Interesting Facts About Crete That You Should Know Before Your Trip

The more time I spend on the island, the more I learn interesting facts about Crete that I had no clue about before moving here.

Of course, you’ve already heard some of the most famous ones, but I’m sure that this list includes some fun and interesting things you still didn’t know about Crete. Take a look!

1. Zeus birthplace

The most important god in the Greek pantheon, Zeus, was born on the island. According to the legend he was born in a Cretan cave.

What maybe you didn’t know is there are two different caves on the island and both claim to have been his place of birth: the Psychro cave in the Lasithi Plateau and the Ideon Cave on Mount Psiloritis.

2. A matter of size

One of the most fascinating facts about Crete has to do with rankings… Crete is the biggest Greek island, the 5th biggest in the Mediterranean, and the 88th biggest island in the world.

The island has an elongated shape, it’s 260 km long (161 miles) and the width ranges from 60 km at its widest point (37 miles) to 11 km at its narrowest (7 miles).

The island has a total area of over 8300 square kilometers (5157 miles). Crete is also the most populous island in Greece.

3. Crete and the Minotaur

One of the best-known legends in Greek mythology takes place in Crete, inside the palace of King Minos.

The king who ruled on the island ordered the construction of the labyrinth under the palace to keep inside the minotaur.

The monster, known as Asterion, half-bull, and half-human, was the son of his wife Pasiphae and a bull she mated with after a curse by Poseidon.

4. The House of Asterion

The House of Asterion is a fantastic short story by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges that tells the story of the Minotaur from the point of view of the monster and its house, the labyrinth.

5. The myth of Icarus starts in Crete

Everybody is aware of the terrifying Minotaur, but few people know that the legend of Daedalus and his son Icarus originated on the island, from where they managed to escape using wings.

Icarus, however, flew too close to the sun, the wax-keeping wings attached to his body melted, and he fell into the sea.

6. There are no harmful animals on Crete

Also following the Greek mythological tradition, in an attempt to please the god Zeus, Hercules drove all harmful animals away from Crete. As a result, all animals in Crete are harmless.

7. Everything began on Crete

Indeed! Crete is the birthplace of modern European civilization. The history of the island can be traced as far back as the 7th millennium BC, more than four millennia before the Minoan civilization appeared on Crete.

As a matter of fact, the history of Crete is older than the history of the continent itself! Isn’t this one of the most fascinating facts about Crete?

9. Crete wasn’t always Greek

People are often surprised when they learn that Crete was not a Greek island until December 1913, when it united with the country.

Crete underwent endless years of foreign occupation before becoming part of the Greek state. This political fact about Crete is an outstanding piece of news for all who learn about it!

10. It snows on Crete

Another fact that seems to surprise tourists is learning that snowing is quite common on the high mountains on the island.

Winters can be pretty cold in the White Mountains (Chania region), the Psiloritis (Rethymnon region), and the Dikti mountain range (Lasithi). Looking for info about Crete during winter? Check here why the island is a great winter destination!

11. Cretan music

Different musical instruments originated on the island of Crete, including the laouto (or Cretan lute), the Cretan Lyra, and – some say – even the violin!

Other popular instruments on the island include the mandolin and the unique askomandoura, a kind of bagpipe extremely popular on Crete.

The Cretan Lyra is the most popular surviving form of Medieval Byzantine instrument, and an ancestor of most European bowed musical instruments

12. What’s the weather like in Crete?

Did you know that the island of Crete enjoys not one but two different climates? The Mediterranean climate is typical of the northern coast of Crete, while the climate in the southern part of the island is North African.

13. Words matter

Crete has its own language. The Cretan dialect is a variety of modern Greek spoken not only on Crete but also abroad by the Cretan diaspora in places such as the US, Australia, Germany, and some Cretan Turks.

14. First Cretan, then Greek

This is quite a fun fact about Crete… and Cretans! Cretans are a proud bunch! Many citizens of the island love to refer to themselves as Cretans rather than as Greeks. Of course, there are some exceptions to the rule…

15. More islands

The region of Crete (Periferia Kritis) is one of the 13 different regions of Greece and there are several small islands off its Aegean and its Libyan coasts.

Some of them are Chrissi, Paximadia, Gavdos, Elafonisi in the south, Gramvousa, Souda, Theodorou, and Spinalonga in the Sea of Crete (North).

16. Cretan poetry

Crete has its unique and own form of poetry, the mantinada. These short rhyming poems, often improvised, are usually performed with the music of the Cretan Lyra.

The name comes from the Venetian term matinada, meaning morning song.

They usually celebrate love, friendship, and the island itself but they can also be sad and even sang at funerals.

17. Crete made its way to… Amsterdam!

Did you know that one of the finest and most expensive cannabis sold in Amsterdam comes from Crete? This cannabis variety is from the area of Mylopotamos, in Rethymnon.

18. The end of the continent

Crete is home to the island of Gavdos, the southernmost point in Europe, about 170 nautical miles from Libya. And one of the most fantastic places to visit when touring the island.

Check out more about Gavdos in this post.

19. Unique fauna

Crete is home to animals growing nowhere else in the world. The most famous of them is the wild Cretan goat, known as agrimi or kri kri.

This beautiful creature lives in the protected reserve of Theodorou Island (opposite Chania) and the gorge of Samaria. Other rare endemic animals are the Cretan wildcat and the Cretan shrew.

20. Elephants on Crete?

During prehistoric times, Crete used to have its very own variety of elephants, a dwarf mammoth.

21. As ancient as an olive tree

Olive trees have thrived on the island for centuries. Some of the two oldest olive trees in the world are still pretty much alive and it’s possible to visit them.

One of these trees is in the village of Vouves, in the Chania region, while the other one (maybe the oldest of both) is in Kavousi, a small village in the region of Lasithi.

