Why Crete and Corfu are two of the best Greek islands to visit

If you’re thinking about visiting a Greek island, the picturesque yet bustling islands of Crete and Corfu would make a wonderful choice. Here’s why…

Crete

For sun worshipers, Crete has one of the longest beach seasons of all the islands. In the north part of the island, beaches are long and sandy but more exposed, and there are plenty of seclude coves to be found.

The season in southern Crete lasts until late October, and the water is still warm! The island also has the longest growing season in Greece, so there is no shortage of fresh produce. For those not so interested in lounging on a beach, there’s plenty to see inland: frescoed country chapels from the 14th and 15th centuries, as well as fascinating Minoan palace ruins. The Iraklion (Heraklion) Archaeological Museum is world famous, and there’s also Knossos, with its impressive ruins and restored Minoan palace complexes.  For the active tourist there are plenty of trails running through the picturesque countryside.

Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, proud of retaining its local culture, particularly in poetry and music. The island is mountainous, and its character is defined by the high ranges crossing the island, split by valleys, fertile plateaus and gorges. It is an island of caves with mysterious histories such as Gourgouthakas, Diktaion, Idaion, and the reputed birthplace of the God, Zeus.

With such a diverse landscape, Crete experiences different sets of climates. During the summer the island gets hot, and in the winter the temperature tends to be reasonably mild. Snowfall can be found on the mountains between November and May and remain snow-capped for most of the year.

Corfu

Corfu is one of the greenest of the Greek islands, in part due to intermittent, but often quite heavy rainfall from September to June. The island is covered in thousands of olive trees that appear to be left abandoned, which are carpeted with wonderful wild flowers. Apparently, Saint Spyridon had a vision and forbade the islanders to cultivate the olives.

Much of Corfu has a definite rural, sleepy feel to it. Tourist development is contained to certain coastal areas, and inland you could well be in another era. The minor roads appear not to have changed at all for a very long time. The interesting old quarters of the capital, Corfu Town, have been designated a Unesco heritage site.

So if you like dramatic landscapes, Crete could be for you, or if you want to drift through your holiday, Corfu may be the answer. Either way, you won’t be disappointed by these magnificent islands.