01
Knossos and the museum
The Minoan palace is fifteen minutes inland. Go early, before the coaches, and pair it with the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion in the same morning.
Experiences
Days out from Gouves
The island is small enough to see properly
Gouves sits in the middle of the north coast, which means most of Crete is a day trip. We book the boats, the guides and the cars ourselves, so you are not arranging anything from a hotel lobby.
02
Beaches, near and far
Gouves beach is a four hundred metre walk. For the postcard water you want Vai, Matala or Elafonissi, and those are proper drives, so we will pack you breakfast.
03
A day on the water
Boat trips leave from the harbours along this coast. Small groups, swimming stops, lunch on board. We book the one that suits the weather rather than the one that pays commission.
04
Mountain villages and raki
An hour up into the Lasithi plateau changes the temperature and the food. Village tavernas, cheese, and raki that is made in the yard behind.
05
Wine, oil and the table
The vineyards south of Heraklion and the olive presses of the Messara. Tastings that are working farms rather than showrooms.
06
Walking the gorges
Samaria is the famous one and it is a long day. There are shorter gorges within an hour of here that almost nobody walks.