A friend of mine went to Corfu and loved it, but I keep hearing so much about Crete. How different are these places?

I've only been to Corfu, but Crete's vestiges of history stretch back to the ancient. There is a lot of variation in towns vs countryside, gorge to climb vs beaches, etc.
Corfu is a lush, beautifuul island with some great beaches, beautiful seascapes,at least one monastery, olive groves,great resorts, and some interesting vestiges of varied 17th=19th century architecture and customs, but though I loved it and would happily go again, unlike Crete I wouldn't call it a cultural or geological must-see. It's just a great place to spend a few days on a beach.

<<How different are these places?>>

Totally different.

I've been to Crete four times and Corfu nil, but I think they are very different.

Corfu is much smaller much further north and mush more trees and bushes. the culture is more Anglo, and there are some VERY touristy bits. Whilst there are some very touristy bits in Crete too, I think it's a bigger island its easier to lose them in the idigenous reality

The island you select may depend on where else you are going. We have been to Crete but not to Corfu. We are planning a side trip to Corfu when we go to S. Italy and Croatia in late September

First time I've been able to post for ages!
Yes I agree they are different but they are both part of the same country and in the same part of the Med and have similar weather, culture,food and language. The history is different and consequently Corfu is more Italianate. The next land to the south of Ierapetra in Crete is Libya.
Geographically, Corfu leaves you with an impression of green-tall trees. mountains and valleys and coastal strips. Crete has the White Mountains which are majestic and dramatic. However as the island is so much bigger it is also more diverse.
I think it unlikely you will find an undiscovered part of Corfu whereas you just might in Crete.
Which should you go to? Crete followed soon after by Corfu!

hi there - we have been to corfu once and crete dozens of times! corfu was very nice but i found the cretan people more lively and fun. crete is packed with things to see and do and there are also places to avoid: malia being one of them. it is awful - unless you are seeking lager louts, all night clubs, fighting, etc.

we stay in a little village called sissi which is on the north east coast. it is a tiny village with a pretty harbour and lots of tavernas, which are child friendly. sissi is only 30 minutes drive from the main airport, heraklion (iraklio). it is an ideal place for couples and families.

the apartments we stay at are koutrakis village apartments and we always have a great time there. the apartments are not luxury but are very clean and airy and all have direct dial telephone. most have air con. available to hire on a daily basis.

there is a small pool which is immaculately clean (cleaned every night) and it has an adjoining baby pool. lots of sunbeds and umbrellas available free of charge.

the apartments are family run and they all speak perfect english (among other languages). they serve food and drink all day and the prices are excellent.

you can hire a car in sissi or take a taxi - we use a local taxi as we find his prices very reasonable and the car is comfortable and airconditioned. you can also easily take a bus from the village to travel into the city (heraklion).

in heraklion there is probably the best restaurant on the island. loukolos (spelling may be wrong) and we have eaten here many times. the service, decor, food, wine, all wonderful and only a fraction of the price we would pay for such a standard in ireland or indeed the uk.

heraklion has loads of shops and some excellent shoe shops (well, i love shoes!).

from heraklion you can visit the palace of knossos which is well worth a visit but be sure to hire a guide as it will make the trip so much more interesting. by the way, don't eat there - awful food and v.expensive. instead cross the road where there are plenty of little tavernas with nice food at better prices.

to check all the places to see in crete (there isn't space to list them here!), just type into a search engine something like: places of interest in crete and that should throw up lots for you to do.

regarding car hire, shop around. you will find many different prices and also haggle a bit (especially out of season).

very brief but hope it's of some help.

I agree that it depends on where else you may be going. I went to Corfu for 5 nights prior to taking a ferry to Italy. This worked out very well for us. Corfu is very convenient for day trips to other islands, as well as to Albania.

If you are looking for Corfu or Crete to be the only destination, then Crete sounds like (I haven't been there yet) it would offer more of an array of things to do and see.