My husband & I are retired & have done Rick Steves' Athens & the Peloponnese with a couple of additions and loved every minute of our month in Greece!
Now we are looking at doing 3 weeks in Crete, but Rick doesn't have a guidebook for Crete. We have been vacationing independently using Rick's books since 2008. Does anyone know what we might use to get the best recommendations for our time there, knowing we would like to continue vacationing 'through the back door'?
Posted by
near San Francisco
5685 posts
I have been using the Lonely Planet Guide from my library for my time in Crete.
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
1842 posts
I would check out Rough Guides. I haven't been to Crete yet, but I've used Rough Guides for other countries, and I really like them. Another good guidebook is the Michelin Green Guide. I like the format of both guides, and they give good practical advice and sightseeing information.
Posted by
martinez, ca, usa
2521 posts
hey hey mary.keelan
matt barrett has a website for greek info. (greecetravel.com)
click the greek islands, scroll down to crete and you can read all the info he offers.
we did a greek island cruise and this was one of our stops, loved the island for out short time. we did a private tour with 4 other cruisers. can't remember what port and what tour company we used
gpsmycity.com
put in city/town and shows self guided walking tours
tasteatlas.com
top 100 cretan dishes
crete-beaches.com/ markets
we also had an hour stop at a central market to just roam and look. i went crazy, one of my favorites things to do. wished i could stay for a few days in other cities just to buy stuff and artisan crafts
stop at a local store and got pita bread, cheese spread, white wine, cheese a goody for our happy hour on our balcony. bought some dry pasta, herbs, ouzo and package sauces to bring back home with us. before boarding ship stopped at cafe near ship for a local drink and appetizers and walked back on board. it was a great day. enjoy & happy travels
aloha
Posted by
NH (USA)
1267 posts
The best guide for Crete is the Blue Guides as it has one entire book devotely to Crete.
Filled with more info than any other, plus photos, maps, etc.
The Blue Guides are the best for travel especially Greece including the Aegean and Mainland
Posted by
Centennial, CO, US
2214 posts
Hi Mary --
The guide books mentioned are a great idea, and this forum can be helpful to you as well. There are several forum users who have made multiple trips to Crete, and there are active discussions underway on the Greece forum right now, as well as trip reports available under the Trip Reports section. You can also use the Search bar at the top of this page to get more information.
It's a big island, with lots to see. Once you've narrowed things down a bit, come back with your specific questions and you'll get a lot of help.