From Crete you can either take the FlyingCat 4 route to Santorini, Ios, Paros, and Mykonos, or the Prevellis route that stops at several smaller islands en route to Rhodes. While FlyingCat 4 runs daily (except every other Wednesday) Prevellis is a 2 day/week ferry. Here is the October timetable for Prevellis, which is likely to be similar next May, as this is a year-round route: http://tinyurl.com/8r8db9d

Of course with a combination of ferries you can go anywhere in the Aegean.

You can also fly direct from Heraklion, Crete to several islands, including Santorini and Rhodes.

About changing your mind closer to your travel dates: be very aware that last-minute reservations for cars, ferries, planes and hotels are extremely difficult to get right around Easter weekend in Greece.

Sorry, I meant to include the airline link: www.minoanair.com

You should also know that Minoan Air charges the same for a seat on the FC4 to Santorini as Hellenic Seaways. Baggage allowance is 15kg plus 4kg for carry-on. Overweight charge: €2/kilo.

There is also a 1 day/wk ferry from Kissamos (near Chania) to Gythio in the southern Peloponnese. This would be an interesting route, as it would allow you to go directly from Crete to Laconia and Messenia, two beautiful regions on the southern coast. I was in Messenia last September, and the beauty of that region made me rethink my obsession with the islands.

Since you mentioned Easter..
There are many regional differences in Greece, in how locals celebrate Easter.
The most traditional Easter celebrations you will find in Southern Greece, in the regions of Evia, Fthiotida, Fokida, Evritania, Aitoloakarnania and the Peloponnese....
In Greece Easter is a much bigger celebration compared to Christmas, and since it is spring everything is full of flowers...

Heimdall gave you some excellend advice.. the Southern Peloponnese would be ideal for a unique Easter celebration together with the locals.

Coastal Messinia and Laconia but also the mountainous Arcadia would be ideal for an unforgettable Easter

I agree. A long time ago I experienced a unique midnight Easter celebration in Velanidia, a small mountain village inland from Neaoplis.

Have you been to Crete's south shore?It has a different feel from the northern coast, warmer air and water temps.
I like Heimdall's suggestion of the ferry to the Peloponnese too.

We spent Easter in Paleochora in southwest Crete a few years ago and enjoyed it immensely. Because the town is small, we really felt a part of the celebrations: midnight lighting of the candles, fireworks, burning of the Judas effigy. It was wild like a combination of Christmas, New Years, and the 4th of July!

However, I also highly recommend the Peloponnese. Never been there for Easter, but it is probably my favorite part of Greece -- very laidback, friendly, few tourists and so much to see Mystras, Monemvasia, Mycenae just to name a few.

This is really interesting.
The ferry towards Rhodes does not call at any islands which I would immediately jump at. I remember turning down a trip to Kassos and speaking afterwards to people who took it who said that there was very little there.I think I have a slight aversion to Rhodes itself but it is probably based on ignorance after so many years and I've no doubt that it could be overcome.
The southern Peleponnese interests me. Do you know the website for the ferry line and could we hire a car from Gythio(looked for a long time for that until I found Yithion) which we could drop off in Athens? Are there any recommendations for places to stay Heimdall especially as you have been there?
Would there be as much pressure on accomodation and transport after Easter Monday?
Thank you for some interesting ideas.

The ferry from Kissamos to Gytheio is http://www.gtp.gr/RoutesResults.asp?SchDay=0&SchMonth=0&SchYear=2012&CompanyID=0,2&SortType=1,2&AroundDate=0&Origin=EGRCCH2,514,5&Destination=EGRPLC10GYT,9480,7 . It's a LANE Lines ferry called VITSENTZOS KORNAROS. The route is year-round, and will probably be running the same timetable next year. Be very careful with Greek place names, because there are many different spellings in English, and the same name can reappear in different parts of Greece.

I'm no expert on Southern Peloponnese, but near Gytheio is the Mani Peninsula, and Mystras & Monemvassia not far away. I've seen photos of the beaches at Elafonisi, and they look absolutely stunning. I stayed near Kalamata, which has many beautiful seaside villages in the area. One day we visited Ancient Messini, and there were only about six other visitors on that huge archaeological site (quite a contrast with busy Athens).

