Things to do in Crete

Crete is big enough to feel like a small country. The west has Chania's Venetian harbour and lighthouse, the pink-sand lagoon of Balos and the long open beach at Falassarna. In the centre, Rethymno's old town sits under a Venetian fortress, and Heraklion is the gateway to the Minoan palace of Knossos.

The sea is the other half of the story. Boat trips, snorkelling and calm coves are easy to reach from the north-coast towns, and inland you find Lake Kournas, olive groves and villages where lunch runs long.