About Crete
At an extent of 8.336km, 1.046km of coastline, over 400 canyons and with the highest peak reaching at 2.456m Crete is a paradise for hiking, rock climbing and all the other outdoor activities that bring you closer to the island’s natural landscape.
With three large Mountains above 2,000m the possibilities are unlimited for mountaineering, hiking and even mountain skiing!
Because yes, there is plenty of snow in Crete 6 months a year!
With a history of over 5,000 years, starting from the great Minoan civilization to the present days, Crete has to offer the traveller unique images where ancient cities and settlements become one with the natural landscape. It is this combination of nature and history that gives Crete its unique character.
But the landscape comes alive with people. The Cretans, through their cultural tradition of gastronomy, music, dance and customs are the ones that complement the island’s character.
With all the above, Crete finds magic chemistry to be an ideal place for exploration, fun, and entertainment.
A place where you can find whatever you ask for.
Mediterranean climate
The climate of Crete is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, humid winters. Because of the mild climate, the weather is not too intense, and the meteorological changes are not sudden.
In winter time, mainly from December until April, there is heavy snowfall in the highlands and in the lowlands there is frequent rainfall and the average temperature is 15 degrees Celsius.
During summertime the temperatures reach up to 28 degrees and in July and August it reaches over 30 degrees. Despite those temperatures hiking can be a pleasant activity in higher altitudes or through the countless Canyons of Crete which usually end in exotic beaches.
There is sunshine all year round, mainly from April to October and the ideal months for hiking in Crete are from April to June and September, October.
For the rest of the year the weather helps to enjoy climbing, trekking and in combination with mild climate and low tourist season, any excursion is ideal, for any time of the year!
Flora and fauna of Crete
In Crete there are 180 species of endemic plants that do not exist anywhere else. The flora of Crete consists of 1,800 species of plants and it plays a major role in the development of the islands unique flora and fauna being isolated from the mainland thousands of years.
In the semi-mountainous areas there is low vegetation while in the mountainous area of Crete we find thinly forests mainly pines, cypresses, holly trees, maples and more.However, the Cretan land is rich in aromatic and medical herbs such as diktamo, plum, sage, rosemary, etc.
Many canyons of Crete offer an important refuge for plants and animals. The Mountains are the natural habitat of large predatory birds such as the Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and the griffon vulture (Gypaetus fulvus). These species build their nests on the slopes of large mountain ranges.
It is therefore likely that you will admire them flying between the mountains high in the sky.
If we are lucky, we might come across some of the only endemic mammals of Crete such as the Cretan wild goat (Kri-Kri), the Cretan dog and much less frequently the Cretan wild cat, “furogatos” in local dialect.