Minoan Crete itinerary

Four thousand years ago, when the rest of Europe still lived in villages of huts, a refined, peaceful and mysterious civilisation flourished on Crete: the Minoan civilisation, named after the legendary King Minos. The Minoans built palaces of hundreds of rooms with plumbing, painted frescoes full of dolphins, lilies and acrobats leaping over bulls, and used a script that no one can read to this day. From here come the myths of the Minotaur and the labyrinth, of Theseus and Ariadne, of Daedalus and Icarus, and the legend of the infant Zeus hidden in a cave to escape his father.

This seven-day itinerary crosses Crete from west to east following the great Minoan palaces: Knossos and the Heraklion museum, Phaistos and Agia Triada on the Messara plain, Malia, Zakros, with a cave sacred to Zeus, the Roman city of Gortyn and the islet of Spinalonga. Between sites come the beaches, gorges and villages of Greece's largest island, with one of the best-loved cuisines in the Mediterranean.

Who were the Minoans

Minoan civilisation flourished on Crete from about 3000 to 1450 BC. Its palaces, which were at once residences, temples, storehouses and administrative centres, had no defensive walls, and its frescoes portray a society that loved nature, festivals and the sea. They used two scripts: Cretan hieroglyphs and Linear A, still undeciphered. Their end remains a mystery: perhaps the great eruption of the Santorini volcano, perhaps earthquakes, perhaps the arrival of the Mycenaeans from mainland Greece. In 1900 the English archaeologist Arthur Evans began excavating Knossos and gave this people the name of Minos. See also our pages on Minoan civilisation, the Minotaur and the Palace of Knossos.

Day 1: the Heraklion museum

Start at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, one of the most important in the world, which holds almost all the treasures of Minoan art. Here you see the mysterious Phaistos Disc, with its symbols stamped in a spiral that no one has ever deciphered, the steatite bull's head with golden horns used for libations, the faience snake goddesses, the gold pendant of the Malia bees, the painted sarcophagus of Agia Triada and, upstairs, the original frescoes of Knossos: the bull-leaping, the Prince of the Lilies, "La Parisienne". Allow at least three hours. In the afternoon stroll through the Venetian city, past the Morosini fountain, the loggia and the walls, to the tomb of the writer Nikos Kazantzakis. See also Heraklion.

Where to stay: in Heraklion, for two nights.

Day 2: Knossos and Archanes

The Palace of Knossos, five kilometres from the city, was the heart of the Minoan world: a tangle of over a thousand rooms, corridors, stairs and courtyards, which later Greeks remembered as the labyrinth of the Minotaur. Arthur Evans, who excavated it, rebuilt some parts in concrete, with red columns and copies of the frescoes: a debated choice, but one that helps you picture the palace as it was. You see the Throne Room, with the oldest stone throne in Europe, the grand staircase, the storerooms with huge oil jars and the Queen's Megaron with its dolphin fresco. Arrive at opening time to avoid the crowds.

In the afternoon drive up to Archanes, a pretty village among vineyards, with Minoan remains and the nearby cemetery of Fourni. It is one of the island's most important wine areas: a winery tasting rounds off the day.

Day 3: Gortyn, Phaistos and Matala

Cross the mountains southwards (about an hour) to the Messara plain. At Gortyn, capital of Crete in Roman times, the theatre wall preserves the Gortyn Code, a 5th-century BC law code carved in stone, read with lines running alternately right to left and left to right. Nearby grows an evergreen plane tree under which, according to myth, Zeus in the form of a bull lay with Europa, mother of Minos.

The palace of Phaistos, excavated by Italian archaeologists from 1900, stands on a hill with a splendid view over the plain and Mount Ida. It is less reconstructed than Knossos, and therefore more authentic. A few kilometres away, the royal villa of Agia Triada is a little gem wrapped in silence. In the evening go down to Matala, the bay with caves carved into the cliff, Roman tombs that in the 1960s housed a hippie community, sung about by Joni Mitchell.

