175. Crete – North and West

We are on Crete: what an impressive island! It is the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean, following Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica. Crete stretches 260 km from east to west and has a surface area of 8,336 km². For comparison, the Netherlands covers approximately 41,543 km², meaning the Netherlands is about five times larger than Crete. But Crete has only 650.000 habitants on the entire island!

We explored Crete extensively—so much so that we want to dedicate two blogs to it! This blog features the top 10 best places in the north and west of Crete. In the next blog, we will showcase the top 10 spots in the south and east.

1. Gramvousa

And off we went, from the island of Kythira, south to Crete! We had set off a week earlier from the Peloponnese, but the 70-mile journey to Crete was too long to do in one go. So, with Kythera as a perfect 30-mile stopover, we now had 40 miles left to reach our first destination on Crete: Gramvousa. We had estimated the trip to take about 8 hours (at an average of 5 miles per hour), but thanks to the strong northeasterly wind, we made it in just 6 hours. And then, we spotted the small island group of Gramvousa.

There was a 14-meter-long quay, so we had to aim carefully when throwing the lines, but soon we were docked comfortably—with a stunning view of the steep red-and-white cliffs.

The seabed in the bay consists of white sand, and since the water was only 3 meters deep, the turquoise color stood out beautifully!

We were the only boat anchored at this northwesternmost point of Crete. As the sun set, it cast a warm, golden glow over the rocks—a truly magical sight.

We knew that a shipwreck was located nearby in the bay, and from our boat, we could already see some rusty parts sticking out of the water. We grabbed our dinghy and set off to explore the sunken ship:

2. Kolymvari

Kolymvari turned out to be the first harbor on the mainland that we would visit. This small harbor didn’t have a harbor office, and the locals told us that we needed to check in with the Port Authority in Chania (the large city, 23 km to the east). They confirmed that it was fine for us to moor our catamaran there. And we were lucky—there was one electricity pole that provided both power and fresh water.

When we took a walk around the area, we came across a cozy little center with a large Synka supermarket. We were delighted, because it allowed us to stock up on supplies. On the Peloponnese, we had mostly been anchoring or staying in smaller places. We also spotted a traditional Greek Orthodox priest walking around—by now, we easily recognize the men dressed in long black robes with long beards in Greece. And of course, there were cats everywhere, in alleys and on the streets.

One particular cat decided that our boat was a perfect spot to hang out. This harbor area seemed to be his territory, and he kept coming back—eventually even sleeping outside in the cockpit. So, we gave in and bought cat food, even some cat pâté, and put out a fresh bowl of water every day. Our temporary pet became part of our Kolymvari experience.

An Austrian Sailor and Swiss Camper Travelers

A young Swiss couple arrived in their camper. Victor and Gloria were looking for water and electricity, which was hard to find at this time of year. There weren’t many camper sites open on Crete, so they shared the electricity (with a split cable) with us. It was nice to say hello to them in the morning!

There were about six boats in this harbor, all unoccupied—except for the one next to us, as we soon found out! The next day, Karl, a friendly Austrian, came over to greet us. He arrived in a hippie Volkswagen van and welcomed us warmly. His good friend Eric was visiting him for a few weeks at his house in Crete, which was near the harbor. I took a photo with the cool van—it looked amazing!

The weather was great, and Victor and Eric loved fishing, so I have fond memories of chatting on the quay with Karl, Victor, and Gloria, sharing drinks and talking about travel and life.

Giannis’ Tavern

Karl suggested having dinner at the small restaurant To Faragi (“The Gorge”), owned by Giannis. It was in the mountains near Karl’s house. It was labeled as a traditional tavern—something we’ve seen often in Greece—but this time, it was 100% authentic. Grandma was in the kitchen, cooking everything fresh with local ingredients. There was no menu; instead, Giannis read the daily dishes from a handwritten note!

For € 19 per person, we got a full meal, including wine, dessert, and more. It was delicious and cozy. Greeks always serve huge portions, so it’s normal to take leftovers home. At first, we didn’t do this, but here we realized that not doing so was even considered rude! So, the next day, we enjoyed another round of those delicious dishes on the boat.

BBQ on the boat

We were so happy that Karl took us to the restaurant in his hippie van, that we wanted to treat our new friends to a BBQ on our catamaran. It was also a good way to show them our home and Grilles could prepare his famous delicious satay!

Victor had worked in the Netherlands and was familiar with satay, and Karl became a big fan—especially of the peanut sauce. We had a wonderful evening, made even better when we pulled out a bottle of Dutch Schipperbitter! 😉

Deer, Skating, and Cake

Near the harbor, there’s a lovely park with hiking trails in the mountains and even a fenced-in deer enclosure.

