Crete Map will be your faithful assistant for planning an eventful vacation. Perhaps this is one of the first things to start preparing for a holiday in a new place. Crete Map- good map of Crete in Russian- doubly excellent. The website offers you a very detailed tourist map of Crete with Russian comments and symbols of attractions. Thus, the most famous and visited corners of the island are marked and shown with arrows: Heraklion and the Palace of Minos (Knossos), Hersonissos, Agios Nikolaos, Malia, Spinalonga Island, Bounty Beach, Zeus Cave, Lassithi, Chania, Rethymnon, Samaria Gorge.

(the schematic map of Crete shows you the paradise corners of the island in a comic form, the real map of Crete is below in our article)

Map of Crete in Russian: download (1.95 kByte, detailed, tourist, 2010).

Crete Map

Below this map of Crete is presented as a small picture. Click to enlarge to view or save to your computer.

Where to get a paper version of the tourist map of Crete

Above is a scanned version of the map. This map of Crete or similar freely available on the island itself on any layout offering tourist tours, as well as at bus stations and other crowded places. Therefore, don’t worry, don’t worry and bother buying a paper version of the card at home. Perhaps you can study your future routes around Crete using an electronic copy of the map by printing it on a printer. In order for you print was comfortable, we offer a map of Crete already cut into 8 parts. Such pieces should fit on an A4 sheet when printed.

Crete is a beautiful and impressive island, a miniature continent with steep mountains, hundreds of gorges, unique plants, lost civilizations, olive groves, vineyards and... goats. Today it is not only the most popular European resort with a developed tourist infrastructure, but also the cultural center of Greece with a very rich history.

Crete- the largest Greek island after Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean and the 5th largest in the entire Mediterranean Sea.


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It is one of the 13 regions of Greece. Its location was determined in the south Aegean Sea, at the crossroads of three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. The island is closest to North Africa. The area of ​​Crete reaches 8336 km². which is home to about 800,000 people. The greatest width of the island is 60 km at its widest point between capes Dion and Lithinone. And the narrowest, 12 km, forms the Ierapetru isthmus.

Administrative division

The island consists from 4 prefectures or nomes, administrative units of the second level: Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion and Lasithi.


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Among the most major cities can be distinguished Heraklion,

Hanyu,

Rethymno,

Ierapetru,

Agios Nikolaos

And Sitia.

Heraklion- the administrative and economic center of the island, its capital, as well as the fifth largest city in Greece.

He had many names, but later received the name of the son of the god Zeus and Alcmene - Hercules. This seaport located on the northern coast of Crete - almost in its very heart.

It is home to about 125,000 inhabitants. The remaining parts of the island are sparsely populated. These are large areas of mountainous areas inhabited only by shepherds.

Airports of Crete

From Crete you can travel by plane to Cyprus, mainland Greece and other European countries. There are 5 airports on the island. Three of them are used for passenger transport: Heraklion Airport, Chania Akrotiri Airport and Sitia Airport. The remaining two belong to the military - these are Castelli and Timbeki.

The island has two main ports: Heraklion and Souda Bay. The remaining harbors, such as Rethymno, Agio Nikolaos and Sitia, are much smaller. There are also several fishing ports along the southern coast.

Seas and coastline

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The island is washed by the waters of three seas:

In the north- Cretan;

In the West - Ionic;

On South- Libyan.

The length of the coastline is 1046 km. It consists mainly of sandy beaches and rocky shores.

Rivers and lakes

The island experiences limited water resources due to its dry climate. The rivers in Crete are short and most of them often dry up in the summer. However, the island has several rivers and lakes that are very important life reserves. The river flows all year round in Preveli southern region Rethymno and the river at Vrisses in the Chania region. One of the picturesque lakes is Qurna- a small body of water with surroundings.

In addition, there are a couple of artificial lakes Agia and Zaros.

A high mountain range formed by three different groups of mountains crosses the island from west to east. This White Mountains in the west with a height of 2452 m, central Go or Psiporitis with a peak of 2456 m and the eastern mountains Dikti, 2148 m.

The mountains endowed Crete with the fertile soils of the Lassithi, Omalos and Nida plateaus, the caves of Diktaion and Idaion, as well as the famous Samaria Gorge. This is the main characteristic feature of the island.

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There are few lowland areas in Crete and they occupy a fairly small area. These are the Chania, Rethymnon plains, Kastelli-Kissama, Sitia lowland and the high-altitude plains of Kastelli of Heraklion and Monofacies.

Formation of the island and its seismic resistance

Ten million years ago, an ocean emerged between Eurasia and Africa, splitting these tectonic plates in half. And everything that makes up Greece today, together with Crete, went under water. Later, between 1 and 3 million years ago, the two continents began to move towards each other again. This resulted in the formation of a large distance between partially submerged limestone mountains, called the Greek Island Arc, of which Crete is the southern part.

