Suggestions by the Tourist Buses of Crete
Destinations
Check out some of the most popular destinations in Crete..
Samaria Gorge
The Samaria Gorge is located in Crete, in the prefecture of Chania. At 18 kilometers long, it is Europe’s longest canyon. It was named after the now-abandoned village of Samaria. The village itself was named after the church of Saint Maria.
Knossos
The Minoan palace is the main visiting site of Knossos, an important city in antiquity, with continuous life from the Neolithic period up until the 5th century. A.D. According to tradition, it was the siege of the wise King Minos. The fascinating myth of Theseus and the Minotaur in the Labyrinth, as well as the myth of Daedalus and Icarus, are related to the palace of Knossos.
The first excavations were conducted in 1878 by the Cretan Minoas Kalokairinos. This was followed by excavations carried out by the English Sir Arthur Evans (1900-1913 and 1922-1930), which brought the entire palace to light.
Phaistos
The archaeological site of Phaistos is located 63 kilometers southwest of Heraklion.
Phaistos was one of the major centers of the great civilization that flourished in Crete during the third and second millenniums BC, during the Minoan times. It was considered to be the wealthiest and most powerful city in southern Crete.
Phaistos had been inhabited since the Neolithic times and reached its zenith when the Minoan palaces were built (15th century BC).
Lasithi
The prefecture of Lasithi covers the eastern end of the island. The county is dominated by the Dikti Range, the highest summit of which is Mountain Dikti, which lies at an altitude of more the 2000m.
According to tradition, Zeus was born in the Diktaean Cave, which is open to the public. The prefecture is divided into the provinces of Mirabello, Lasithi, Ierapetra and Sitia.
The main cities are Agios Nikolaos, Ierapetra and Sitia.
Rethymno
Rethymnon is the capital of the homonymous prefecture of Crete.
It has great tourist activity during the summer and more than 7000 active students make the city particularly vibrant during the rest of the year.
It is the third most populated city of Crete after Heraklion and Chania.
Chania
Chania is a seaside town in northwest Crete, one of the most important ports of Crete and the capital of the prefecture of Chania.
It occupies an area of about 11 square kilometers and is the second largest city on the island after Heraklion.
It was considered to be an important Minoan city and has been identified with ancient Kydonia.
