Greetings from the sun kissed island of Crete in Greece! This is our first time in Crete and also our first time in Greece and we’re very excited to check out this amazing island that we’ve heard so many wonderful things about. Check out our video below or keep reading to discover all of the best things to see, do and eat in Crete!

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands and is located in the Eastern of the Mediterranean Sea.   We were blown away by how massive this island really is. It has two international airports and it would take more than 4 hours to drive from one end to the other, making it larger than a few US states and even some countries, who knew?!

We kicked off our adventure by heading straight to the old town of Chania, one of Crete’s most beautiful cities. Chania is located on the Northwestern coast of Crete and is one of the oldest continuously habited cities in the world. It has been inhabited by many of the world’s largest civilizations and empires including the Romans, the Byzantines, the Venetians and the Ottomans. This extremely diverse past makes Chania a truly stunning city, as you can view elements from all of these previous civilizations, as well as modern day Greece in its architecture and culture.

The Chania Old Town is truly a gem. You can wander aimlessly through the narrow, winding streets filled with brightly colored buildings of shops, restaurants and local artisans.

Eventually, you’ll end up at the picturesque harbor where you can take in breathtaking views of the sea and one of Chania’s most historic landmarks, its lighthouse.

The lighthouse was originally built by the Venetians in the 16th century, but most of the structure that you see today was rebuilt while Crete was under Egyptian control in the 1800s. Fun fact, this is actually one of the oldest lighthouses in the world. You can walk along the pier to the structure, as the waves crash up next to you and discover many hidden lookout spots that make for great photo ops. 

In Chania’s harbor, you’ll also find plenty of restaurants and cafes serving up all types of amazing food. We have to say the food scene in Crete really blew us away! We didn’t have a single bad meal during our entire stay here! Everything we ate was super tasty and fresh, and often quite healthy as well, which is a win win for us.

We had a delicious meal at a restaurant called Canale. This restaurant has a large terrace with sea views, and spectacular food to match the ambiance. We kicked off our meal with some cheese croquettes which were crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside making them super addictive. Next up, a traditional salad of sauteed greens topped with pistachios and cheese, adding a perfectly nutty crunch to the tender greens. For our mains, we had dishes of stewed lamb and chicken. Both were incredibly tender, with a smoky flavor that had us savoring each bite.

We quickly discovered that at the end of a meal in Greece, when you’re so full that you don’t think you can eat another bite, you are surprised by a delightful local custom, a small dessert and a digestive are brought to your table at the end of your meal. This time, it was a creamy rice pudding and a tiny drink to wrap up our time here.

The next morning, we started our day with a great breakfast at a cozy spot called Ginger Concept. Our dishes were packed with fresh eggs and vegetables, the quality of the produce here is just next level. But the real game changer for us coffee lovers was when we had our first taste of freddo cappuccino. This is a strong Greek iced coffee topped with super thick and foamy milk cream. As iced coffee lovers, these freddo cappuccinos made us very happy and we drank many of them during this trip!

We quickly fell in love with the mezze culture of Crete, where you can order a bunch of small dishes to make up a meal, making it a small food adventure for the table. There are plenty of places to eat a variety of tasty mezze dishes in Crete.

One of our favorites was Woodstock on Nea Chora beach. Where we enjoyed a large, fresh salad, amazing fresh bread with tomato dip and tzatziki, a very gooey piece of cheese baked in seeds and herbs and of course more cheese croquettes, because why not?

Another gem that we discovered was Amphora Taverna. Where we indulged in some amazing crispy fries, which are Mehmet’s favorite food, topped with a cheesy sauce, some baked feta topped with tomatoes, peppers and olives and one of our all time favorites, stuffed grape leaves!  We loved lounging here all evening, watching the sun set and the lights of the city twinkle to life.

