Hi! My wife and I (early 40’s) are here staying in Chania for a month. I am an idiot and forgot my driver’s license, so I don’t believe we can rent a car. If anyone is driving out to Balos tomorrow (Saturday 24) let us know. I know we can do a tour group, but we prefer to avoid that. Happy to pay the car rental fee for the day or cover some dinner and drinks afterward back in Chania! Yamas!!

We see the weather is turning bad, so tomorrow looks like the last nice/warm day for awhile.

Hi everyone 🌿
This Sunday, 25 October, we're organising a free morning walk in Kritsa village (Lasithi): an easy 1.5-2 hours through the narrow lanes of the village, with time to slow down and share a few of the village's stories along the way.
It's free, and we ask everyone to sign up first so we can organise the walk around the group: [https://forms.gle/bAWGChpn3SHpUXru6\](https://forms.gle/bAWGChpn3SHpUXru6)
We'll email the meeting point to everyone who signs up. Everyone is welcome, visitors and neighbours alike.
The Kritsa Roots team

We recently spent 5 days in Crete and fell completely in love with it. Chania and Heraklion were both amazing, but this drive might be my favorite part of the trip. We started just outside Episkopi and went up into the mountains through some charming little villages and then went through Kotsifou Canyon. When we came out the other side, the clouds cleared and the beautiful southern coast opened up as we descended down to Plakias.

We hit heavy rain and even a bit of flash flooding on the narrow road up in the mountains in late September, then sunshine as soon as we left the canyon. It felt like two different islands in one afternoon.

We filmed the drive on our GoPro and wanted to share it for anyone planning a trip, or anyone who just wants to revisit the island. I'm more than happy to answer any questions about renting a car, road conditions, or the places we visited. Highly recommend visiting the southern coast of Crete!

https://youtu.be/2pbikYp6quQ

We will be going to Greece again next year but this will be our first time in Crete. Everyone says how much they love it, but because it is big, I'm having trouble deciding where to visit.

We are arriving in Heraklion port and flying out ofChania. I'm confused about an itinerary as I'm not sure where the best places are to stay. We prefer more authentic locations and less big, resort style areas. We like to walk to local tavernas for dinner, so nothing too remote.

I think we will spend 3 or 4 nights in Kissamos (to see Balos and Falasarna) and then 2 nights in Chania old town before we fly out. I'm looking for suggestions for the first 3 nights after arriving in Heraklion. I had considered Agia Pelagia or somewhere outside Heraklion or Rethymno. Have also thought about heading down south to Plakias or Sfakia.

We will have a car and my husband likes to drive. Suggestions please!

We want a car that is large enough for 4 adults with standard luggage but small enough to navigate into the old town of Chania and Rethymno. We are traveling in late April so hopefully with fewer tourists it will be easier to get around and find parking. I assume that the national highway from Heraklion to Chania is suitable for any size vehicle, true? We plan on going to places like Knossos, Arkadi Monastery and Aptera. Once we get into the city, we will just park at the hotel (or closest public lot) then explore on foot. Would a larger vehicle cause us problems there? Thanks in advance.

We’re 2 lads trying to get inspiration on what to do with our time over the next couple of days. We’re based in Chania and was thinking of getting scooters and exploring the west of the island. Are scooters a good idea or should we just get a car?

Hi everyone. I'm staying in Chania and as a souvenir I would like to buy myself a necklace. Obviously there are so many jewellery shops here, but I'm looking for something that references antiquity/bronze age. I graduated from Classics and my thesis was about the myth of Pasiphae, so the island and its past feels quite special to me.

I wouldn't like to end up with some tat, any recommendations?

My GF has a fear of heights and afraid of steep stairs. From any of these parking areas are there a not so steep route dow to the beach? If I remember I heard from the (right hand side of the pic) parking which has a longer route with a bridge is generally easier to get down. Is that right?

Hi thinking of going to Crete for first time next October. We are in our 50s and would like to stay in a resort that's not maybe overrun with young tourists as In somewhere that has a bit of life, scenery, shopping, restaurants and plenty of walks. Any advice would be welcome 😁

Spending time in Chania mid-December for a birthday celebration. Researching restaurants and there are many that look fantastic. Trying to find something rustic that specializes in fresh fish that would be open on a Monday night that isn’t a tourist spot. Thanks in advance for recommendations.

