Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.

• Crete became part of Greece in December 1913.
• The locals are known as Cretans.
• Heraklion is the largest city and capital of Crete, holding more than a fourth of the island’s population. Chania was the capital until 1971.
• The island is mostly mountainous, and its character is defined by a high mountain range crossing from west to east. It includes Crete’s highest point, Mount Ida, and the range of the White Mountains (Lefka Ori) with 30 summits above 2000 metres in altitude and the Samaria Gorge, a World Biosphere Reserve.
• Humans have inhabited the island since the Paleolithic age. Excavations in South Crete in 2008–2009 revealed stone tools at least 130,000 years old.
• No shark attacks have ever been reported in Crete. There are sharks in the Mediterranean but they do not approach the shore. You are safe from jellyfish stings on most Cretan beaches, as the currents keep them away from the shore.
• There are four species of snake on Crete. None of them pose any threat to people.
• Time zone in Crete, Greece (GMT+3)
• Country Code: +30
• Currency: € (Euro)

Crete was the centre of Europe’s most ancient civilization, the Minoans. Three and a half thousand years ago, the tiny Aegean island of Thera was devastated by one of the worst natural disasters since the Ice Age – a huge volcanic eruption. Fifty years after the eruption, the civilisation was in ruins.

• During World War II, Crete was occupied by the Germans and attained the dubious distinction of being the first place to be successfully invaded by paratroops.

I stayed at the Kasapakis Hotel Apartments and had an entire apartment to myself for the week at a fraction of the cost my friends were paying at the Stella Island resort or Insula Alba next door. If like me you like to get out and explore there’s no need to pay out all that extra for all inclusive if your not going to be there. Mike was the guy running the show and he was great, willing to help out any way he could. The bed was comfy and the aircon worked and wasn’t too noisy. The plug socket was a little dodgy, but it worked.

• Airbnb, available everywhere in Crete. I booked an entire apartment to myself for 7 days for €283, (£241). 
• Hostel, €16-20 per night regardless of size.
• B&B & Guest Houses, two-star hotels start at €25
• Hotels,These range from simple two-star to lavish five-star and all-inclusive resorts. There are city hotels, business hotels, beach resorts and even a nudist hotel. My Friends stayed in the Stella hotel were they also got married.

Tip: If staying at Kasapakis and want the breakfast, you have to say the day before so they can order it in. It costs $5 and served between 8am – 10am.

• Chania Rock Festival, traditionally takes place in the month of July.
• Chania’s Summer Festival takes place between July and September.
• Chestnut Festival, West Crete, end of October.
• Sardine Festival, The first Monday in September is the date for this annual Chania festival at the small harbour by the town beach, with plentiful free fish and wine with local musicians and dancers.
• Sultana Festival Sitía, in August. The region is well known for its sultana production, and the harvest is celebrated with traditional Cretan music and dance in the main square, accompanied by food and wine.
• Tsikoudiá (Raki) Festival, mid-October and early November. At the end of the grape harvest the must-residue from the wine press is boiled and distilled to make tsikoudiá (raki), the local fire water. Hot tsikoudiá, with an alcohol content as high as 60 percent.

Traditional Greek cuisine is very healthy with a lot of fresh vegetables, olive oil, lamb, fish, pork, cheeses (especially feta), and yogurts. Crete also has its own unique dishes, such as snails in cracked wheat (Saligaria or kohli bourbouristi), slow-cooked pork with potatoes (psitos), Cretan dakos (Crete’s version of the Greek salad), and horta (wild greens). Try Saganaki cheese which essentially is deep-fried cheese. If you want a nice refreshing drink then the Lemon Mythos Radler was amazing, after a hot walk around the palace of Knossos, I knocked back one and ordered another straight away and to top it off it’s only 2% so you can drive. If you go out for an evening meal, then expect it to be a long affair. One place we ate at they even had singing and dancing between courses, it took over 2 hours or more before we left. The fillet Souvlaki I had though was amazing.

Tip: Eat Gyros (and other street snacks) usually only cost a few euros. They are quick and easy and can keep you full for less than €10 per day!

Tip: Most beers bought tend to come with a free snack of nuts or crisps and are only half pints €2.50-3. If you do find a large beer it’s usually €4.

Tip: After every meal you’ll be given a free shot of Raki, often it’s a double shot glass.

I hired a car to get around, which was much needed as without it I would have been so bored. It was only a small little runner but it got me everywhere I wanted to go. It cost me €154.50 (£133.26) for 6 days and I decided to add an extra day at the end which was an extra €30 (£25.88) as my flight out was early evening, so I still had the morning to do some more exploring.

