Crete road trip: Wild gorges and green oases

Coffee in one hand, wanderlust in the other – on your flight to Crete, your excitement grows and grows, and before long, you're on the approach to land. As soon as you step off the plane, the warm breeze tousles your hair and you instantly feel the sea salt and summer dreams in the air. Now it's time to grab your hire car at the terminal, wind down the windows, crank up the radio and cruise through the Cretan countryside past olive groves and turquoise-blue coasts. Before long, Rethymno is in sight. You can already see the glistening sea in the corner of your eye as you make your way to the hotel lobby. You check in, put your bags away, get changed and you're off to the beach. Exploring the island can wait till tomorrow. For now, it's all about chillin’ in the sand, jumpin’ in the waves and havin’ a blast. When evening comes, you take a leisurely stroll through town and find the restaurant with the most delicious smells of Greek soul food wafting out the door – the perfect way to kick off your trip!

The Myli Gorge near Rethymno is the perfect spot for a bit of action and nature! You head to the southern or northern entrance and get started. What awaits you in the 'Valley of the Mills'? Abandoned water mills, green paradise, small waterfalls and cool lakes. You hike past plantations where figs, walnuts, bananas and oranges grow – dream holiday vibes! For an absolute post-hike highlight, why not chill out in a taverna and treat yourself to a well-earned snack! Then it's time to continue: explore Rethymno! Stroll through the old town at golden hour, check out the 500-year-old Fortezza and get carried away by the Arkadi and Antistaseos street markets. In the evening, relax at the Venetian harbour, watch the boats rocking and be enchanted by the lights twinkling on the water.

You're off into the lively hustle and bustle of Chania! Its narrow alleyways and colourful houses leave you enchanted as you explore the Old Town. Your feet carry you to the harbour, where you stroll along the lively promenade with an ice cream in hand and hunt for souvenirs. You haven't quite found what you're looking for, so you pop into the historic Chania Municipal Market, where it's one stall after another, and time flies by as you sample Cretan olives and shop around. Before you scoot off to your new accommodation, there's one last mini road trip on the agenda. You drive to the Akrotiri Peninsula right in front of Chania and visit one of its famous must-sees: the Agia Triada Monastery, where Greek Orthodox monks still live today! Not only does its Venetian architectural style serve as a beautiful photo backdrop, but it also offers you the chance to buy olives and wine grown and made by monks themselves (optional, payable on site).

Time to find the most beautiful beaches in Crete! Your destination: the famous Balos Lagoon on the northwest tip of Crete. To get there, you drive your hire car to Kissamos then hop on a boat to beach paradise (optional, payable in advance or on site). Soon, the most gorgeous natural spectacle comes into view: the finest of sandy beaches and turquoise-blue water as far as the eye can see. You could definitely spend a few hours here! And if one dream beach a day isn't enough for you, head to the south of Crete before returning to your hotel and kick back on Elafonissi Beach. Balos Lagoon was impressive, but what awaits you here looks like something right out of your wildest dreams – the fine sandy beach isn't just powder white, it's every shade of pink! How can that be? The secret? Colourful microorganisms and the finest little pieces of coral.