Crete, Greece: 12 Beautiful Experiences with Your Family
Melidoni Caves
Experience the history and beauty of the Melidoni Caves. Buy your tickets at the gate (€4 for adults and €3 for children) and wind your way through a short path to the cave. As you get your first glimpse of the magnitude of the cave you will descend through a long staircase into the cavern, enjoying the cooler temperatures as you make your way to the bottom. The main chamber is wide-open and expansive, with beautiful stalagmites and stalactites at every turn and plaques that describe the history and significance of the site. Photography was a bit tricky with the light. Plan for about an hour visit.
Knossos Palace
This Minoan Palace of Knossos, which was home to King Minos traces back to the Neolithic era. Tickets can be purchased online and at the gate for about €11/person, with children under five free. There is free parking a short walk from the site, get there early as tour busses visit regularly and can make the site feel crowded. There is little shade on the walk so make sure to take a hat and some water. Plan for a couple of hours at the site.
Pedal Boats on Lake Kournas
This freshwater lake is surrounded by mountains and greenery and is a great place for an afternoon with the kids. There is free parking close to the beach access by the Korissia Family Restaurant where you can rent pedal boats by the hour. We rented a boat for five for an hour (€15). The water is clear and quite shallow in spots, and the bottom of the lake is sandy and soft making it a great place to swim. Make sure to cross the lake on your boat to swim with the turtles.
Preveli Beach Palm Forest Riverwalk
Preveli Beach is a beautiful, secluded beach surrounded by high cliffs and a palm forest. Lay your towel under the shade of a palm tree and go from the ocean to the river at the giant heart-shaped rock. The river is walkable with soft mud and small rocks (bring your water shoes if you have them). You can take this same walk on a path beside the river if you prefer. Be sure to do the river walk first thing before returning to swim in the ocean as the beach gets busier as the day goes on and people are brought by boat into this remote beach. There is a small seasonal snack bar on site.
Wear your runners or good sandals if you are walking in from the neighbouring beach as you wouldn’t want to do this in flip-flops. There are two ways to walk into Preveli, choose the less steep option by leaving your car at Ammoudi Beach (free parking) and taking the 15-minute path along the ocean, enjoying the spectacular views. This path is still steep in areas but is much flatter than the hike to the Preveli parking lot.
Canyoning at Kourtaliotiko Gorge
Enjoy the grandeur of the Kourtaliotiko Gorge as you repel, jump and hike your way through the cool water. Wetsuits are provided as the water is chilly. We enjoyed the three and half hour tour with the expert guides at Escape in Action for about €120/person.
Parasail over Rethymno Beach
Take flight over the waters of Crete and experience the beautiful views. We chose Popeye Watersports which was €100/3 people. The wind wasn’t cooperating for all three of them to ride at the same time, so they went up in pairs instead. Plan about an hour for this with the trip out and back to the boat.
Sunset in Rethymno
Take in the beautiful sunset as you walk along the Venetian Harbour. The kids will like that the breakwater is made of giant cement jacks.
Chania and Lighthouse Walk
Chania is a picturesque city known for its Venetian harbour and narrow streets. Find a car park and stroll through Old Town to find some fantastic souvenirs and great food. Make your way across the breakwater to the Lighthouse and see the waterfront from a different perspective or take a carriage ride around town.
Rethymno Venetian Fortezza
Whether you enjoy the Fort as you walk around Rethymo’s Old Town or pay the small fee (€10/family) to enter, it is a sight to behold. The Venetian Fortezza dates back to the 16th century. It also holds a small gift shop with some great art replicas.
Try Out a Waterpark
Crete boasts several water parks to spend the day keeping cool. Check out Watercity or Acqua Plus. If you aren’t in the mood for water, there’s also a Labyrinth Park and a Dinosauria Park.
Eat at a Taverna
Check out a local Taverna near your accommodations and enjoy some amazing Cretan food. If you are lucky, they may have a night with live music and traditional dance to enjoy while you eat. We loved both Taverna Mylonas and Taverna Vamvakas, which were close to where we stayed. The food is fresh, amazing and so reasonable. It is quite common to be treated to a small dessert or drink following your dinner as a thank you. Make sure to try the Cretan raki or “magic water” as our waiter called it, it packs a punch with over 30% alcohol by volume.
Pink Sand of Elafonisi Beach
With its soft pink sand, wildflowers, and rock formation, Elafonisi Beach is one you’ve likely seen captured in photos of Crete. Walk along the sandbar and enjoy the warm water or try kite surfing. This beach was named one of the top in the world and is incredibly busy in high season, so arrive early. It is a bit of a trek to get here by car with some windy roads and can take up to two hours from Chania.