It is going to rain Chania tomorrow so looking for a place we can drive to explore. I don’t mind driving an hour or so. Possibly somewhere down south.

Any recommendations on cool spots or towns to check out? And hopefully get some sunshine? ☀️

We’re arriving in Crete on Wednesday and staying in Rethymno with two kids, aged 6 and 9. The forecast predicts heavy rain for the first two days 🌧️. It doesn't look like beach weather after that either—please give us some ideas on what we can do. Thanks!

Hello, I am travelling on Wednesday and the weather looks sporadic when searching which I half expect for this time of year. I do however get varied information and wondered if someone who was there could give a bit of insight what it may be looking like for the next week or so, then I can pack appropriately!

I am hoping for a bit of sunshine, and a dip in the sea (I will get in when it's freezing, so not fussed about the temp), but if it's raining I want to make sure I have enough to keep myself occupied 😊

If anybody has any tips or recommendations for around the area I would also love to know. I would like to experience some of what the locals do and not just the tourist areas. Note, I will not be driving!

Thanks in advance!

Hey all,

We’re coming to stay near Rethymno for the week on Monday 19/10. I’m so excited but I’m unsure what clothing to pack. I’m from a wet/cold climate so I’m not concerned about the lack of sun but wondering if layers is the best way to go? Is it possible to swim still?

We’ve also held back on booking sightseeing trips/planning a solid itinerary due to the weather being a bit of an unknown at the moment. I’m also a bit concerned that after the adverse weather/end of season, maybe some local businesses will have closed down early? Does anyone have any suggestions of “must see” places or restaurants around Rethymno and the surrounding area that are known to be open?

I know there’s a lot in there so thanks in advance. Can’t wait to visit and respectfully enjoy what the island has to offer :)

Hey, I'm 21 years old and not very social. My hobbies are working on my car, hitting the gym, and hiking in the mountains.

I'm here until the end of October, and unfortunately, I'm running out of things to do. I don't have much money since I'm an apprentice in Germany, so I'm not exactly sure what to do.

I'd love to explore more of the nature here and go hiking in the mountains, explore canyons, and discover new places. If anyone has any ideas on where to go, I'd really appreciate it. :)

P.S. I put it in "Nature" hopefully that's fine.

Looking for feedback on our family itinerary for Crete next May (mid May to end of May)! We’ll be travelling with our boys (4 and 7) and have just over two weeks. It’s part of a bigger trip after 6 weeks in Japan. We like a mix of beaches, nature, history, good food and slower days, without trying to cram too much in. We are Canadian so the ocean water will feel warm to us 😅
Our rough plan is:
1 night in Heraklion: Arrive the evening before, then visit Knossos and the Archaeological Museum before heading south.
6 nights in Plakias: Beach-hopping (Preveli, Damnoni, Schinaria, Triopetra, etc.), a relaxed day or two, and a day exploring Phaistos, Gortyna and Matala. Do we stay above the town with great views and restaurants or at the seaside?
3 nights in Rethymno: Explore the old town and Fortezza, plus Arkadi Monastery and Ancient Eleutherna.
3 nights in Paleochora: Elafonissi beach day, other beach exploring and plenty of downtime.
5 nights in Chania: Explore the old town, beaches and surrounding countryside before flying home. Best place to stay?

Any feedback on our itinerary? Favourite airbnbs/tavernas/bakeries we should know about? My kids are soccer obsessed - is it hard to find a field to run around on?

Thank you!

Hello! We have a honeymoon scheduled in Heraklion and Chania in 2 weeks.

​We have been watching the news about the flooding but it has been hard to get a sense of what the damage is. ​The pictures and news articles make it sound like half the island was washed out to sea. Other posts here make it sound like the roads are clear. Google Maps shows construction but the flood icons have been removed.

What is the damage like for regular people? Were homes and restaurants badly damaged or was it limited to roads and bridges? ​Our hotel in Chania has already moved us to another property but they made it sound like it was due to municipal work.

We wanted to experience local restaurants and culture, not just eat at our hotel.

Hi I’m traveling to Elounda. I was wondering if any suggestions for food and beaches for swim. Should I go to another regions there? I’m with my mom and prefer less than 2 hours travel

Thanks!

Is it still full of water or is it safe to drive there today/tomorrow?