The trip to Spinalonga, an island which was used as a leper colony is a must do - far more interesting than it sounds, and some of the mountain villages are lovely.

its been many years since we visited Spinalonga but I found it really interesting. Very moving at times.
On a practical note- its very hot and there can be little shade so worth taking a sunhat and plenty water when you leave the boat.

If you are interested in historic sites then Knossos (handy for those staying in the Heraklion area) is a must but just as interesting and usually quieter is Phaistos in the south of the island and where there has been less reconstruction.

And Chania is also worth visiting if you are staying to the west of Heraklion - it really sums up the different cultural influences on the island over the centuries. The covered market is fantastic - both as a building and as somewhere to shop for food. And at the end of the island there are some fantastic small villages dotted along the coast - Kalives and Almerida were my favourites though it is a while since I was last in either of them so they might be a bit more developed by now.

SM

Phaistos- I have never heard of it.

Not many people have, Fiona, and yet I think that it is every bit as impressive as Knossus. A friend and I went to see it a couple of days after visiting Knossus and whereas Knossus was absolutely mobbed with hoards of tour groups etc, Phaistos was almost deserted and we could take out time taking photos etc and just wander around soaking up the atmosphere. Well worth a visit for anybody hiring a car and/or staying on the south coast.

SM

PS Loads of pics on the web if you Google it.

http://www.ancient-greece.org/archaeology/phaistos.html
Looks really interesting. Do they have guides there?

From memory they didn't have any guides taking people round but did have a leaflet in English with a map of the site and a suggested walking route round it with information boards at each of the key buildings. I always take the Rough Guide with me and I think that we managed very well using the write-up there. However, this was a few years back and they might well now do guided tours and having done a quick search, there do seem to be local excursion companies that do tours of it now as well.

SM

thanks Sma

The best sites are most easily reached by basing yourself in the area of Chania, which in itself is fascinating. Within reach of Chania are the best beaches and scenery on the island. It's traditional Crete but still has all the nightlife you could wish for. The best beaches are Falasarna and Elafonisi and the White Mountains are spectacular, especially the famous Samaria Gorge (biggest in Europe). Western Crete is the area most frequented by Athenians. It's also where Zorba's dance was performed (Stavros). Head west for a better vacation!

I am planing to go there in two months, so I have questions about accommodation.Is it better to go in some bed and breakfast type of accommodation, or rent a hotel room? Also any recommendation on food specialties would be great

Zeus's cave, trek away from usual tourist spots but worth a visit. Lots of steps and can get hot in August so get drinks before climbing steps!!
Also, there is a village in the hills near Malia that has been sunk.... by this i mean a dam was built to conserve water and it meant that the village would be underwater! Quite good to go and see as you can see the tops of the roofs of various buildings and also some buildings are half under water etc.
We hired a quad and went exploring off the map so to speak!! =)