Crete’s roads are surprisingly well-maintained, so I could even go skating, which I love to do.

When you stay in a small harbor for a while, people in the village start to recognize you. Fishermen waved at us, supermarket staff greeted us, and the butcher immediately asked, “Are you from that catamaran in the harbor? We don’t see those often here!”

One kind young man frequently stopped by on his scooter to chat, and one day, he brought us a huge cake. His sister owned a bakery in the village, and this fresh cake wasn’t going to be sold that day. Victor and Gloria took half for their camper, and we kept the other half on the boat!

3. Kissamos

We decided to head west of Kolymvari to visit the charming town of Kissamos. We had underestimated how mountainous Crete is, so we made a stop in a small mountain village at a classic bakery to grab some bread.

The owner told us we’d have to wait five minutes for her fresh bread (with sausage) to come out of the oven. Across from the bakery, we saw a restaurant being renovated—during the winter, you really get a behind-the-scenes look at how everything is slowly prepared for the new tourist season, which usually starts in April.

4. Paleochora

We wanted to take a closer look at those mountains in the west of Greece. Especially after hearing from Karl that the western part of Crete is called “the lungs of Crete” because of its lush, green nature and the abundance of forests and mountains dominating the landscape. This area, particularly in the regions of Chania and Rethymnon, has a much more humid climate than the drier eastern part of the island, making it rich in vegetation.

So, we rented a car for two days and drove through the mountains in the west, heading southwest. And we were not disappointed—stunning, rugged mountains with charming little mountain villages.

And in the mountains, the goats rule the roads, as there weren’t many cars passing by!

We ended up in the lovely town of Paleochora on the south coast. We hadn’t covered that many kilometers, but with all the twists and steep mountain roads, it was already late afternoon. We found a small hotel by the sea (of course), where we enjoyed a delicious meal at the restaurant belonging to the hotel, which also served us breakfast the next morning.

The town itself was very picturesque, with lots of colors and small streets.

After breakfast, we took one last walk through the town, enjoying the beautiful view of the mountains.

5. Samaria Gorge

We wanted to visit the Samaria Gorge, this canyon is located in the middle of the White Mountains Forest Preserve. And the White Mountains massif (called Lefka Ori in Greek) truly lived up to its name. Due to heavy rainfall in the mountains the night before, the mountain peaks were beautifully covered in snow. Snow on Crete? Yes indeed! There are three mountain ranges on Crete (the other two are named the Ida Mountains and the Dikti Mountains) where a lot of snow falls during the winter season. This is essential for keeping the island green throughout the rest of the year. And yes, people even go (tourist) skiing there!

The highest peak of the White Mountains stands at 2,453 meters, with more than 50 summits exceeding 2,000 meters. We drove towards the Samaria Gorge, sometimes weaving between goats, and enjoyed the stunning views of the snow-covered mountains.

6. Beer brewery

After two days on a road trip, we returned our rental car in Kolymvari and walked back to the harbor and our boat, where the camper with Viktor and Gloria was stilled parked here, along with sailor Karl and his boat. Karl asked if we were up for an excursion to the nearby brewery. Of course! He had also invited another island resident, Dustin, who had both German and American roots. The brewery was actually closed for the season, but they were willing to serve us a selection of their beers.

So, we sat on the terrace, enjoyed the different beers, and got to know Dustin a bit better. He turned out to be a great guy who had bought a house here in 2019 and was enjoying life on Crete with his wife. He invited us to a house party the following week, which, of course, we thought sounded like a lot of fun!

7. Chania

Chania is located about 20 km east of Kolymvari and is a very charming city, with a modern center where you can buy just about anything, as well as a Venetian harbor and an old town. We took the bus to explore Chania.

First, we walked from the bus station to the old town and the harbor. The lighthouse here is quite iconic: originally built by the Venetians in the 16th century and later rebuilt by the Egyptians.

There is a lot to see in the old town, with beautiful old houses and buildings.

From above, you get a great view of how picturesque the harbor is. We had lunch there in the sunshine.

Party at Dustin’s house

The party at Dustin’s place was coming up. We had brought some wine, and Gilles had made satay again. We rode with Karl in his hippie van, while Viktor and Gloria took the camper. Dustin lived in the mountains in a beautiful spot, where he and his wife spend at least nine months a year. His wife had gone back to visit her parents for a while, and Dustin would be leaving in a few weeks too. So, in a way, it was also a little farewell party—for about a month.

Dustin wanted to burn some wood next to his house, and you don’t have to tell Gilles twice—fire-making was his favorite part of scouting back in the day 😉. So, we lit up a fire in the garden.

