How to Split Three Weeks in Crete? Looking for Advice

We had just over two weeks on Crete in the fall of 2019, and in addition to a few nights in Hania (aka Chania) at the end, most of our time was spent east of there. We did not include Rethymno in our itinerary, but did see other places, a mix of coastal, deep gorges, and mountain plateau.

You mention a relaxed time, and taking in the atmosphere of a place. If you’re at all interested in the Minoan civilization that inhabited Crete centuries before there was an ancient Greek civilization, then Iraklio (aka Heraklion), the capital, has a fantastic museum devoted to Minoan art and artifacts. The surviving Minoan palace of Knossos is just south of Iraklio, which we reached easily by local bus. We had a fantastic seafood dinner in Iraklio at Ippokampos, which means “seahorse” in Greek.

We rented a car when we left Iraklio, and for a completely different location and feeling of Crete, headed to the Lasithi Plateau, in the central mountains of the island. It’s an area ringed by mountains, and was once known for having hundreds of windmills. With modern power, there are just a few windmills left, but it’s still a more rural, peaceful setting than the big cities. There are several towns and villages along the ring, and we stayed in Tzermiado. We went on a drive one day, and stopped when a herd of sheep crossed the road. At the end came the shepherd, who proudly held up a just-born lamb for us to see, umbilical cord still hanging from its abdomen. The scenery is quite different from what you’ll find in cities or towns along the coasts.

We also really enjoyed Kato Zakros, a small settlement on the far eastern end of Crete, with its own Minoan ruins, a gorge for hiking, and a beach. It was great for us, but if you don’t want to venture too far on your third week, definitely save Kato Zakros for your next trip!

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For slow travel, without even the need for a car, I would recommend your third stop to be the lovely southwest coast of Crete.

After maybe a week in Chania (with some day trips) take a bus south, where there are four little villages connected by ferry. How many you visit & for how long is up to you, but I’d allow at least 10 days for this part of your trip.

You could start with a bus to Paleochora, a nice little town with several beaches and access via boat to Elafonissi, a famous gorgeous pink sand beach. We usually make a quick stop here — 2 nights is good.

Then ferry to Sougia. Or if you choose to skip Paleochora, you can get a bus directly from Chania to Sougia. This is our favorite place — a lovely little seaside village with lots of great little restaurants and friendly people. Not much to do but relax, walk, contemplate the sea … we have enjoyed several multi-week stays here. You should start with at least three nights.

Next is Agia Roumeli, where the ferry stops for a couple of hours. This is the end point for the famous Samaria Gorge hike. You can hike a little ways up, from the bottom, while waiting for the next ferry. We’ve never stayed overnight here but there are hotels if you’d like.

Then the ferry goes to Loutro, a spectacular little white village that can only be accessed by sea — no roads go to Loutro. We find a couple of nights to be good here. There are some little hikes you can take, water toys (kayaks, paddle boats, etc.) to rent, and day trips to nearby beaches.

Across the bay from Loutro is Hora Sfakion, (literally 5 minutes away by taxi boat or ferry), where you can catch a bus or taxi to Rethymnon.

We stayed in Rethymnon once and think 3-4 nights would be plenty. It’s fun to explore and you can get some day trips from here as well.

At the end, you could take a bus back to Chania airport and fly back to Athens.

Great suggestions by Charlene. Her description of a couple of weeks in Crete is basically what we do every time we visit.
While you are in Chania be sure to get a hotel VRBO in the old town within the city walls. Thats where you will be in the centre of all the action. A week is pretty much the right amount of time.
We have discovered a small tour company called wanderlust tours out of Chania. Max 12 people with an several different itineraries.

On several of our trips we have taken the KTEL bus to Sougia. Its a delightful small village with several exceptional tavernas a good beach and an even better secluded beach across the dry river from the village. We have 3 favourite tavernas so we spend 4 nights in Sougia so we can eat at each one and then return to the best one for our last night.

As noted there is a ferry that goes along the coast daily. The landscape is rugged and amazing. You can do the Samaria Gorge hike from the bottom where the ferry stops at Agia Roumelli. You will have several hours to explore the gorge and can return or take the second ferry to the port village of Chora Sfakion. Its a day you will always remember.

Another option to consider is when you go to Rethymnon after a few nights there you could take a bus to Plakias. The village is just so so but the beaches in the area are great. There are at least 5 beaches within 3 km of Plakias. We always make sure we get 5 nights there.
There is also taxi boats from Plakias that goes to Prevelly beach. Thats is one of the famous Palm tree beaches in Crete. It really is worth a visit.

Just a few images.
Wanderlust tours Chania https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72177720318394812

Chania Sougia and Plakias 2019
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157711266062752
Ferry trip Libyan Sea https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157653434073393
Samaria Gorge from the bottom https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157670610409530