Crete is divided in four prefectures.
From west to east:
- Chania Prefecture
- Rethymno Prefecture
- Heraklion Prefecture
- Lasithi Prefecture
Crete is the biggest island in Greece. It is situated among Aegean and Libyan Sea. It is the crossroad between East and West, Africa and Europe. Crete Island is one of the largest islands of the Mediterranean Sea covering a total area of 8,336 km2 (3,219 sq mi) It measures 260 kilometres long from end to end and 60 kilometres wide at its widest point. The glories of Crete’s Minoan past remained hidden until British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans made his dramatic discoveries at Knossos in the early 1900s. Crete was the center of Minoan Civilization the earliest high culture in all Europe. Minoans built the first palace ever built in Europe the Minoan Palace The term ‘Minoan’ was coined by Evans and derived from the King Minos of Greek mythology. Nobody knows what the Minoans called themselves.
Heraklion
Heraklion or Iraklion or Candia is the capital of Heraklion regional unit. The ruins of Knossos, which were excavated and restored by Arthur Evans, are nearby. The Heraklion International Airport is named after Nikos Kazantzakis. Heraklion is the largest urban centre in Crete, the capital of the region and the economic centre of the island. The first European civilisation, the Minoan civilisation, flourished on this land 5000 years ag During the last 20 years the city has made remarkable progress in the academic and technological fields. Heraklion has a Mediterranean climate. Summers are hot and dry with clear skies. Dry hot days are often relieved by a system of seasonal breezes. Winters are mild with relatively little rain and rare frosts.
Places to visit in Heraklion
Lassithi
Lassithi is the easternmost regional unit on the island of Crete, to the east of Heraklion. Its capital is Agios Nikolaos, the other major towns being Ierapetra, Sitia and Neapoli.The mountains include the Dikti in the west and the Thrypti in the east. The Sea of Crete lies to the north and the Libyan Sea to the south. Lasithi is separated into 8 municipalities: Ag.Nikolaos,Ierapetra, Sitia, Neapoli, Lasithi Plateau, Makrys Gyalos, Lefki and Itanou. Lassithi plateau is 11 kilometres on the east-west axis and 6 kilometres on the north-south - an area of 25 square kilometres. Visiting the villages of Lassithi, you will explore the tradition of Crete mixed with the wonderful natural environment. Lassithi has many amazing beaches along its coastline. Most of the beaches are sandy, some of them well protected from the winds as they are found within small, protected coves. Swimming starts earlier in the South, where the weather is a bit warmer than in the North. The most famous beaches are in the areas of Elounda, Vai, Makrygialos and Ierapetra.
Things to Do in Lassithi
Rethymnon
The Municipality of Rethymno is a municipality in the Rethymno of the region of Crete established by Kallikratis reform. It consists of the unification of the pre-existing municipalities Arkadi, Lappa, Rethymno and Nikiforos Fokas of Rethymno Prefecture. The extent of the new municipality is 396.256 km2 (152.995 sq mi), and it had a population of 55,525 inhabitants at the 2011 census. The seat of the new municipality is the town Rethymno.
Places to visit in Rethymno
Chania
Chania is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania regional unit. It lies along the north coast of the island, about 70 km (43 mi) west of Rethymno and 145 km (90 mi) west of Heraklion. Things to Do in Chania