There will be pressure on transport after Easter Monday, with people returning home after the holidays. Can't help you with the rental car, sorry.

There is no car rental in Gytheio.
Closest one should be in Kalamata !!
The Mani area ( both the Laconian as well as the Messinian Mani )is absolutely beautiful.
There are so many places to visit, such as Areopolis, Vathia, Diros Caves, Monemvasia, Elafonissos ( mainly in the summer though) but also Stoupa, Kardamili or the Taigetos villages..
Kalamata is a city i like very much, full of life....
It has a nice castle, a wonderful park with old locomotives .. and a nice old part... and west of Kalamata you can visit the Anciant Messini and drive further to Methoni, Koroni and Pylos.... there's so much to do and see !!!

Unlike Crete Easter is a huge celebration Peloponnese.. especially on Easter Sunday...

Booking in advance is advisable since Greeks have the habit to celebrate Easter in the countryside, there will lots of traffic back to Athens every day after Easter Sunday and for 2-3 days, as people use to stay longer away from Athens.

Have spent quite some Easter on Crete and i was very disappointed especially on Easter Sunday... the best celebration i experienced was at the hotel of a friend.. with many German and Scandinavian tourists....lol

I was hoping clausar would join in, as my knowledge of that area is very limited. I did visit the seaside villages of Methoni, Koroni, and Pylos, as well as Petalidi where I was staying, but didn't get to Laconia on that trip.

It seems if you want to rent a car, then you need to get from Gytheio to Kalamata. That would probably work well as a starting point for explorations of Messenia and Laconia. Afterwards you could return the car to Kalamata and take the express bus from there to Athens, or head up to Nafplio for more adventures.

There is a new motorway that makes trips between Athens and Kalamata on the express bus very quick. Olympic Air also has flights between those two cities.

This is all so interesting that what it has made me do is doubt our original plan to spend Easter in Chania! Should we think instead about going to the Peleponese for Easter? Its a rhetorical question because you have already given me enough information to think that.
Just one last question - any recommendations for where to stay ?- actual hotels.
Many thanks to you all.

As we get closer to 2013 and Easter, we are firming up our plans.
I would like to walk the Samaria Gorge again- last done in 1979. Our plans involve being in Chania Friday night until Monday when we head to Heraklion to catch the ferry out on Tuesday.
Is Saturday a day when buses and boats will be running? I have in mind that I do not know how much of the weekend is a "closed down" holiday. I imagine that Easter Sunday will not be a good day for public transport- but I could be very wrong!

Buses and boats will be running, yes.... even on Easter Sunday..
Shops cafes and restaurants will be open... Crete is the number 1 destination of Greece, and the season starts at the end of March.....

Have spent Easter at Chania, we had a nice festive meal in the old city near the harbour after the church ( that means after midnight)...

The Samaria Gorge will most probably be closed due to high water... Most of the times it opens around the middle of May.

That never occured to me- and yet it should have as we've had rain here solidly for the last week.
Thank you

Frances, I think you are going to have to play it by ear when it comes to Samaria Gorge, and check when you get to Crete. I've never walked it myself, but according to some sources it opened on May 1st in 2012. When it opens in 2013 no one will know for sure until much nearer the date.

Check these links:
http://www.west-crete.com/samaria-gorge.htm
http://www.west-crete.com/blog/when-will-the-gorge-of-samaria-open-this-year/

I understand there are other gorges in Crete that aren't as well known as Samaria, but would give you alternatives. Clausar will know about them.

The Samaria Gorge is the most famous gorge of Crete, because of it's size, and it is absolutely beautiful, especially during the Spring, when the weather is not very hot.

Crete has many other gorges that are not very well known..

The Imbros Gorge is located in Imbros near Sfakia, and it is an easy to walk gorge

The Kourtaliotiko Gorge is on the way to Plakias , south of Rethymno, you will have to pass throught it with the car anyway. The gorge ends at the Preveli Lake, one of the very few locations of Crete with Palms.

