20 pictures of Crete in Greece – Why you should visit here (updated 2023)

Crete feels so remote compared to the other Greek islands swirling around the Mediterranean, but it is a relatively short plane ride from the capital city of Athens. And it is definitely on of the most arid and stunning landscapes filled with amazing history, culture, food and monuments – what more could you want? Just to tempt you, here are 20 pictures of Crete in Greece to give you some inspiration to hopefully visit the island soon.

 

Why visit Crete, Greece now?

Crete, Greece is filled with so much history, multicultural influences and unique cities and landscapes to explore in this beautiful island with gorgeous cities like Chania, historic Unesco sites like Knossos and beautiful little churches that pop out of nowhere inspire you to create these Crete pictures for the perfect photo ops. There are so many wonderful landscapes, beautiful towns and historic attractions to explore around the island and here are just a few to be inspired by.

 

 

Exploring Crete in 20 pictures now

You’ll be inspired with these Crete images to inspire you to hopefully visit the entire island soon.

 Sunrise in the countryside of Crete in Greece

Sunrise in the countryside of Crete in Greece

Morning and sunrise in the countryside of Crete

Pictures of Greece starts with a gorgeous sunrise in Crete. Sunrises are always a welcomed time to slowly start a day on the island and marvel at all the small details that start to come alive with the morning light. Views are varied around the island depending on where you are at and where the sun rises, but walking up early to catch the first views of the day are always fantastic and a great way to celebrate the sunrise in Crete.

 

 

 

Chania harbor - 20 pictures of Crete, Greece

Chania harbor in Crete, Greece

 

Chania harbor in black and white

The harbor scene in Chania is busy and quite panoramic viewing or walking along the stunning harbor area filled with cafes and galleries catering mostly to a tourist crowd. It is a very colorful area to explore and photograph. A different approach would be to capture the harbor in black and white to show the texture and contrast to this vibrant and visually stunning port. Creating images of Crete is so easy when you have inspiring port cities like Chania to explore and capture in images.

 

Chania waterfront Crete, Greece - Exploring Chania, Crete

Chania’s waterfront area in Crete, Greece

 Chania harbor in color

You’ll enjoy walking around the Chania harbor and capturing the best Greece pictures of this historic city and explore all the wonderful streets, markets and harbor area. You’ll be inspired with some gorgeous photos of Crete from just walking around the historic city and capturing daily life here.

 

Carriage rides at Chania harbor - Exploring Chania, Crete

Carriage rides at Chania harbor – Crete

 Horse carriages for hire at Chania harbor

Slowing down to enjoy the town and harbor via horse drawn carriage is always welcome. You really get a different take on the many promenades and scenic spots your driver will take you to, many hidden from the typical tourist destinations around the old town.

The oldest historic lighthouse in Chania harbor

 

Chania harbor lighthouse - Exploring Chania, Crete

Chania harbor lighthouse – Crete, Greece

 

 Chania’s church of the Trimartyri in the old town

 

Greek Orthodox basilica at Chania, Exploring Chania, Crete

Greek Orthodox basilica at Chania, Crete

 

 Exploring the narrow cobbled streets of Chania’s old town

Go ahead and pick any street to get lost in and eventually you will find an interesting church, landmark or monument to visit along the way. The mixture of old, new and different cultures blend and make the alleyways so diverse and fun to explore.

 

Narrow alleyways of Chania - Exploring Chania, Crete

Narrow alleyways of Chania, Crete

 

 Chania’s Islamic temple converted to a Greek church

Once the main Islamic temple of Chania, the building was converted into a Greek orthodox church for daily services. It is fascinating to visit and see the combination of Islamic art mixed in with orthodox symbols and details combined.

 

An Islamic temple converted to a Catholic church in Chania, Greece

An Islamic temple converted to a Catholic church in Chania, Greece

 

 

 The agora or public market in Chania

The Agora just outside the old town of Chania is always busy with locals and tourists looking for daily provisions and what is freshly grown, caught or just made for a quick sale at the marketplace. It is a fun place to explore and take home something delicious or prepared for a meal or quick snack.

