Crete family holidays and breaks

Crete – the largest of the Greek islands and cradle of early Mediterranean civilisation – is a fantastic destination for a family holiday, offering great beaches, a sparkling blue sea, gorgeous white-washed fishing villages, stunning landscapes with rugged mountains, wildflowers, vineyards, orange groves, forgotten ruins and isolated chapels, and a huge choice of family-friendly hotels for all budgets within a 4hr flight of the UK.

Flying Time	4 hours
Carbon Footprint	2.35 tonnes CO2
Timezone	GMT +2
Local Currency	Euro

What to Do

Head for the beaches or pool, then make a beeline for Crete’s natural and ancient wonders. Impressive remains dating from different periods of its history include Minoan palaces, Byzantine churches, Venetian castles and Turkish minarets.The frescoes at the 13th-century Byzantine church of Kera at the entrance to the picturesque village of Kritsa, 20km from Elounda, are considered the most beautiful in all Crete.

Another must is Knossos, Crete’s most important ancient palace, around which the Minoan civilisation grew and prospered. The Iraklion Archaeological Museum houses a stunning collection of Minoan jewellery and artwork including the original frescoes from Knossos. See our guest blog on Blood, Guts and Gore in Ancient Greece.

Another interesting trip is the Plateau of Lassithi, where the legendary Dikte cave is located – Zeus, father of the Gods, was born here.

Where to Stay

Crete has a huge range of family holiday accommodation, whether you want to splurge on a luxury hotel with full-on childcare or opt for the budget-friendly flexibility of self-catering villas or apartments.

Kids in the Med and Travelbeam offer a great range of luxury family hotels in Crete. Also check out Thomson and First Choice for a larger range of budget options.

If you are looking for a self-catering deal, why not take a look at the offerings from Meon Villas and Villa Select.

See the right-hand column of this page for our booking specials and recommendations.

When

As the most southerly outpost of Europe, Crete has a mild, exceptionally dry climate, with average monthly temperatures ranging from 22 to 35°C. In July and August the meltemi, a northerly wind, brings a cool breeze to the warm summer days, meaning perfect weather for family holidays.

How

British Airways offers direct flights to Heraklion, and there are numerous direct charter flights  to Chania and Heraklion from several UK airports (some at very inconvenient times of day, especially if you have young kids in tow). Flight time is around 4hrs. See our family flights deals page for our selected travel partners.

See our family holidays car-hire page.

Eat

Crete has the sort of food kids recognise and love – humous, tarmasalata, olives, pitta bread and chicken kebabs – making family holidays easy peasy. Plus there’s the odd glass of retsina for Mum and Dad…

Cost

Competitive family holiday packages and a good choice of self-catering options make Crete a good-value holiday destination.

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