Optimizing 4 days on Crete
 

I've read everything I can so far but still have some questions for folks who know Crete and won't judge me for trying to do this in just 4 days!

Background: Our family of 4 (me, hubby, sons ages 22 & 20) are headed to Greece next week and it's our first time so trying to see major highlights but also relax and enjoy life. Our boys are rock climbers who have been into Greek mythology and archeology since Percy Jackson days. All 4 of us are all hikers who prioritize great food, local wine and history/culture. On this 12-day trip we'll have 3 nights in Athens with a day trip to Delphi, then we'll be on Crete for 4 nights, and finally 4 nights on Paros. I'm most excited for the Cretan part of this trip! We'll be staying 3 nights at an AirBNB villa above Lake Kournas, and 1 night at the GDM Megaron Hotel near the port in Heraklion.

This is the current itinerary and my questions...

Mon 5/26 - pick up rental car, find lunch, meet guide at Palace of Knossos for 3-4:30 tour, then stop for a few groceries and drive 1.5 hours to Lake Kournas, eat at a local tavern. Any rec's for food near Knossos? Or on the way to Lake Kournas?

Tues 5/27 - either spend entire day touring Chania town OR tour winery/olive oil farm with time set aside for walking around the harbor and having dinner in Chania. Should we prioritize eating at Dounias Slow Food Taverna in Drakona Village or is this trying to do too much? Any favorite meals in Chania we shouldn't miss?

Wed 5/28 - ideally a hike with beach time... Hiking from Aradena Gorge to Komitades caves of Marmara and food at the taverna - OR hiking from Kourtaliatikos Gorge that ends at Preveli Beach (with palm trees along the banks of Preveli Lake) and sandy beach swimming. Either way I think we'll need to get a taxi to take us back to our car if we start the hike and end at the beach. Thoughts on which of these hikes/beach days would be better? Ideas on something different that involves both a scenic hike & beach? (NOTE: Not interested in Samaria Gorge on this trip)

Thurs 5/29 - drive back to Heraklion, return rental car/drop bags at hotel, visit Archeological Museum of Heraklion, then explore port area and hopefully have a great dinner. I've heard we should try to eat at Peskesi. Any other Heraklion dinner recs? Our boys are hoping for a club night - any rec's there I will pass them along!

Fri 5/20 - early ferry to Santorini/Naxos/Paros. Do we need to book ferry tickets in advance and if so should we spring for "business class" on a fast boat?

Would love input from anyone who knows Crete well or has had amazing experiences traveling there. (I know it's too short of a visit, cannot be helped this time. I'm considering it a 'taster' for future trips.) Thanks!

That’s definitely a fast-paced skim of Crete!

I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner at Peskesi in Heraklion, and I see that it still gets very favorable reviews. Another restaurant I enjoyed there was Herb’s Garden.

I don’t know anything about Dounias Slow Food Taverna. In Chania, I greatly enjoyed dinners at both Glossitses and Tamam, and again, they still get very good reviews.

If you haven’t already seen it, you might find some useful information in my trip report. The section on Heraklion begins with post # 78. The section on Chania begins with post # 48.
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...reece-1460735/

FWIW, it seems you will have only 2 days in Athens, during which you will likely have jet lag. Delphi is wonderful, but I wonder whether you’ll have adequate time for your interests in Athens. Delphi: Post # 151. Athens: Posts # 181 and 191.

Hope that helps!

Thank you kja - I loved your trip report when I read it many months ago. Thanks for referring me to the specific posts.

I appreciate that you see our "fast-paced skim of Crete" for what it is: a taster so we'll know where to base ourselves and what to prioritize for future trips to that island. We'll enjoy whatever we do/see/taste and are NOT worried about the pace or the driving.

It seems like you really enjoyed being able to wander in Chania - do you think we need a full day to do that, or would a few hours before and after dinner be enough to get a sense of it? We'll definitely put Glossitses and Tamam on the list of restaurants to consider (I'm reluctant to book anything until the day prior, hope that's not wrong).