These elevations and the collapse of the land created gorges, led to earthquakes, and erosion continues to shape the island to this day. Using satellites, it was established that the movement of plates is still ongoing: Crete, together with the southern part of the Aegean Sea, is moving 3 cm per year towards the south, and the African continent is moving 1 cm to the north. This is the cause of periodic earthquakes.

Crete is the ancient and most big Island Greece. There is a healing climate, beautiful beaches in warm, cozy bays, luxurious resorts, generous nature, invigorating air, cypress and yew alleys, flower beds, alpine lakes, fabulous waterfalls, olive trees and vineyards. Oh ancient buildings, which are found here literally at every step, we know from school textbooks.

Features of the island's attractions

The island is steeped in ancient legends; literally all the places here are famous for their stories.

Thirty centuries ago, according to legend, here, in the dungeon of the Knossos Palace, the cannibal monster Minotaur lived with King Minos, who ate beautiful girls and young men.

The hero Theseus dealt with the monster, and the ancient state perished after the eruption of the Santorini volcano.

The best attractions of Heraklion and other cities of Crete

You can write a lot about Cretan attractions, because throughout its centuries-old history the island has seen prehistoric Dorian times, the Minoan civilization, witnessed Byzantine rule, survived the Venetian era and the capture of the Ottoman Empire.

The town of Gortyna is located 46 km from Heraklion. This is almost the only one ancient city, which is partially preserved.

The city intertwines different eras and styles. The ancient Greek amphitheater and Temple of Apollo in the olive grove are adjacent to the Egyptian sanctuary of the gods Isis and Serapis.

Excavations of Gortyn continue, and perhaps in a few years it will appear in a completely different form.

The city of Aptera was mentioned in clay tablets found in the Palace of Knossos, dating back over 33 centuries. He had 2 sea ​​ports, was famous for trade, crafts, navigation, minted 76 types of coins. It is located on the top of a hill. The name stands for "wingless".

According to legend, the Sirens lived here and were deprived of their wings by Zeus. The outline of the city resembles a bird in flight. Huge tanks for storing either water or grain, cannonballs and drawings of a catapult are well preserved here. Aptera is located 15 km from Chanea.

Where to go and what to see in Crete with children?

Crete is a very good choice for a holiday with a child.

Here clean beaches, healthy climate and tasty food similar to ours.

The Greeks are very well-mannered and love small children. The best time to relax is in May or September-October. In Crete, there are two types of holidays with children – a hotel or an apartment.

Usually hotels provide a crib, menu, playgrounds, and a mini-club. Behind 10 euros per hour A nanny can sit with the child.

Supermarkets sell baby food in cans, formula, milk and other necessary goods for children. So, if you live in an apartment, you can buy them at a local store.

Read also: Greek island of Crete - history, geography, recreation and entertainment

A holiday for three in a decent hotel with meals costs on average 60-70 thousand “wooden” in 2 weeks. Resorts for family vacation with children a lot.

These are fairly quiet places, there is all the necessary infrastructure, sandy beaches with a smooth entrance to the sea, for children there are swimming pools with sea water.

It is interesting to visit the following attractions with children:

• Marine Aquarium in Gouves near Heraklion will delight you with colorful fish and huge sharks.
  It is open all year round. In the summer season from half past nine in the morning to nine in the evening, and in the winter - until five in the evening. Cost of admission for adults 8 euros, for children – 6, for children under 5 years – for free. There is also a cafe here.

• IN water park “Aqua Plus” near Hersonissos there is entertainment for adults and children, swimming pools with slides for kids. It is open during the summer season from ten in the morning to seven in the evening.

  A visit to it will cost adults 20 euros, and for children over five years old - 12. The cafe has ice cream. You can also take photos there.

• 

  It is considered the largest in Crete Water City water park next to the Kokkini Hani resort. There is everything for the little ones - swimming pools with slides, fountains, bridges.

  He works from ten in the morning until half past seven in the evening. The ticket costs 22 euros and 16 euros. E-tickets 10-15% cheaper. The cafe has everything you need to have a good meal.

• Waterpark “Star Beach”- the only one located on the seashore.

  Admission is free, but you have to pay for a sunbed 3 euros. There are several swimming pools with slides for children and adults.

• 

  Lake Kourna near Gergioupolis west of Rethymnon quiet, calm a nice place with small fishes near the shore.

  The restaurants have playgrounds for children, and there are many ducks and geese around, who happily take food from your hands. Catamaran rental costs 7 euros per hour. You can sunbathe on the shore.

