Crete, also known as 'The Great Island', is the largest of the Greek islands. It was the home of the first European civilization, the Minoan, and came under Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Venetian, and Ottoman rule, before uniting with the modern Greek state in 1913.
Today, Crete is a land of contrasts: of snow-covered mountains and sun-drenched beaches, busy modern cities and slow-moving villages, gourmet restaurants and village kafenios, motorways and donkey tracks, international golf courses and ancient olive groves, designer labels and traditional dress, karaoke and the lyra, monuments of war and enduring peace …
Visitors to Crete will find a wealth of things to explore: a fascinating history, stunning scenery, unique flora, a rich local culture, and a lively, warm, and endlessly talkative people.
To find out more about Crete and how to get there, please choose from the links on the left.
French Map of Crete Jacques Chiquet showing the four prefectures of the island (Paris, 1719).