 

Inside the public market in Chania, Greece

Inside the public market in Chania, Greece

 

 

Here’s a video tour of Chania and some places to eat there

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rugged northern coastlines of Crete  

The coastlines are rugged with rocks peeking out through the rough ocean and surf making for dramatic vistas throughout the island. It’s fun to drive along the many roads that skirt around the island and just happen to stunning scenery like the image below.

 

Rocky coastline - 20 pictures of Crete in Greece

Rocky coastline of Crete in Greece

 

 Small harbor scenes of Crete

Little harbors can be found all around the island of Crete, many of them house the typical leisure craft and fishing vessels that ply the ocean to catch a multitude of local seafood ending up in the local markets around the island and the main seafood market at the Agora in Chania.

 

Fishing boats and harbor - 20 pictures of Crete in Greece

Fishing boats and harbor in Crete, Greece

 

 

 

 

Fishing boats and harbor in Crete, Greece

Fishing boats and harbor in Crete, Greece

 

 Exploring the Minoan palace at Knossos

Visiting the ancient ruins of the Minoan palace at Knossos is a must to understand the history and culture of this ancient civilization in Crete. The palace grounds are huge and worth spending half a day to explore the fascinating ruins and artwork around the grounds. You can check out a recent post with more images and details of Knossos palace here.

** get your tickets in advanced to visit the palace of Knossos here for more details and booking your tickets.

A visit to Knossos in Crete and the MInoan palace

A visit to Knossos in Crete

 

Beautiful murals of ancient Knossos in Crete

A visit to Knossos in Crete and a dolphin mural

A visit to Knossos in Crete and a dolphin mural

 

Here’s a video tour exploring Knossos below

 

 

 

 

Enjoy the Wildflowers and coastline views in Crete

There are so many scenic spots driving along the coastline that make it easy to stop and enjoy some of the natural beauty and fauna of the island including the wildflowers below. It’s easy to stop when you discover these breathtaking views, if only just for a quick stop to soak in those views and then photograph them as a reminder of this road trip.

 

Flora and views in Crete 20 pictures of Crete in Greece

Flora and views along the coastline in Crete

 

One of the many small harbors in Crete

 

A small harbor in Crete - 20 pictures of Crete in Greece

A typical small harbor in Crete, Greece

 

The bustling port city of Heraklion

 

Heraklion city and port - 20 pictures of Crete in Greece

Heraklion city and port in Crete, Greece

 

 

 

Enjoying the views above Heraklion city and port in Crete, Greece

Enjoying the views above Heraklion city and port in Crete, Greece

 

Here’s some city highlights visiting Heraklion city

 

 

 

 

 

 

More scenic cliff views to a secluded bay in Crete

 

Cliff views to a secluded bay in Crete, Greece

Cliff views to a secluded bay in Crete, Greece

 

Where to stay in Crete

There are many coastal communities to stay around the island, but you’ll find the majority of inns and hotels around the two larger cities of Chania and Heraklion. You can also check into Air Bnb accommodations all around the island with both cities central to visiting all the different areas around the island. For reviews and current prices in Chania, Check out these Trip Advisor reviews here for an updated calendar and availability. For Heraklion, check out these reviews here for current availability and prices.

 

Check out these other activities and attractions to visit around Crete

There’s a variety of other activities you can do and explore around the island, here’s some suggestions of things to do.

Visit the Herakalion Archeological Museum

Visit the Lychnostatis Open-Air Museum’s collection 

Minoan’s World 9d Experience

Watercity Park Crete Experience

 

 

Want to see more of Crete and Greece, check out these additional posts below

Best places to visit to Greece in October

A visit to Knossos in Crete

Exploring Chania in Crete

 

Please pin this for later

 

Visiting Crete Greece in 20 pictures

 

Conclusion to visiting Crete, Greece

You’ll enjoy exploring the entire island and finding the unique vistas, marketplaces, good food and historic places around the island to explore.

Thanks for visiting this post on 20 pictures of Crete in Greece. If you enjoyed the post, please share it with any of the social media buttons listed around the post, thank you. Also, please check out my visit to Chania, Greece post here. Today is also Travel Photo Mondays, so please check out the links of other bloggers below and sharing photos from around the world .

 

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