Blog

Discover why Crete stands apart from other Greek islands through its massive 8,336 square kilometer scale, ancient Minoan heritage, and year-round living potential.

Crete is well connected to mainland Greece and to many other Greek islands by ferry, with services running year-round. For travellers and for property owners welcoming visitors or managing a holiday rental, understanding the ferry network helps with planning around journey times, seasonal frequency, and which port to use.

Seaplanes are now connecting Kyllini with the Ionian Islands and the Peloponnese, offering a new and exciting choice in transportation. From improving travel times to increasing the appeal of nearby properties, this new seaplane connection is set to benefit homeowners, tourists, and future buyers. In this article, we’ll explore what Kyllini’s inclusion in the seaplane network means for regional mobility, tourism growth, and real estate opportunities across the Ionian Islands and the Peloponnese.

Crete has two main international airports: Heraklion in the north-centre of the island and Chania in the northwest. Both handle international and domestic flights, but they serve different parts of the island and have different seasonal patterns. Choosing the right one depends mainly on where in Crete you are heading.

Greek Orthodox Christianity, overwhelmingly: roughly nine in ten Cretans identify as Orthodox, and the faith has shaped the island continuously since the early Christian centuries. The more interesting answer is how it works in practice, because on Crete, Orthodoxy is less a Sunday activity than the island's calendar, social glue and architectural signature, and even an entirely secular visitor or resident lives inside its rhythms. One detail worth knowing, because it genuinely is distinctive: the Church of Crete is semi-autonomous, answering to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople rather than to the Church of Greece. Crete has always done things slightly its own way, and its church is no exception.

The short answer is the northwest. The wider Chania region, and above all the Apokoronas area just east of it, holds the island's densest concentration of foreign residents, with Rethymno, the Heraklion area and Agios Nikolaos in the east forming the other established clusters. The pattern is no accident: international residents settle where year-round amenities, an airport and a community of fellow arrivals already exist, and each wave makes the next one easier.

Discover Crete's distinctive cultural identity shaped by ancient Minoan heritage, warm philoxenia hospitality, and unique island traditions. From communal dining customs and village festivals to strong family bonds and community celebrations, Cretan culture blends Orthodox traditions with centuries of Venetian and Ottoman influences.