One of the most magnificent places you could visit in Crete is the small town of Matala, located on the southwest side of Crete and just one and a half hour away from the city of Iraklion (Heraklion). Matala is a place famous for many decades, for what offers its visitors: peaceful vacations but intense nightlife as well. For this, it is considered as one of Crete’s most desired destinations.
Matala is near the beach of Kommos, which is special for the fact that in this particular beach, sea-turtles leave their eggs to hatch, and the beach is considered to be a nesting site for the turtles. One characteristic of Matala that is well-known are the cliffs nearby, of which you can easily find photos in the internet. Another thing that makes Matala famous is the Minoan archaeological site nearby, with the ruins of an ancient civilization… The area also has an excellent sandy beach, perfect for swimming and sunbathing.
Food in the taverns is really good, homemade and with use of Cretan traditional products (Cretan olive oil and feta cheese for instance). You may also taste the fresh fish, which make excellent meals for you to enjoy. Matala is generally a very good choice, and if you plan visiting Crete, be sure to visit this fantastic place as well. You will definitely not be disappointed!
Chania is a major city in Crete, one of the biggest and most inhabited of the island. It is located by the sea and has an airport and, of course, a port for ferries. The gulf of Chania provides all a visitor would need to see; endless beaches with crystal clear seawater, camping facilities and watersports clubs. Northwestern of the airport and northern of the port you will find Kalathas (about 15km from the airport) beach and Livadi beach (about 20km from the airport). Around 9km western of the city of Chania, Agia Marina beach is situated, which is certainly worth visiting. Around 10km eastern of Chania city, you will find the town of Souda, also one of the largest in Crete but not as big or as populated as Chania. Souda is by the sea and has a port, which might make a tour with the local ferries interesting.
Heraklion is the biggest city of Crete and the most populated as well. It has over 115.000 citizen and it is the city with the most ferry arrivals, especially in the summer “high” season. It also has an airport which connects Crete with Athens, the rest of Greece and the rest of the world. About 23km northwestern of the city you will find the beach of Agia Pelagia, one of the northest spots of the island. Only 3 km eastern you will see the famous city of New Alikarnassos, and another 15km heading further to the east, Kato Gouves or Foinix is located. Foinix is a small town with a beautiful beach which provides the peace a visitro needs during vacations. Last but not least, just 5km southern of Heraklion, the famous archaeological area of Knossos is located. Knossos needs no introduction… It is a top archaeological destination of Greece. See the palace of Knossos and visit the local museum, all a few minutes away from Heraklion. You can reach easily all these destinations by a bike or car which you can rent in many places around Heraklion. One of the most friendly and trusty rental companies in Heraklion is