Photos of Crete

A few years ago, my parents went on vacation to the Greek island of Crete. It seems like a great place for a holiday with amazing beaches to relax at, dark caves and ancient ruins to explore, the tropical sea to go scuba diving in, and authentic Mediterranean food and wine to taste. They brought back lots of photos of Crete, some of which you will find below. Please enjoy these Crete pictures and share your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

I called it a sea urchin, but I have no idea what it really is. Maybe Flynn_the_Cat will come by some time and identify it for me :)

This is the tiny rental car my parents used to get around. They said some of the mountain roads are really narrow and windy, must be stressful for a driver not used to them.

During a hot, sunny day in Crete, the mountain goats seek any shade they can get.

Don't tell me you're bored of the goats already? OK, this was the last picture.

Time to go underground! This looks like an old mine, but it's unrelated to the next pictures.

Crete has many spectacular caves full of stalagmites and stalactites that you can explore (in most cases you'll have to buy a ticket that costs a few euro). The one in this picture is the Dikteon Andron cave in Lasithi.

Crete is known for its ancient ruins which are the oldest in Europe. The legendary Minoan civilization flourished there between 2,700 and 1,500 BC. Some of their frescos and pottery survived to this day, and you can see those pieces of 4,000 year old history with your own eyes if you visit the island.

The Palace of Minos is the most famous archaeological landmark in Crete. This mythical palace was at least 3 stories height and covered 6 acres of land, truly an impressive feat for a 3,500 year old civilization. These days you can explore some restored parts of the palace, as well as some parts which survived and were left mostly intact.

It's hard to believe, but some Minoan pottery is in a really good condition despite being 3,500 years old. They only lost their paint.

Some of the ancient Minoan art in the Place of Knossos is restored.

Everyone loves cats, and Greeks are no exception. In this taverna (restaurant) in Crete, there's lots of cats just walking around, and they let them sit on the tables.