Crete · Things to do

The Minoan palace about 5 km south of Heraklion, partly rebuilt in concrete and red columns by Arthur Evans, which is either the appeal or the problem depending on your taste. City bus 2 runs from Heraklion; go early, as there is little shade.

The other half of Knossos. The frescoes, the bull-leaping panel, the snake goddesses and the Phaistos Disc are displayed here rather than at the site, so the two only make sense seen together. Central Heraklion, near Eleftherias Square.

A one-way walk of roughly 16 km from Xyloskalo on the Omalos plateau down to the sea at Agia Roumeli, where the only way out is the coastal ferry. It opens in the warm months only, with dates and closures set each year by the park authority, and takes most people five to seven hours.

Shallow turquoise water on the north-west tip, reached either by boat from Kissamos or by a rough unsurfaced track followed by a walk down to the sand. Hire-car insurance frequently excludes that track, so check the paperwork before driving it.

The Venetian and Ottoman quarter behind the harbour: the lighthouse mole, the covered market and the quieter Turkish-era lanes of Splantzia. Best walked early in the morning or once the day-trippers have gone.