Where to stay: in Matala or a nearby village.

Day 4: the Lasithi Plateau and the cave of Zeus

Head back north and climb onto the Lasithi Plateau (about two and a half hours), a cultivated plain at 850 metres, ringed by mountains and once dotted with thousands of white windmills. Above the village of Psychro is the Dikteon Cave, one of the two caves tradition names as the birthplace of Zeus: according to myth, his mother Rhea hid him here so that his father Cronus would not devour him. You go down among stalactites to a small underground lake. In the afternoon descend to the north-east coast.

Where to stay: in Agios Nikolaos or Elounda, for two nights.

Day 5: Malia and Spinalonga

The palace of Malia, on the coast, is the third largest on Crete. The gold pendant with two bees seen in the Heraklion museum was found here. The site, among fields near the sea, is peaceful and easy to read, with its great circular granaries, central court and offering table.

In the afternoon, from Elounda or Plaka, a boat takes you in a few minutes to the islet of Spinalonga, with a Venetian fortress that from 1903 to 1957 was a leper colony, the last in Europe. Walking among the houses, the church and the little main street where the sick lived is a moving experience, made famous by Victoria Hislop's novel The Island. At sunset have dinner in Agios Nikolaos, around its lake.

Day 6: Zakros and the Valley of the Dead

Follow the north-east coast to Sitia and then to Kato Zakros (about two hours), a remote bay at the island's eastern tip. Here in 1961 the archaeologist Nikolaos Platon discovered an unplundered Minoan palace, with thousands of objects still in place. The site, among olive and banana trees near the sea, can also be reached on foot through the Gorge of the Dead, named after the caves where the Minoans buried their dead: a path of a few kilometres from the village of Zakros to the beach. On the way back pass Vai, the beach with the largest natural palm grove in Europe.

Where to stay: in Kato Zakros or Sitia.

Day 7: back to Heraklion

From Sitia to Heraklion is about two and a half hours. If you are flying, use Heraklion Airport, or the small airport at Sitia for some domestic flights. See also Crete's airports.

How much it costs

To save money: there is a combined ticket for the Heraklion museum and Knossos; from November to March site tickets are reduced, and EU citizens under 25 enter free. Cretan food in village tavernas is generous and cheap.

Practical information

• Knossos: it is the island's most visited site; in summer arrive at 8 am or in the last hour before closing.
• Guides: at Knossos and Phaistos a guide, or a good book, makes all the difference, as the remains are complex to read.
• Roads: mountain roads are narrow and winding, and goats may cross suddenly; allow more time than your satnav suggests.
• Food: try dakos, snails, lamb with herbs, graviera cheese and the raki offered at the end of the meal. See Greek cuisine.
• Documents: EU citizens only need a valid identity card. See getting to Greece.

Variations

• Western Crete: Chania, with its Venetian harbour, the Samaria Gorge and the beaches of Balos and Elafonissi; see Crete's beaches.
• Santorini: by ferry from Heraklion, the Minoan site of Akrotiri, the "Pompeii of the Aegean" buried by the eruption; see Santorini.
• The Idaean Cave: on Mount Ida, the other cave where, according to myth, Zeus was raised.

What to read before you go

For the myths, a good collection such as Robert Graves's The Greek Myths; for the archaeology, a book on Minoan civilisation; for the soul of the island, Nikos Kazantzakis's Zorba the Greek. Before Spinalonga, Victoria Hislop's The Island. See also Daedalus and Icarus and the legend of Zeus's birth.

Final tips

• Pace: Crete is big; with ten days you can add the west and a few days at the beach.
• Combinations: the myth of Theseus continues in Athens; see the myth itinerary in the Argolid.
• A tip: at Phaistos stay until sunset, sitting on the steps of the court with Mount Ida in front of you: it is the place where Minoan civilisation feels closest and most serene.

See also the guide to Crete and our other itineraries in Greece.

Heraklion on the map

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