More and more people joined the party: Giannis, from the nearby restaurant, Nikk, an English lady who has lived in Greece for 30 years and is now on Crete, and Aris, a Norwegian who, together with his girlfriend Anna, had just bought a small house on Crete to live self-sufficiently. We enjoyed all the homemade dishes, and Dustin made the most delicious shrimp and salad. With Greek music and wine, the evening became even more lively.

The next day, Dustin invited us to pick oranges, as it was peak season and there were plenty for everyone. Together with Viktor and Gloria, we picked loads of oranges and enjoyed freshly squeezed orange juice on the boat all week long!

Go Karting

The fun wasn’t over yet, because there was also an awesome go-kart track nearby. In the evening, we headed out and did two races. We were the only visitors, so our scores were easy to compare.

The official results: Viktor took 1st place, Aris came in 2nd, and Dustin finished 3rd. But of course, we also wanted to take a photo on the nr 1 podium for fun 😉!

Afterward, we invited the group to the boat, as Dustin and Aris hadn’t seen the catamaran yet, and we wanted to treat them to Gilles’ BBQ specialties!

8. Rethimno

Next to Chania lies Rethymno, the third-largest city on Crete after Heraklion (the capital) and Chania. We joined Viktor and Gloria in their camper to visit this town.

A lovely city walk on this sunny day made for a great time!

We had dinner in Rethymno, where the harbor was lined with trendy restaurants, and an evening stroll gave us a completely different view of the city.

Then Viktor and Gloria came up with the fun idea to go play pool. I played pool a few times back in my student days, but that was 30 years ago! So, after a quick refresher on the rules, we had a blast playing the game!

9. Bali

There is so much to see in the north of Crete! Near Rethymno lies a beautiful mountainous area with the village of Bali. On our way there, we passed by this small church. Often, harbors have little churches to protect fishermen on their journeys.

Bali sounds exotic, and so did this place—palm trees on the beaches and colorful boats.

10. Heraklion and the Palace of Knossos

We visited the capital, Heraklion. The old Venetian harbor is dominated by the imposing Koules Fortress, a 16th-century fort built to defend against invasions. A walk along the harbor offers stunning views of both the fortress and the moored fishing boats. Many cozy tavernas surround the harbor, where we enjoyed a seafood lunch.

About 5 km south of Heraklion lies the ancient Palace of Knossos. I had heard the name before but didn’t know its history. It is one of the most famous Bronze Age archaeological sites and is considered the center of the Minoan civilization, which flourished between approximately 2000 and 1400 BC.

This palace, spanning about 22 hectares and containing more than 1,300 rooms, served as the political, religious, and economic center of Minoan culture.

Built around a central courtyard, it included various spaces such as royal quarters, storage rooms, workshops, and religious sanctuaries.

We also saw large pottery jars (pithoi) that were used to store grain, oil, and wine.

The palace is renowned for its complex architecture—almost a labyrinth—and its impressive frescoes. The walls were richly decorated with colorful frescoes depicting scenes from daily life, religious rituals, and nature.

Knossos is closely linked to Greek mythology, particularly the stories of King Minos, the Minotaur, and the Labyrinth. According to legend, King Minos had a giant labyrinth built to imprison the Minotaur, a creature that was half-man, half-bull.

Walk with Nikk

We also visited our English friend Nikk, who lives in the mountains. Of course, she served us delicious Earl Grey tea! Nikk is very knowledgeable about nature and took Viktor, Gloria, and us on a walk through the fruit orchards.

That’s when we discovered that avocados are also widely grown on Crete. They are a popular ingredient in Cretan cuisine, used in salads, dips, and even hot dishes. Cretan cuisine is known for being healthy, featuring plenty of vegetables, herbs, olive oil, minimal meat, lots of legumes and fish, little sugar, and plenty of honey and nuts.

Something else we didn’t know: you can find both oranges and lemons growing on the same tree! This doesn’t happen naturally—it’s called grafting. This technique involves attaching branches (grafts) from different citrus fruits onto one rootstock. Sometimes, even three or four types of citrus—such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits—are grafted onto a single tree.

Happy Birthday Sail, Gilles!

It was time to leave northern Crete, and we wanted to say goodbye to all the international friends we had made in a fun way. So, we invited them for a sailing trip from Kolymbari to Chania, a three-hour journey—just the right distance! We were lucky: the weather was sunny, and the wind was perfect for raising the sails. Everyone came along except for Dustin and Karl, who had already traveled home.

Coincidentally, it was Gilles’ birthday, and in a lovely gesture, everyone had brought gifts. Viktor and Gloria surprised us with a beautiful cake, which we first enjoyed together with a coffee.

The sailing trip was fantastic—everyone enjoyed the views and the sunshine. For most of them, it was their first time on a catamaran, giving them a glimpse into our way of life.