Chania Old Venetian Harbour
Souda Bay
Elounda Bay
Balos Lagoon
Loutro
Explore the Palace of Knossos
Visit Arkadi Monastery, site of the 1866 siege
Swim at Elafonissi’s pink-sand lagoon
Visit the fortress island of Spinalonga
Taste raki and dakos in a Chania taverna
Chania Old Town
Rethymno Old Town
Knossos Archaeological Site
Preveli Monastery and Palm Beach
White Mountains (Lefka Ori)
Crete is best from May to October, when the Aegean’s meltemi winds are more manageable on the island’s sheltered north coast. June and September offer warm seas with lighter crowds than the August peak, while July and August bring the strongest meltemi gusts, particularly around the island’s exposed eastern capes, so itineraries built with a flexible route work best.
Most charters fly into Chania International Airport (CHQ) on the west coast or Heraklion’s Nikos Kazantzakis Airport (HER) further east, both served by direct flights from major European cities in season. The two airports sit roughly two hours apart by road, so guests usually choose whichever is closer to their planned embarkation point, and private charter flights can reach either with ease.
Chania’s Venetian harbour and Souda Bay are the classic west-coast options, both offering shelter and easy access to the old town. Further east, Elounda Bay near Spinalonga and the tiny, car-free village of Loutro reward the extra distance with quieter water and a slower pace, particularly outside the busiest midsummer weeks when the western anchorages fill quickly.
Crete’s size, Greece’s largest island at some 260km east to west, rewards at least five to seven days, enough time to combine Chania and Rethymno’s old towns with Knossos, a hike through the Samaria Gorge and a swim at Elafonissi. A shorter three or four day trip still works well if focused on just the western coast.
No, the gorge lies within a national park open only seasonally, typically from May to October depending on winter rainfall and trail conditions, and closed the rest of the year due to flash-flood risk. The classic route runs one way from Xyloskalo down to Agia Roumeli on the south coast, so many charter guests hike it downhill and have the yacht collect them by sea.
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