Holidays to Crete 2021

Crete – Holiday Destination Information

Key Information: Crete is the largest island in Greece; it is a popular holiday destination due it’s the warm climate and beautiful beaches. Many people visit Crete on sightseeing holidays to view the marvellous mountains and the great ocean views it has to offer.

Ideal Time to Go: The climate in Crete is ideal for holidays throughout most of the year as it is mainly very warm and dry. If you demand hot weather, we would recommend going between May and September as these are the warmest months. If you don’t need really hot weather then the conditions are good all year round so you shouldn’t be displeased no matter what time you visit for your holidays, you could even get a cheaper holiday with less crowds if you time it for one of the cooler months.

Weather: The annual average temperature in Crete is 19°C, however during July and August, Crete’s hottest months, the average temperature is a toasty 26°C. In January, Crete’s coolest month the average temperature is 11°C. Crete doesn’t see very much rainfall so that shouldn’t be a worry for any holiday-goers, June-August very rarely see any rain at all. December is Crete’s rainiest month and even then there’s only an average of 9 rainy days coming in at 89mm.

Flight Time: A direct flight from London to Crete takes around 4 hours

Time Difference: Crete is 2 hours ahead of UK time

Currency: Euro (€)

Fun Fact: Crete is the birthplace of the Greek God Zeus according to Greek mythology.

Top Tip: Take some good hiking shoes! – There are a lot of rocky paths and mountainous areas in Crete, so if you're intending to spend your holiday doing some exploring, make sure your shoes can handle it!

Places to Go on Your Crete Holiday

There are plenty of places to go and things to do in Crete in order to keep you and your family entertained during your holiday, here’s our top picks:

• Aquaworld Aquarium - Found in Hernsonissos, Aquaworld has something for the whole family to enjoy. As well as the usual sea-life they also have reptiles & other rescued animals and the centre does a lot of conservation work. Why not enjoy a relaxing day of watching the sea-life gracefully hover around their homes, sea-life that you’d rarely normally be able to admire up close, what’s not to like? It costs under £5 for an adult and slightly over £3 for a child.

• Lychnostatis Open Air Museum - This outdoor museum in Hersonissos is packed with lots of wonderful artefacts to admire. A great thing about this place is that you’d normally be secluded indoors to view such fascinating items, but this allows you and your family to take in the wonderful Crete weather whilst being captivated by the ancient culture surrounding you.

• Koules Fortress - Located in Heraklion at the entrance to the old Port, this is a relaxing day of walking and taking in the great view of the ancient archaeology around you. It makes for an interesting family day out and if the beauty of the archaeology doesn’t float your boat then the gorgeous and calming flat sheets of water surrounding it certainly will.

Holiday Activities in Crete

If you are looking for variety and culture, then a holiday to Crete gives you the opportunity to experience something different and unique. A dramatic coastline of rocky inlets, tiny fishing villages and wide sweeping beaches gives way to a scenic interior of snow-capped mountains, hillsides of olive groves and meadows of cascading wild flowers. With numerous villas and self-catering apartments scattered across the island, holidays in Crete can be booked on an all-inclusive or self-catering basis. With the larger resorts and many of the smaller ones, having abundant shops, bars and restaurants, as well as local markets, self-catering is often the best option for those who want to fully experience Crete. 

With a fabulous lagoon, superb beaches, plenty of water sports and evening entertainment, Agios Nikalaos is the best known resort for cheap holidays to Crete. We also recommend looking for all-inclusive Crete holiday offers in Rethymnon, Platanias and Plakias, any of which would make a superb vacation spot for families.