• Car, almost everywhere is covered by the road network, but in the interior of the island they can be windy and narrow. I did notice out of the major towns their is no green light at traffic lights, just red and flashing amber for go. Where the speed cameras are there were always 2 warning signs before the camera. I only saw cameras on the expressway.
• Taxi, You’ll need cash if taking a cab. It’s best to agree on a price before you get in, especially late at night.
• Train, There are no rail lines on Crete, although there are plans to construct a line from Chania to Heraklion via Rethymno.

Tip: Fuel isn’t cheap costing even more than the UK. You don’t fuel the cars, pull into the service garage then someone will come out to you and you let them know how much you’d like. You may need to go in to pay though, very few places have contactless. Also they often close at around 9pm in the more rural areas.

Tip: The speed limit in Greece is 50 kph (30 mph) in urban areas and 90 kph (55 mph) in rural areas. While on the expressway it’s 110 kph (70 mph) and on the motorway the speed limit is 130 kph (80 mph).

Tip: If you plan on driving remember to download offline maps so you can still get around without signal.

Tip: The taxi from and to the airport was cash only and cost €40.

Tip: The trees at the side of the road are painted white so they’re easier to see at night.

I flew into Heraklion from Exeter with TUI which was a very comfortable 4 hour flight. If you plan to buy anything on the flight then have a debit card ready as it’s a cashless flight, but they didn’t accept Revolut or American Express cards. Lucky I use Starling and had no problems. One other thing I noticed was while I was listening to music with my Galaxy buds pro every announcement over the tannoy automatically lowered the volume of my music. Clever, but also annoying if you’re trying to sleep.

• Ferry, mostly from Piraeus companies such as Minoan Lines and ANEK Lines. Seajets operates routes to Cyclades. During the summer there are daily catamaran sailings from Crete to Santorini if you fancy a bit of island hopping.
• Fly, The island has three significant airports, Nikos Kazantzakis at Heraklion, the Daskalogiannis airport at Chania and a smaller one in Sitia.

Tip: When it comes to flying home from Heraklion don’t go through security to soon, as it’s tiny on the other side with just one burger place and a small duty free shop, there’s no bar.  It gets busy fast and you’ll probably end up standing around or like me sat in the corner on a beam waiting, you could sit on the floor but it was filthy.

Tip: Some businesses (like hotels and tour companies) do not operate from November to March, so take that into consideration if you do want to plan a trip during the winter months. 

Greek is one of the oldest languages in Europe, with an oral tradition of 4000 years and a written one of around 3000 years. Cretans speak Cretan Greek, which is a variation of modern Greek and, while there are some differences between them, words and sentences are pretty much the same. I tried my best to learn what I could, but it’s not easy. Almost all actually speak English anyway and even the local taxi driver who’d been there for 10 years said he still couldn’t really speak it and told me not to try. The most important information, like signs, museum descriptions, and menus in the restaurants, are usually found both in Greek and English.

• Yiasou (Yah-Soo) – Informal way of saying both ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’
• Yiasas – More formal way of saying both ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ use this when talking to older people or people you’ve only just met.
• Kalimera (Kah-Lee-MEH-Rah) – Meaning ‘good day’, this expression is used until 12:00
• Kalispera (Kah-Lee-SPARE-a) –  Good afternoon
• Ne and Ohi – Yes & No
• Efharisto (Ef-Cha-Ri-Sto) – Thank you
• Excuse Me – Signomi
• Water – Nerroh
• Beer – Birra

Tip: Don’t attempt to shake hands unless offered to you – this is not a common custom in Greece.

For Greece there are two associated plug types C and F

• Take some cash with you as contactless payment isn’t available everywhere.
• Taxis are cash only.
• Fuel isn’t cheap costing even more than the UK. You don’t fuel the cars, pull into the service garage then someone will come out to you and you let them know how much you’d like. You may need to go in to pay though, very few places have contactless. Also they often close at around 9pm in the more rural areas.
• The speed limit in Greece is 50 kph (30 mph) in urban areas and 90 kph (55 mph) in rural areas. While on the expressway it’s 110 kph (70 mph) and on the motorway the speed limit is 130 kph (80 mph).
• If you plan on driving remember to download offline maps so you can still get around without signal.
• When it comes to flying home from Heraklion don’t go through security to soon, as it’s tiny on the other side with just one burger place and a small duty free shop, there’s no bar.  It gets busy fast and you’ll probably end up standing around or like me sat in the corner on a beam waiting, you could sit on the floor but it was filthy.
• Most museums have some days when admission is free. Check for details as they vary from museum to museum.
• Eat Gyros (and other street snacks) usually only cost a few euros. They are quick and easy and can keep you full for less than €10 per day!
• If you go out for an evening meal, then expect it to be a long affair. One place we ate at they even had singing and dancing between courses, it took over 2 hours or more before we left.
• Some businesses (like hotels and tour companies) do not operate from November to March, so take that into consideration if you do want to plan a trip during the winter months.
• If you experience an emergency dial 112 for assistance.