22. Cretans love their guns

Crete has the highest ratio of guns per inhabitant in the European Union. It’s a fact that most Cretans own a gun and also that they love to shoot.

And still… Crete remains one of the safest destinations in the whole world, so no reason to fear!

23. Healthy air

The air in Crete is thought to have true healing powers. This fact was supported by the father of medicine, Hippocrates, who was convinced that the air on Crete could work miracles on anybody’s health!

24. Clear waters

The sea in Crete is truly transparent. The waters on the coast are so clear that it’s possible to have a 40-meter-deep view from above.

25. Blue Flags

As a consequence, the island of Crete is home to the biggest number of beaches awarded a Blue Flag in Greece.

26. Famous Cretans

The island was the birthplace of several influential artists, among some of the most famous ones, are the Cretan writer Nikos Kazantzakis and the Cretan Renaissance painter El Greco. Also, opera singer Nana Mouskouri was born in Chania.

27. Friends from Crete

The famous Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston, the leading character in the wonderful Friends sitcom, is the daughter of Cretan actor Yannis Anastassakis who changed his name to John Aniston.

28. Origin of the name

The earliest reference to the island goes back to the Syrian texts from the eighteenth century BC on which the island was named Kaptara. Crete was described as Capthor in Assyrian records as well as in the Bible.

For the Egyptians, the island was known as Keftiu. The present name dates back to texts from the fifteenth century (Mycenaean) while the current name Κρήτη (Crete, in Greek) first appears in Homer’s Odyssey in Ancient Greek.

The name of the island became Creta in Latin and Iqritis in Arabic, however, the whole island later became known by the name of Chandax (which was the name of the city of Heraklion).

From Arabic, this word comes the Latin Candia, used during the Venetian occupation. In the years of Turkish rule, the island was known as Girit. This is one of the most interesting facts about Crete that you can come across!

29. Where are you from?

The island of Crete is home to a huge ex-pat community that mainly concentrates on the main cities. People from all over Europe choose the island as a place to live after their retirement.

30. As old as wine

Wine has been produced on the island at least since the Bronze Age by the Minoans.

Protropos was the name given to a Cretan sweet wine that was exported to Italy in the years of the Roman Empire (second century BC).

31. Cretan wines

The island is home to over 13 unique native grape varieties. Vidiano and Vilana, two white grapes, are among the most famous ones.

There are different Cretan appellations, including Peza, Dafnes, Archanes, and Sitia.

32. Turk or Cretan? Or both?

The Cretan Turks (Tουρκοκρητικοί in Greek and Giritli Türkler in Turkish) were the Cretan Muslims living on the island of Crete until 1923.

Today, this name is used to identify their descendants who mostly settled in Turkey after the exchange of population established by the Treaty of Laussane

According to the treaty, after the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) the Muslims of Crete were exchanged for the Greek Christians of Anatolia, a moment that marks one of the saddest chapters in the history of the island. Cretan Muslims can also be found in some islands of the Dodecanese, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Egypt.

33. Nobel Prize

Odysseas Elytis, a remarkable Greek poet born in Heraklion and with origins in the Greek island of Lesbos, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1979.

34. Italian Renaissance… on Crete

During the period of the Venetian occupation, a new, different form of art, including poetry, religious paintings, and architecture flourished on the island with magnificent examples still to be found in several churches and monasteries.

It was the island’s expression of the Italian Renaissance, the so-called Cretan Renaissance.

35. Palm Trees

The impressive palm tree forest in Vai Beach, Sitia, is the biggest and most important palm forest in Europe.

The palm variety is the Phoenix Theophrasti or Cretan date palm. There are four palm tree forests in Greece, three of them on the island.

Other than Vai, the other two are Preveli, in south Rethymnon, and Agios Nikitas on the southern coast of Heraklion.

36. Not only olives!

Although the island is well-known for its massive olive groves and endless citrus trees, much other fruit also grows here.

Thanks to the North African climate on the southern coast, plants of banana, kiwi, prickly pear, mango, avocado, pineapple, papaya, guava, and passion fruit strive on Crete.

Another interesting fact about Crete is that, on the island, it’s also possible to find strawberries, cherries, melons, watermelons, plums, apricots, apples, grapes, pears, dates, pomegranates, figs, loquat, and even aloe!

37. And if there’s no tourism…

Even though the local economy is mostly based on the tourism industry.

Agriculture is still an important asset, so much so that Crete is one of the few islands in Greece which could still support itself independently even if it didn’t rely on seasonal tourists.
Were you aware of these curious facts about Crete?

Read more about Crete

• The Most Amazing Things to Do in Chania Old Town
• Heraklion Tours: Top Day Trips from Heraklion, Crete
• Best Bars & Pubs in Rethymnon, Crete 

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More resources to enhance your Crete adventure

Start by checking out my guide to planning your trip to Crete, packed with helpful essential information. Explore the articles on prices in Crete, common mistakes to avoid, and insider secrets. If you prefer, you can purchase one of the digital travel guides I’ve specifically written about Crete. They are affordable and practical to check from your mobile.

When it’s time to plan, explore the best places to visit on Crete Island, discover my tours and activities, and be amazed at Crete’s incredible beaches. If you are exploring specific areas like Heraklion, Rethymnon, Lasithi, and Chania, I’ve got detailed guides to help you make the most of your time.

Suggested accommodation in Crete

No time to read all my accommodation guides? Check out these places to stay:

• Heraklion: Galaxy Hotel.
• Chania: Porto Antico.
• Rethymnon: Archipelagos Hotel.
• Agios Nikolaos: Hotel Port 7.

Pin These Things You Didn’t Know About Crete For Your Next Adventure!

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