A Letter to Anyone About to Visit Crete
Updated: Sep 4
Hey —
I heard you're headed to Crete. Good. Sit down for a minute, because I want to tell you a few things before you go — the stuff I wish someone had told me.
First, about your rental car. Don't skip it. I know it feels like an extra hassle when you land, one more thing to arrange. But Crete is bigger than it looks on a map, and there's a specific reason taxis will let you down at exactly the wrong moment — usually early morning or when you're on a tight schedule. Book the car before you land. Trust me on this one.
Second, pick your base carefully. I stayed in one area the whole trip, and it shaped everything — where I ate, what I saw, how the whole vacation felt. There are a handful of towns that each offer something completely different, and where you sleep basically decides your entire experience of the island. I'll be honest: if I went back, I'd split my time between two of them instead of picking just one.
Third — and this is the one that actually stings a little — don't do what I did. I spent so much time relaxing on the beach (which, don't get me wrong, was incredible) that I barely touched the island's history. Crete has ruins going back over 4,000 years, and I left having seen almost none of it. There's a palace, there are monasteries, there's a former leper colony with a story that'll stop you in your tracks — and I have to go back just to see them.
Fourth, when someone hands you a small glass of something clear and says a word that sounds like "yamas," just go with it. It's not optional, not really. It's a whole ritual there, usually served alongside watermelon of all things, and turning it down would be missing part of the point of visiting.
Fifth, leave room in your schedule for nothing. Some of my best memories weren't on the itinerary at all — a street I wandered down for no reason, a bar I wasn't planning to stop at, a conversation with someone I never expected to meet. Plan your days, but don't fill every hour.
One more thing. There's a specific beach with a color of water I still think about, a photo spot with light so good I almost didn't believe it was real, and a small souvenir I made myself out of two things you can find right there on the island. I won't spoil those — you'll want to find your own version anyway, but I wrote down exactly where mine happened.
Go. Slow down when you get there. You'll understand what I mean the moment you arrive.
— Brian
I put everything else — the exact towns to consider, the mistake to avoid with taxis, the food I'd order again in a heartbeat, and the full day-by-day breakdown — in my Crete Quick Guide.
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