Ideas for your 2-week Family Road Trip in Crete

If you are fans of road trips a Family Road Trip in Crete is something you must try once in your lifetime!

Crete is almost an island of two opposites. The north has a good road system and is well developed, whilst the south has a more rugged, almost wild feel. Choose between driving on smooth highways or venturing down unsealed tracks to remote, pristine beaches – the choice is yours!

Your family road trip in Crete is most likely to start and finish in Heraklion, the capital of the island. Here, you can explore the city and also visit the famous archaeological site of Knossos. This is where the Minotaur was said to have lived in the Labyrinth, and we’ve got a great audio story guide for kids available here.

After leaving Heraklion, you can carry on the mythological theme by visiting Dikteon Cave and Lasithi plateau. This cave is where Zeus is said to have been hidden as a baby, and is also known as the cave of Zeus. The plateau itself is an interesting place to drive around, and the kids might like to visit the eco-park there.

Spinalonga is another popular destination, and is only reachable by boat. The crossing does not take too long, and the views of the walls from the sea can produce some great photos. The island itself was used as a leper colony, and has a sad but fascinating history which wil both amaze and shock the kids- a good combination!

If the kids have a taste for caves, then there is another one that can be visited in the north called Milatos. This was used as a refuge from the attacking Ottoman forces, and there is even a tiny church inside.

Crete has an abundance of great beaches, and whilst the most well known ones are in the north and west, the beaches on the south are certainly worth visiting. One such beach is Diskos Beach (Near Lentas), which is not well known even to the locals! Once there though, there is a wonderful stretch of sand, and a couple of places to stay as well as places to eat. It is quite common for people to free camp on the beach!

After a few days rest in the sun, you might want to hit the road again, and head for the archaeological sites of Gortyna and Phaestos. Whilst Knossos has the most acclaim, many visitors consider these sites to be equally as important and perhaps more impressive.

Have you had your fill of caves? We hope not, because you simply have to visit the most famous caves in Crete during your family road trip! These are the Matala caves, and during the 60’s they were lived in by a collection of hippies and dropouts. Today, they have an almost ‘Flintstone’ feel to them, and form a unique backdrop to a lovely beach.

As we are talking of beaches, it has to be said, that the beaches in South Crete seem endless! Take any opportunity you can to drive down tracks leading to the coast, but make a special point to visit Triopetra Beach, and the famous Elafonisi with its pink coral sands.

Heading back to the north of the island, be sure to spend some time in quaint Chania. It may be busy with tourists during the peak season, but there is no denying it is one of the prettiest harbour towns in Greece. Finally, you can complete you family road trip in Crete by driving back to Heraklion.

For more information on planning your family vacation in Greece, please contact our team. We will be glad to put together an itinerary and to organize your accommodation for you.