For Athens: Yes, we are pretty attuned to how long it takes for us with jet-lag, we travel to Europe as a family every other year. We always start our first day with a walking tour after a brief rest at the hotel, and then the next morning something nice and active (e-bike tour) followed by a culinary experience in the evening. By Day 3 we are all great! Day 3 will be our excursion outside Athens, our day trip to Delphi. I've arranged a private tour to celebrate our eldest son's graduation from university, so it has some extra special stops as part of the day trip...and we can doze on the drive if needed. The kid we're celebrating has always wanted to see Delphi. I'd skip it in favor of more time in Athens, but can't.

Do you have thoughts on the ferry situation? I'm assuming that's how you got from Crete to Santorini, so would love your rec on whether we should 'upgrade' to business class seats. Who knows whether it will be a rough seas day or not!

Re: Chania: If your goal is just to get a sense of Chania, you can probably do that in a few hours.

I flew from Heraklion to Santorini and so can't help with your question about ferries.

Stop over at the medieval cit center, fortress and harbour of Rethymno on your way to Limni Kourna,
There are plenty of shops in and around Rehtymnon.
Can't comment the Gorge hikes. I did some of them in Eastern Crete and they were all rather strenuous.Only the Samaria Gorge trail from Omiros down to Agia Roumeli is extremely easy (and very popular).
Don't overestimate the few palm trees at Preevli Beach.
The best beach in Western Crete would be Elafonisso, followed by Phalassarna. But both are rather far away from your AirBnB.
Actually, the seawater temperature at Chania is around 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Iraklio - Santorini - Naxos:
I would prefer the Hellenic Seaways catamaran over the Seajet. But ion both cases, the difference between the different classes isn't rreally big.
As a general rule: slosw ferries have not to be booked in avance while catamarans should be booked at least a few days ahead.
The slow ferry Bluestar Chios leaving Iraklio at 4am has certainly not to be booked ahead

Preveli
 

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b4cd28a5f.jpeg

Elafonissi
 

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cb4f76ef9.jpeg

Falassarna
 

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dfe824276.jpeg

susansweet8756 you must be back from your trip to Crete, hope you had a marvelous time. How was your guide at Knossos, would you recommend him/her? Would appreciate if you could share the name and contact details. Thanks in advance!

Guide for Knossos
 

Oh, we are still in Greece and loving it! Crete was amazing - 4 days was great for us but I will plan a full week next time.

the guide we used at Knossos was great - a brief one hour tour but all the important stuff. He also told us what to look for in the Archeological Museum in Heraklion, which was helpful. You do NOT need a guide for the museum there - it's well curated for wandering.

Our guide was booked via GetYourGuide:Vangelis Alefantinos

susansweet8756, thanks for getting back so promptly! Do you have a phone number for Vangelis Alefantinos by any chance, that would be a huge help. I believe you can find guides at the entrance to Knossos, but that’s kind of hit or miss and we’d rather not take that chance.

We have 3.5 days in Iraklio and 4 in Chania, then fly out to Athens for another 4 days. I wish we’d had more time for Crete, especially since we’re unlikely to go back, but this is the best we could do.

Enjoy the rest of your stay in Greece, one of my most favorite destinations.

My trip to Greece was in October 2018. It was a solo trip. I did not rent a car. I spent a night in Delphi. Driving from Athens to Delphi is likely to take at least 2-12/ hours, not including any stops. A day trip to Delphi could be rather rushed. Can you spend a night in Delphi?

Do you have an itinerary for Paros? I didn't go to any islands except for Crete. You might want to consider taking the local bus to Knossos. I took the bus and there was a lot of slow traffic, although the trip took about 20 minutes. And then suppose the parking situation is too tight? I thought Heraklion was a decent enough place even though it is a slightly big city for Crete and people under-rate it in discussion threads. Yes the Archaeology museum and Knossos are good places. I did not eat restaurant food in Crete. I took overnight ferries to and from Crete on Minoan Lines. The ride may have been 9 hours one way. I had beds in a shared cabin which took away my need for two nights in hotels. The ferry worked out fine. I don't get seasick (or airsick, although I can't tolerate roller coaster rides and most amusement park rides except slow Ferris wheels).If I was not trying to take away my need for hotel rooms, I would take the fastest ferry rides available.

Yes you need to buy advance ferry tickets. I wouldn't buy the tickets at the last minute even if it is technically allowed if the ferry isn't sold out. I bought my tickets in advance, maybe 4 weeks in advance.