First Time in Crete: What You Need to Know

You've got two airports to choose from: Heraklion (HER) on the east side and Chania (CHQ) on the west. Both get direct flights from across Europe in summer, so pick whichever is closer to where you're planning to spend most of your time. Heraklion puts you near Knossos and the central beaches, while Chania gets you to the prettier western coast faster. If you're the type who enjoys a proper sea voyage, the overnight ferries from Piraeus near Athens take 6-9 hours and actually let you sleep in a real bed. Blue Star and ANEK Lines run these routes, and you'll wake up to the Cretan mountains rising out of the sea, which beats any airplane window view.

Rent a car, period. Crete stretches 260 kilometers from east to west, and the buses are painfully slow outside the main Heraklion-Chania route. You'll pay EUR 25-45 per day for a decent rental, but book ahead if you're coming in July or August unless you want to get stuck with whatever overpriced option is left. The national highway hugs the north coast and connects all the major cities, but forget about any highway on the south coast. Those mountain roads to places like Chora Sfakion are narrow, winding, and take twice as long as your GPS suggests. I've watched too many tourists underestimate a 'quick' drive to the south and miss their dinner reservations by hours.

A proper taverna dinner with wine runs EUR 15-25 per person, and that includes enough food to make you unbutton your pants. Coffee costs EUR 2-3, beach loungers are EUR 8-12 for the day, and Knossos at EUR 15 is about the most expensive ticket you'll buy. The one thing that's genuinely free is the raki that arrives at the end of every meal, along with usually a plate of fruit or a small sweet. Budget EUR 50-80 per day excluding your bed, and you'll eat well, see the sights, and have a few drinks without checking your bank balance every hour.

May through June and September through October are perfect: temperatures hover around 25-28C, the sea is properly warm, and you won't be fighting crowds for every beach chair. July and August turn Crete into a furnace with temperatures above 35C and beaches packed tighter than a Athens subway car. April and November are quiet but you'll find some restaurants and hotels closed, especially in smaller villages. The sea stays swimmable from May through November, though by the end you might need a few extra seconds to work up the courage to jump in.

At the end of every meal, a small glass of tsikoudia will appear at your table. This is Cretan raki, made from grape pomace, and it's strong enough to strip paint. It's free, it's traditional, and refusing it is considered mildly rude. You don't have to drink it all, but at least take a sip and make appreciative noises. It usually comes with a small plate of fruit or a local sweet, and this ritual marks the proper end to any Cretan meal. Pace yourself if you're planning to have dinner at multiple places, because this stuff adds up quickly and you'll be walking back to your hotel very carefully.