based on 12 experiences from female travelers
Jo
Romania
Had my first solo trip to Crete this august for a few nights stay. I landed in a hostel (wanted to experience that too) but I wouldn’t say it was a good rest. I liked the port side of Heraklion though, besides museums and historical sites i am not sure there was much left to see. After a 3h bus ride to Chania i finally landed to the seaside, visited the local port and lighthouse area before heading out to the camping side( another 20min bus ride). My goal was to see a falling side from a tent this summer and also se the beach. I did all here. To my surprise the camping site had great facilities (better than the hostel) and even organized a nice live music evening at their restaurant. There was a pool with bar/terrace too and all 3 sandy beaches +lidl were within a 10min walk radius which was super convenient. The 2 days i stayed there i met a great bee friend and had some good laughs and drinks by our tents. On my way back i stopped in Rethymno where i planned to visit more of the port venetian fortress but was too exhausted to carry my bags and discovered the bus station had a bag locker rental service which was great! The person there helped manage my locker and recommended a good site to go for a quick sea swim by the port which was great refresher (but a bit fishy smelly water). The restaurant close-by wasn’t welcoming, so after 6 wasted minutes i went back to the bus station, changed and had a quick snack before going back to Heraklion, this time staying at a near to the airport hotel which was great. Right across from it there was a taverna the person from hotel reception recommended and it was the best lamb chop bbq i tried and the desert from the house was yummy (raveni i think it was called) The trip i had wasn’t that great but for a last minute solo trip it was more than i expected. Hope to redo it and take more time to meet and enjoy good vibes with good people. There wasn’t much i could visit; i even googled monastery to find my steps in front of a hitel that was built over an monastery in Chania.. i walked mainly on the main streets but didn’t feel unsafe especially considering i was clearly a tourist with my backpacking on. Next time i want to take the day trip to go hiking and another trip for ferry to another island. Food was affordable, depending on the location, i spent from 3-6€ for a pastry to 23€ -30€ for a 1 person meal(plus beer/tea/ouzo included) at restaurants.
Posted: August 31, 2025Finya
Germany
I would recommend to plan your activities beforehand, I definitely spend to much time on trying to decide what to do! Every local i met was pretty friendly so no need for worries if you don’t know where you are or if you need to some inspiration on what to do, just ask around :) The food where nearly everywhere amazing BUT if you wanna get ice cream search for a local place, all those „pretty“ tourist spots aren’t that good.
Posted: April 2, 2025Alfreda
Canada
I always felt safe. There were no instances where I felt my safety was in jeopardy, and the people were kind. There was good food and interesting activities, and it was not as expensive as I expected for Europe.
Posted: September 27, 2024Experienced: April, 2023In my opinion, this is the most Greek of the islands. However, it is not particularly green, it is rather rough and full of rocks. Here you can experience the most Greek hospitality. If someone loves to try local cuisine, this is the ideal island. In many taverns, you feel as if you are eating dinner with family. Before the meal you get bread with olive oil, and after the meal dessert/fruit and a small bottle of raki. Usually this is complimentary or for an additional 1 euro per table. The island has long sandy beaches, small little isolated ones, and the famous Balos Lagoon. You can also find historical sites and trails through gorges and mountains. Beautiful historic towns like Chania or Rethymno with charming streets. Although it is popular, the island has a quiet atmosphere and you can encounter goats everywhere.
Posted: December 24, 2023I went to Crete last July and it was incredible. I stayed near Chania for 5 days and rented a car. Balos Lagoon was amazing. I also went through Samaria Gorge, which was outstanding. I visited Elafonisi beach as well, but honestly, it didn't impress as much as Balos did.
Posted: May 22, 2023