Don’t try to see everything on your first trip

Visitors often have no idea how big Crete is.

It might be an “island”, but it’s the 5th largest island in the Mediterranean basin. The distances are often large and time-consuming.

A great way to divide the island into regions and plan your trip accordingly is to remember that it contains 4 main regions. From west to east, these are: Chania, Rethymnon, Heraklion, Lassithi.

If you’re looking to explore Crete in depth, then keep in mind that each of the 4 regions needs at least a full week of exploration. All four regions are full of mountains, beautiful coasts, villages, gorges, archaeological sites, etc.

It’s definitely better to take the time to absorb all the information on your own pace and rhythm than racing against time in order to see as much as you can.