Crete's UNESCO Sites
The largest of the Greek islands, Crete has four ENUESCO sites, which are Sitia, Psiloritis, Asterousia, and the Gorge of Samaria.
The Psiloritis Mountain Range
One of Crete's UNESCO Sites
It's not surprising that Crete has four UNESCO sites, being
the largest of the Greek islands with a total area of 8,450 sq kms (3,260 sq miles).
The four sites all involve mountain ranges:
·
Sitia and the Zakros Mountains in the northeast.
·
Psiloritis and Mt Ida in the centre.
·
Asterousia in the south.
·
Samaria and the Samaria Gorge in the southwest.
The Area around Sitia
One of Crete's UNESCO Sites
The lovely port town of Sitia is in the Lasithi regional
unit of Crete, the most easterly of Crete's regions. It's not only the town
which has been recognised by UNESCO, but the area around it too. In 2015 UNESCO
declared it a Global Geopark because of the Zakros Mountains, the cave systems,
the discovery of fossils, and the encouragement of ecotourism and geotourism,
benefitting the local communities.
The Psiloritis Mountain Range
One of Crete's UNESCO Sites
Psiloritis was also declared a Global Geopark in 2015,
although it had been part of the European Geoparks Network since 2001.
Psiloriitis is the name of the mountain range, and the park extends from the
mountains down to the Libyan Sea, an area of 1,159 sq kms (447 sq miles). The
park also encompasses the Talaia Ori Mountains, and these extend all the way to
Crete's north coast.
The highest peak in the Psiloritis range is Mt Ida at 2,456
metres (8,058 ft). UNESCO recognised the area, amongst other things, for its geodiversity,
with its many caves and deep gorges, for its plant and animal life, including
wild cats, and for the way its attractions help sustain local communities by
bringing in visitors.
Crete's UNESCO Sites
Map (c) Google Maps
In 2020 UNESCO designated this area, the most southerly
mountain range in Europe, as the Asterousia Mountain Range Biosphere Reserve. It's
not only for its dramatic beauty, but also for its rich archaeological
heritage: people have lived here since Neolithic times. It's also home to 55%
of the animal and plant species that are found on Crete, including the Bearded
Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Golden Eagle, and Bonelli’s Eagle.
Golden Eagle
The Gorge of Samaria, and surrounding area, is also a UNESCO
Biosphere Reserve, created in 1981. This makes it the oldest of Crete's UNESCO
sites. It's also a National Park, and the only one of these four areas to be
uninhabited. It does, however, have ancient ruins, including churches and
castles, from the days when people did once live here.
For more information, see our pages on the Samaria Gorge and
Hiking the Samaria Gorge.
Samaria Gorge
One of Crete's UNESCO Sites
Our Pick of the Crete Guides
Some other Crete pages
Rethymnon is the third-largest city in Crete and has a Venetian fortress, Archaeological Museum, Old Town area and Venetian harbour,
The travel tale Our Hire Car in Crete describes what it’s like when you go driving in Greece and get off the beaten track, resulting in kindnesses.
Agios Nikolaos is a pretty and popular town on the north coast of Crete and this page on Greece Travel Secrets covers its history, museums and beaches.
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Irakleio, the capital of Crete, including nearby beach resort hotels and accommodation in the city centre.
Crete's capital and largest city is Irakleio, also called Iraklion or Heraklion, a large and busy place with good restaurants, museums and historical buildings.
This olive grove walk from Limnes to Vrises on Crete also takes you through orchards and gives close-up views of some of the island’s windmills.
Icon painting is a centuries-old tradition in Crete and the rest of Greece, and Greece Travel Secrets meets a modern-day icon painter in Elounda on Crete.
Is someone from Crete a Greek or a Cretan? They are both, of course, but most will tell you that they are Cretan first and Greek second.
The Snails House in Plouti near Phaistos in southern Crete serves the Cretan delicacy of snails, cooked in several different ways.
Crete’s wildlife and landscape are two of the island’s attractions, including gorges for hiking, rare raptors like the lammergeier, wildcats and ancient trees.
The Dalabelos Estate offers luxury eco-tourism accommodation on Crete in the hills near Rethymnon with its own farm, vineyard and olive groves.
Greece Travel Secrets discovers Sitia, the main town in eastern Crete, with its relaxing waterfront, inexpensive hotels, good food, and nearby ancient sites.
Crete (Kriti) is the largest Greek island and its main attractions include the Minoan Palace of Knossos, the Samarian Gorge, Chania and Rethymnon.
Cretan music is part of the island’s soul and visitors will hear live music wherever they go, with several distinctive Cretan musical instruments and songs.
Ancient Gournia is a Minoan archaeological site between Agios Nikolaos and Sitia in Eastern Crete where the visitor can see evidence of a maze of back streets.
Greece Travel Secrets suggests where to stay in Eastern Crete with our favourite hotels in Zakros, Elounds, Sitia, Agios Nikolaos, Istron Bay, Myrtos, Neapolis.
The Battle of Crete during World War 2 inspired several books and took place with an airborne invasion over Maleme on the north coast of the island.
Greece Travel Secrets visits Visual Arts Crete who offer accommodation and run art courses at their home and studio in the village of Kastellos near Rethymnon.
Greece Travel Secrets visits the Cretan Botano herbs and spices shop near Matala in southern Crete in search of the herb man of Kouses.
The Diktean or Diktaean Cave, also known as the Psychro Cave, near the village of Psychro in eastern Crete, is said to be the birthplace of Zeus.
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to eat in Western Crete with tavernas and restaurants in Chania, Rethymnon, and Paleochora.
For a Crete olive oil tour Greece Travel Secrets visits Biolea, one of the few olive oil factories on Crete that you can visit.
This Lasithi Plateau drive on Crete starts in Neapoli and ends in Malia, covering a distance of 80 km (50 miles) and taking two to three hours.
Sir Arthur Evans is the archaeologist famous for the excavations he made at the royal palace of Knossos on Crete.
This Rouvas Gorge walk starts and ends in Zaros in southern Crete and should take three to four hours with a distance of eight kilometres or five miles.
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