

Crete’s main airport, Heraklion International Airport (or ‘Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport’), is the second busiest in Greece. It is about five km from Heraklion itself and well connected.

Currently you can fly there with either: British Airways, Easyjet, Eurocypria Airlines, Monarch Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines and, finally, Thompson Airways. The amount of flights to Crete just demonstrates how popular it is.

The Sights

If you are staying in Heraklion itself then you truly cannot afford to miss the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. This often overlooked attraction holds most of the artefacts excavated across the island and truly enables you to gain an insight into the mysterious culture of the island’s ancient civilisation of Minoa. Objects ranging from drinking vessels to the characteristic Minoan double headed axes are all on display here. It’s well worth setting a whole day aside just to do this place justice.

Another sight you may already be familiar with is the palace of Knossos. This is supposedly the setting for the well known tale of Theseus and the Minotaur. Wandering through the twisting passages of the palace it is easy to believe that this was the inspiration for the Labyrinth. Inside the building itself is a throne room with a carved throne and many frescoes which are still impressive after all these years.

Parking can be a nightmare here though. The car parks nearest to the Palace are free, but along the road are dotted several private car parks which can be a good idea to use in peak tourist season. Remember you will end up paying though.

Also, if you are planning on visiting the island in May time, you will be able to experience a celebration based on a more recent historical event. In 1941 Hitler invaded Crete with a massive force of paratroopers. Though this invasion was in the end successful it came at a high cost for the Nazis as they lost around 4500 men, simply because the Cretans and the allies were unwilling to give up without a fight. Every year this ‘Battle of Crete’ is celebrated, often causing disruption to travel. Yet the atmosphere is great and the locals will welcome any visitor involvement.

Crete also has two well preserved ancient cities to see. Aptera is one. It has several temples, houses as well as Roman Villas from the period when the city was occupied by them. In fact there was some habitation on the city into the sixteenth century. The site is on a huge scale and would have been surrounded by high walls in its heyday.

The other site is the ruined city of Gortyna. This was originally built by the Minoans but was then eventually conquered by Rome, who established it as the island’s capital under their occupation. The site holds the ruins of temples to the Gods Apollo as well as more exotic deities like Isis and Serapis. One of the main draws however is the so called ‘law code of Gortyn’, the longest inscription from the ancient world, which deals with citizen’s rights and is inscribed on one of the city’s ancient walls.

Cretan Nightlife

Most of the island’s larger cities, like Heraklion and Malia, have a vibrant club scene. Many of these places are owned by Brits. However if you are after something a little more chilled out then why not head out into the countryside and find a smaller village, which is more than likely to have its own taverna or bar. Admittedly the locals may not speak English, so a phrase book may be needed!

For a historical drink head to the cave near Agios Nikolaos which has a neon sign above the entrance saying ‘cave bar’. This was used by the resistance during the Nazi occupation of the island. At the back of the cave are carved some of the names of the resistance fighters who hid here.
 

To sum up, the mix of vibrant nightlife and historical places of interest makes Crete a fairly unique place to visit. There really is something for everyone.