The island of Crete is the largest and one of the most beautiful islands of Greece, with a population of 600.000. It is located in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, between Europe, Asia and Africa, and has a special charm because the mountains meet the sea.
Crete Island is one of the most sought after in Greece, being bordered by bays and bordering virgin islets, beaches with turquoise waters and fine sand.
Crete, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean, has so many beaches that it can be tricky to choose one just to relax.
- Beach Plan your trip (the palm forest of Vai), is one of the most famous beaches in Crete and one of the most beautiful places in the Mediterranean. The beach has fine golden sand, being organized with sunbeds, umbrellas and wooden walkways. If you want, you can climb the platform on the hill to admire a breathtaking panorama.
- Other beaches not to be missed are: Balos (known for the Gramvoussa rock), Elafonisi (with pink sand) or Matala.
How do I get to the island of Crete?
One of the most popular holiday destinations for Romanians is the island of Crete. Every year, thousands of Romanians choose to spend their holidays on one of the wonderful beaches on the island.
Arrive in Crete by personal car
If you choose to travel by personal car, on a route departing from Bucharest, the distance is about 1300 km. The duration of the trip can be estimated at 25-26 hours, depending on the stops you decide to make.
The route we recommend is Bucharest - Giurgiu - Ruse - Sofia - Lefkonas - Thessaloniki - Athens and by ferry to Crete.
If you choose to travel by land, find out that the crossing to Crete is done only by ferry.
The island of Crete is connected to mainland Greece by the port of Piraeus in Athens. The main ports in Crete are Heraklion and Chania. However, the island has 3 other smaller ports in Rethymno, Sitia and Kastelli.
During the summer season there are daily ferries, traveling between the island and the mainland, both day and night. A ferry journey through the port of Piraeus takes, on average, 4 hours and 30 minutes.
There are daily trips to the port of Chania from the port of Piraeus
To the port of Chania there are daily flights from the port of Piraeus, and the journey takes 9 hours and takes place during the night. There are also flights from Heraklion to Thessaloniki via the island of Santorini.
The races are 3 times a week, and the route is as follows: through Paros, Tinos and Skiatos - twice a week, and through Nexos, Syros and Volos - once a week.
There is also a weekly ferry from Heraklion to Rhodes and Agios Nikolaos, which makes a few stops in Sitia, Karpathos and Halki. Two other ferries travel weekly between Kastelli - Kissamos and Antikythira and Githio in West Crete.
You arrive in Crete by plane
The island has three international airports, one in Heraklion, one in Chania and a third, much smaller airport in Sitia.
Heraklion is the largest airport in Crete, located very close to the city of Heraklion. From the airport you can reach the city center by public bus or taxi in about 20 minutes.
The airport has connections with Rhodes Island, throughout the year, but also with Santorini, Mykonos and Paros only in the summer season.
Airport in Chania is located in the Akrotiri Peninsula
Airport in Chania is located on the Akrotiri Peninsula, near the city of Chania. There is no public transport from the airport to the city, but there is a possibility to take a taxi and you will reach the city in less than 30 minutes.
Most tourists choose to travel by air, arriving in about 2 hours in Crete. Wizz Air (Heraklion), Ryanair (Chania) and Blue Air (Heraklion) have announced frequent flights during the summer season on the route Bucharest - Crete. To which can be added many other charter flights operated from several cities in Romania to the 2 airports on the island.
You can get to Crete by bus
Travel agencies offer bus transportation to Crete. The road is long, it is also circulated at night, but the difference between a trip by plane and one by bus can reach up to 300 euros. The bus route is: Bucharest - Giurgiu - Bulgaria - Athens - Piraeus port - transfer by ferry to Heraklion port, the next morning.
No matter how you choose to travel to the island of Crete, your holiday is at your destination!