The Kotsifou Gorge, a tiny but very scenic gorge, just north of Plakias in Southern Crete. You can drive through it, and it is very spectacular....

Crete has many other gorges, here is a link with more info about them :

http://www.explorecrete.com/hiking/gorges.html

When I saw that the Samaria Gorge was likely to be closed I remembered that there were other walkable gorges in Crete so your post arrived in good time Clausar! I must have driven through the Kourtaliotiko Gorge- both in 1979 and in 2008!
Thank you for the website.
I may come back with queries if that's O.K.

Crete would probably be lovely at Easter, especially since its the first week of May this year. I love Rhodes - been there six times. I am going to Corfu for Greek Easter in 2013. It was featured in the James Bond, For Your Eyes Only, movie and Corfu is lovely anyway.

Corfu is famous in Greece for the local Easter celebrations...
It is actually so popular that Hotels in the city are fully booked months in advance.. ( which might now change due to the crisis)

Mes, i am sure that you will love Easter on Corfu !!!
( i am originally from the city of Corfu)

Sorry to intervene. We're flying into Heraklion on May 4 at 8pm.
When I enquired at a hotel (Rea)to book, the manager indicated all tavernas etc. were closed for Easter.
What can we expect? We thought it would be nice to be there but the prospect of prowling the streets looking for food is not enticing. Hopefully we can get a bus in from the airport.
Is it a total shutdown in town?

Tommmo
You will be arriving to Heraklion on Holy Saturday.
Locals will be preparing for the Midnight Easter Liturgy, they will go before midnight to the church, and after 30 min, they will return home with the Holy Light ( which is being brought to Greece from Jerusalem) for a big festive meal.

Easter Sunday falls in Greece on the 5th of May and it is the biggest celebration in the country,bigger even compared to Christmas.

I really can't imagine that restaurants will be closed on Saturday in Heraklion, given the fact that there will be thousands of tourists ( like every year).
Have been over Easter several times in cities like Rethymno or Chania, and everything was working as usual.

I am sure that buses will operate normally from the Heraklion Airport to the city, this is one of the two biggest airports of Greece....

Does anyone know if we can catch a bus from the airport after arriving 8pm May 4 and then bus that night to Agios Nikolaos?

It seems AN has more of a "tourist Easter" and then we could return to Heraklion and Knossos etc. after a few days when everything is back to normal...

Tommmo
I can only repeat that everything will be normal on the 4th of May.... Heraklion is the capital city of Crete and a very touristy city with many hotels.

I called the KTEL of Heraklion and they said that the schedule on that particular day, will be the schedule of a normal Saturday.
According to that last busses to Agios Nikolaos are:
19:45-20:45-21:45

If you arrive at 8 pm, you can make it to the Bus station to catch the 21: 45 hrs bus.
Best way would be to take a taxi to the Bus station, the airport is located near to Heraklion City

Forgot to add the website of the Bus company ( KTEL), where you can take a look your self :

http://www.ktelherlas.gr/index.php?lang=en

If you are going I would book ASAP. I have my reservations since October for hotel and plane and at premium prices since it is a big holiday and high demand for Corfu. Some other islands may not be as frantic, but since many people go back to the home island, everything is going to getting reserved early.
Clausar, I love Corfu. I am hoping the flowers will really be in bloom by then. My favorite walk is to go from the Bella Venezia hotel, down to Kanoni Penisula and have a coffee overlooking the church (not at Starbucks, either!).

Thanks so much clausar for your help. If the plane gets in on time we'll get the bus if not we can rent a car . We've just booked at Mantraki Apartments in AN for that night.
The worries started when the manager of the hotel in Heraklion we were emailing told us the tavernas etc. would be closed that night...

Tommmo
I asked a friend of mine who actually lives in HER and runs a very big travel agency...
I don't know why you received this information from the hotel.. the fact is, that restaurants and cafes will be open in Heraklion on the 4th, of May !!!!!!!!!