• 

  Very interesting excursions on trains to Rethymno and many other resorts. On such trips you can learn a lot of interesting things about the crafts of the island - pottery, olive oil production, growing vegetables.
  In cafes and restaurants located on tourist routes, there is a separate children's menu.

Routes for independent travel by car





Renting a car in Crete is not a problem; there are many small companies involved in this business.

It is more economical to choose a small car, the roads here are excellent, and the traffic is not very intense.

Although there are a lot of “reckless people”. Fines for speeding are significant. Parking is very difficult to find. There are often traffic jams due to goats scurrying everywhere.

Gas stations do not operate 24 hours a day; few of them are open until 11 pm.
Excursion routes should be chosen based on what you want to see.

Monasteries of Crete– this is a must see. This is a special national flavor, tranquility, restraint and tranquility, all of them are located on hills from where a beautiful panoramic view opens. There are many legends and stories associated with them.

On the mountains of the Akrotiri peninsula, in a deep gorge, there is the amazing rock monastery of Katoliko. This truly secluded place is located away from busy routes - the oldest Orthodox monastery in Crete, dating back to the 5th century. Hermits lived here.

You can get to the monastery along a rocky path, passing Ursa Cave. According to legend, in this cave there was a healing spring, which a bear got into the habit of going to, bullying people. The Virgin Mary turned her into stone.

Indeed, the large stalactite in the cave resembles a bear. From the cave you can cross a stone bridge to the monastery. You can get to it from the city (20 km), and then go down on foot.

If you are planning to travel around several times in a day interesting places, then an approximate route could be like this. Visit first Sfendoni cave(Sentoni, Sendney). Near it there is a tavern where they sell tickets for 4 euros with a diagram of the cave in Russian. At the same time, you can have breakfast here and admire the view of the valley.

After this you can inspect old church of Axos, climb the path to the remains of a fortress dating back 30 centuries and admire the panorama of the sea from here. The nearest village on the coast is Panormos. Here you can have lunch, sunbathe and swim on the beach.

Then continue the route to Arkadi Monastery- a symbol of the struggle for the independence of Crete. The territory of the monastery is buried in flowers. You can attend the evening service. Ancient legend says that the monk Arkadius saw the glow of an ancient icon at this place, and a monastery was built here.

It is famous for the art of gold embroidery, which can be seen in the monastery museum. At the end of the 19th century, rebels surrounded by Turkish invaders exploded gunpowder stored in Arkadi's storeroom and died themselves, destroying half of the enemy army.

The monastery was rebuilt, preserving the memory of the heroes.
That's all. The day is over and it's time to return to the hotel. Rethymnon is just a stone's throw away.

Detailed map of Crete in Russian. Map of roads, cities and areas on the map of Crete. Show on map Crete.

Where is the island of Crete on the world map?

Crete is the largest of the islands and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean. On the world map it is located between three continents: one hundred kilometers from Europe, one hundred and seventy kilometers from Asia and three hundred kilometers from Africa. The island is one of the popular destinations for beach holiday in Europe. Geographical coordinates Krita: 35°18′35″ N. latitude. and 24°53′36″ e. d.

Where is Crete on the map of Greece and Europe?

The island is located almost in the very center of the Mediterranean, and geographically it is classified as Europe. The closest European countries are Italy, Türkiye and Cyprus.

Currently, Crete forms one of the 13 regions of Greece and is among the most economically and culturally developed centers countries. In addition, the island is the southernmost resort in Greece.

Resort areas of Crete

There are several tourist areas into which the island is conventionally divided. Thus, its most popular resort areas are: the Lasithi area (the cities of Agios, Elounda and Nikolaos), the Heraklion area (the cities of Malia, Hersonissos, Stalida and Gouves), the Rethymnon area (the cities of Rethymno, Bali and Panormo) and the Chania area (Agia Marina , Georgioupolis and Platanias).

Interactive map of Crete with resorts and cities

Every year, the island is visited by millions of vacationers to enjoy the clear sea and beautiful beaches, picturesque nature and impressive ancient monuments of the palace cities. On interactive map You can find various tourist sites: cities and resorts, hotels and restaurants, temples and other attractions. For convenience, the map can be enlarged or opened in a new window.

Geographical location of Crete

Crete is located in southern Europe and is washed by three seas (Cretan, Libyan and Ionian). The island has a mountainous surface, which sometimes makes it seem larger than it actually is. More than half of the area rises higher than 200 meters above sea level. Coastline rugged, here you can find a large number of capes and bays.

Territory of Crete

The area of ​​Crete is about eight thousand square kilometers, and the length of the coastline is thousands of kilometers. The island extends 260 kilometers from east to west, and at its widest point the distance reaches 60 kilometers.