The Crete Guide

Crete, Greece's largest island, is known for its varied terrain, which ranges from fine-sand beaches at Elafonisi to the White Mountains. Mt. Ida, the tallest of the range, is home to the Ideon Cave, which was the birthplace of Zeus, according to Greek mythology. The capital, Heraklion, is home to the renowned Heraklion Archaeological Museum, housing Minoan artifacts, and Knossos, a Bronze Age settlement. Crete has 4 prefectures, Chania, Rethymnon, Heraklion and Lasithi. Heraklion Prefecture (Greek: Perifereiaki Enotita Irakliou) is one of the four regional units of Crete. The capital is the city of Heraklion. Popular Resorts of Heraklion Prefecture: Agia Pelagia, Amoudara, Archanes, Gouves, Hersonissos, Malia, Matala, Stalis. There are 5 provinces and 25 administrative regions (municipalities) in the prefecture of Chania. The provinces are Kydonia, Kissamos and Apokoronas in the North and Selino and Sfakia in the South. The prefecture of Rethymnon is Crete's most mountainous region, bordered in the west by the White Mountains and in the east by Mt. Psiloritis. It is divided into four provinces: Rethymno, Agios Vasileios, Amari and Mylopotamos. Lasithi 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.