Anchored in the sea, at the crossroads, where three continents unite - Europe in the North, Asia in the East and Africa in the South - Crete completes the southern part of the Aegean Sea with its elongated shape. It is approximately 100 km away from the southernmost tip of Peloponnese, 175 km away from the coasts of Asia minor and 800 km from Africa. It is the largest of the Greek islands. Its area, together with the islands of Gavdos and Dia is 8,300 sq.km, and its coasts are 1046 km long.
Crete is extremely diverse in every aspect and an in-depth exploration takes time, if you don´t want to scratch only on the surface. Over 600,000 people live on the island, which is more than twice as large as Mallorca. The island is geographically a mountain between the Libyan Sea and the Aegean sea. The highest mountain peaks of 2456 metre above the sea and glitters with snow till may in the Sun.
With 300 days of sunshine, the island belongs to the sunniest in the Mediterranean.
Crete is with over 300 sunny days a year, one of the sunniest island in Europe. However, my particular recommendation would be from April until June, when the whole island is in splendid blooming and transformed into a fragrant garden. In April, Easter, which is so enthusiastically celebrated as nowhere else in the world, is particularly interesting. Even on the road you get colorful, painted Easter eggs, and you are invited for sheep or goat kebab, a ceremony in which every family participates. The average temperatures in April with 20 °C during the day are so high that from late April can be bathed well, because the water is already warm.
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
In July, August and September, you spend your days at the serene seaside where constantly a fresh breeze, the well-known “Meltemi”, comes with the rare oven heat. But beware of sunburn! During the lunch time do as all Cretans do: lay down to the siesta (in Greek “Mesimeri”) or rest in the shade on the beach. The temperatures during the months of July and August are on average 30 °C during the day – quite tolerable and pleasant, because the air is not damp and humid.
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
In October and November, you will find climatic conditions such as in May (October 24 °C during the day, water 22 °C and in November 20 °C during the day and 20 °C water) – but only in Crete! Not to compare with those on the Mainland. Here on this sun-kissed island you can enjoy sunshine in this time when it storms elsewhere and rains.
It is the ideal time for all those who want to know more about this mythical starting point of european history and to go into a natural landscape left to the journey of discovery. You will also discover it to be particularly pleasant that everything is much cheaper in these months.