While the food is great, Crete’s beaches might steal the show. There are so many beaches here, in fact the island has over 100 beaches, each more beautiful than the last which makes it a beach lover’s paradise! We took a trip to one of the island’s most famous beaches, Elafonissi beach. Everyone we met kept telling us to visit this beach and talking about its dreamy pink sand, which made it feel like the celebrity of Crete’s coastline. And while this is definitely a beautiful beach, it was a bit of an Instagram vs. reality moment.

Maybe it was because it was a bit cloudy while we were there but many of the pictures we saw online really seem to have enhanced the pink hues in the sand. Yes, you can definitely see a bit of pink, but it just wasn’t as vibrant as a lot of what we had seen online, so keep your expectations in line if you visit this beach. Nevertheless, it’s a beautiful, natural, clean beach with lots of sand and space to stretch out and soak up the sun.

Here’s a tip, if you do visit Elafonissi beach, make a pit stop at Kalomirakis Tavern for some delicious food. You’ll pass by it when walking from the parking area to the beach and trust us your taste buds will thank you while you enjoy an amazing meal while taking in a beautiful view. I had a wonderful fresh sea bream, grilled to perfection with vegetables, lovely fresh herbs and a splash of lemon, it was the perfect post beach meal. Mehmet went with the meatier option of chicken souvlaki which was expertly grilled and juicy. We both fell in love with the zucchini fritters, which we discovered are a staple on many restaurant menus in this area and we absolutely understand why! They are crispy, flavorful and totally addictive.

Given that Crete is such a large island, there are plenty of hidden beach towns and villages to discover. We highly recommend renting a car while you’re here, it will allow you to really explore the off the beaten path but beautiful spots. Plus the drive around the island is also very pretty, as you’re often driving along the coast with stunning sea views, or through rural land filled with olive groves. It’s definitely the perfect way to soak in the island’s natural beauty at your own pace.

We spent a few days in a town called Platanias, which is another town with an old city set atop a steep hill, overlooking various beaches below. The streets lining the beach area are filled with restaurants, but there was one spot that really stood out called Kanelis Tavern. 

This restaurant specializes in traditional Cretan cuisine and they serve a famous traditional dish called lamb antikristo, meaning “on the fire.” As you enter the restaurant you can see it roasting over an open fire and the aromas alone will make your mouth water as you walk by. It’s actually hard to explain to you how good this lamb was. It is cooked over an open fire for hours giving it the most intense smokey flavor and a crispy golden exterior, while the inside was tender, juicy and bursting with flavor. It was truly one of the best lamb dishes we’ve ever tasted, and it is served with the most crispy and delicious potatoes.

After tasting how amazing the lamb antikristo was, we wanted to try out another traditional lamb dish. This dish was a different preparation of lamb served atop creamy pilaf which you mix with yogurt. The combination of the meaty but super tender lamb with the comforting pilaf and tangy yogurt was absolutely amazing.

And let’s not forget the starters, we had stuffed zucchini flowers which were out of this world, as well as the most flavourful grilled halloumi of the entire trip.

We also want to give a huge shoutout to the staff at Kanelis Tavern, they were all super friendly and helpful, explaining all of the dishes to us and how they prepare them. They really made us feel very welcomed. I think it’s pretty easy to say that this place is a must-visit if you are in Platanias, and we’ll link the details in the description and comments below, so you can find your way to this gem!

Our final stop in Crete was its largest city of Heraklion. While not as picturesque as Chania, Heraklion definitely had its own unique charm and refreshingly felt less touristy.

There are a number of traditional tavernas and cozy cafes lining the streets, and a nice seafront promenade for a leisurely walk as you take in the sea views.  

Overall, we very much enjoyed our time in Crete and reeeaaally enjoyed its food which was a major highlight! From the smoky lamb dishes to the crispy zucchini fritters, Crete really knows what it’s doing when it comes to food. I will especially be missing all of those freddo cappuccinos, in fact I think I’m already having withdrawals from them!

We definitely plan on visiting Crete again, so if you have recommendations for places we missed let us know in the comments!