Crete

Crete

Your **Crete** road trip itinerary begins on a land of giant peaks and wild valleys. You navigate the winding paths of the **White Mountains** where local goats own the road. Every turn reveals a new gorge or a hidden stone village. You find old men drinking coffee under giant plane trees in the village squares. The air is fresh and the views stretch across the entire island from coast to coast. Driving here requires focus but the rewards are unmatched by any other island. Head south to find the **Libyan Sea** where the water is deeper and darker. The drive to Elafonisi takes you through tunnels of rock and lush greenery. You end up at a beach with pink sand and shallow pools of crystal water. The island is so big it feels like its own country with its own unique rules. You will need a few days just to see the wild west coast and its hidden lagoons. Every mountain pass offers a new perspective on this rugged landscape. Do not skip the ruins of Knossos near the city to see where legends began. You walk through the maze of the Minotaur before driving to the old Venetian fort at **Rethymno**. The food here is the best in Greece with olive oil and honey that taste like the land. Every roadside tavern is a reason to pull over and stay a little longer. It is a place where hospitality is as thick as the mountain air.

Crete highlights

Part of these road trips

Follow the routes that cross this destination

The Scenic Route
The Heritage Drive
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History of Crete

The **Minoan** civilization on Crete built the first paved roads in Europe over three thousand years ago. Your Crete road trip itinerary visits the Palace of Knossos, which covered twenty thousand square meters and had over one thousand rooms. In 1700 BC, the Minoans developed an advanced drainage system and the first flushing toilets in human history. The island served as a naval empire that traded saffron and timber with Egypt and the Levant. The city of **Candia**, now known as Heraklion, was the site of the longest siege in world history. From 1648 to 1669, the Ottoman Empire surrounded the Venetian-held city for 21 years. The Venetians built massive bastions and a sea fortress that still guards the harbor today. The White Mountains provided a safe haven for the Sphakians, a local tribe that never fully paid taxes to any occupying force for centuries. In May 1941, the island was the site of **Operation Mercury**, the first large-scale airborne invasion in history. German paratroopers suffered such heavy losses from local resistance that Hitler never ordered another major parachute attack. The high plateau of Lasithi was once home to ten thousand white-sailed windmills used to irrigate the fertile soil. The history of Crete is defined by high-tech ancient living, epic sieges, and a fierce mountain independence.
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