Old Venetian Port of Chania, Crete
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AUTHOR Cherie Carter
January 14, 2025

Is Crete a good place to visit in October?

Trying to find a holiday destination to visit over the October Half Term break within a given budget and that has some autumnal sunshine can be a challenge. From recent experience, we feel Crete should certainly be a place to consider.  Crete is the most southerly located Greek island, which means the season stretches up until the end of October, whereas most other Greek islands tend to cool down a month earlier.

You can fly into Crete via 2 airports, Chania Airport  and Heraklion Airport all the major carriers are inbound to these airports, EasyJet, Ryan Air and Jet2 offer an abundance of flights.

If you are an explorer renting a car is a must, the Island is huge. In fact, Crete is the 88th largest island in the world and the 5th largest island location in the Mediterranean. The Island stretches 350KM from coast to coast, you can easily rack up the mileage.

Here are some of the places that we recommend visiting if you plan on scouting the island.

Rethimno
This must be a favorite of all the places to visit on the island, a charming and enchanting city located on the northern coast. Explore the old town, a maze of narrow cobbled streets filled to the brim with history and impressive venetian style buildings. An ideal spot to capture the perfect holiday Insta pics! You can stroll around the harbour and take a choice of the wide range of restaurants and taverns to sit and watch the world go by, the food is great with such a wide selection of locally sourced food and as important is that the prices are reasonable. If you fancy a spot of shopping you can shop until you drop, a good mix of local shops selling hand made products, you can pick up some beautiful leather items, or you might fancy some handmade wooden keepsakes, we guarantee you will come across something that takes your fancy, meaning you can take home items to remind you of your time in the amazing city of Rethimno.

Georgioupoli
We then move onto the quaint fishing village of Georgioupoli, which has a beautiful back drop view of the stunning mountain range, named the White Mountains, which is a simple name, bit is a true description. One of the main attractions is the beautiful beach that stretches some 10KM, Kalyvaki beach. You can walk along the rocky walkway into the sea to reach St. Nicholas Chapel, an iconic photo spot reminiscent of Mamma Mia! Just be cautious when walking, especially if the sea is rough. Moving into the centre of the town you have a good selection of restaurants and taverns and places to buy locally produced food and hand made items, this is a something you will find throughout the Island which gives a feel of what local life is like for Cretans.

If you are up for a bit of an adventure, you can set off from Georgioupolis and head into the mountains, easy to follow with marked hiking trails, do not worry you won’t get lost. October is also Pomegranate season so you can just pick up local fruits as you explore, they are unbelievable delicious. The trail ends with a dip in the Almiros river, even on the warmest of days the river is very cold so you will for sure cool off very quickly. You can brave it and jump straight in from the little bridge that crosses the river.

Chania
You cannot visit Crete without a pit stop visit to Chania. The city has a beautiful mix of Greek, Turkish and Venetian buildings which really makes the city pleasing on the eye and gives such a charming feel. The highlight of the visit in our opinion is the picturesque harbour, you can take a delightful stroll along the waterfront, you will be spoilt for choice if you decide to stop for a bite to eat. If you visit in the evening, you are in for a treat, the vibrant lights reflect of the water combined that with the amazing sunset. You can saunter around the old town, just taking in the laid-back feel and local Greek culture, you will not be disappointed.

Heraklion
The Capital city has to be included on the list of places to visit and is the largest city on the island of Crete. The city has a good mix of local restaurants, cafes and plenty of places to shop. The rich history is all around and clearly noticeable, dating back many years, this is obvious with the many historical sites. You can visit Knossos Palace with dates to around 1900 BC and is one of the most famous archaeological sites in Crete, Knossos is known for the connection to Greek Mythology, which is extremely interesting and worth a visit, and at most a 20-minute drive from Heraklion. Staying in the city you can take a nice stroll down Fortress located the start of the Old Port, which is a great place to capture perfect Insta pic.

Bali
This must be a pit stop, wasn’t really on our list of places we had selected to visit, but we almost stumbled upon while travelling. Glad we did, Bali seems to have a real charm, the real hit was the amazing beach and the pure blue waters. You have to have a dip in the water, followed by a lay around sunbathing or having a picnic. Or if you more of the adventurous type, this is a perfect spot to go snorkelling the water is extremely clear. Again like most places in Crete you have a good selection of local taverns to choose from, sit back eat some local food in a more relaxed and quieter setting than the larger cities. Bali is for sure a more serene and calm setting.

Fodele
Fodele is another great find, when you arrive you will observe the tradition and charm in this quaint village. The rural village boasts Olive Groves, Citrus trees and really is a place you can just take a leisurely stroll in the peaceful, sleepy village and really connect with nature. A real contrast to the hustle and bustle other more vibrant parts of Crete. As you explore the small narrow streets, you will see locals selling hand made gifts from the front of their houses, clearly trying to make a living from any passer-by’s. You can then head down to the beautiful beach or just admire the scenery.

Malia Old Town
Malia is known as a popular hot spot for the lively nightlife and generally attracts the party goers. At the back end of October the season is winding down and you will find most of the clubs closed for the years. At this time Malia is much calmer and worth a visit, especially Malia Old Town. The Old Town has real charm, and gives a true representation of what a traditional Cretan Village would have looked like before tourism arrived. You can explore the narrow cobbled streets and authentic white washed homes and small squares which has some lovely old churches. Looking around at the number of closed nightclubs and bars, you can imagine how busy this part of Crete is in the peak summer season.

Agios Nikolaos
Final stop which is a great finale for your Mini Crete Road Trip, When you head to the sea front the beautiful coastal scenery is simply stunning, you will not be disappointed. In the centre of Agios Nikolaos you will fine Lake Voulismeni, a real picturesque area to admire. The lake is surrounded by a great choice of cafes and restaurants which is a perfect place to sit back, relax and take in the beauty. Again this is a perfect place to take some snaps for your socials.

If you have more time to explore Crete I am sure you will find many more places to check out, we hope you enjoy what we have suggested and enjoy your time on the Greek Island, Crete really does have something to offer for everyone. Enjoy!

Check out some of our other Road Trip ideas below.

Having working solely in the car hire industry since leaving school, car hire/travel is a huge part of my life and something that gives me great satisfaction and enjoyment.  I love coming across new products/locations and sharing these details with our customers via our online platforms.

Cherie Carter

Traveller

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