Roadtrip Crete Day 8 Chania to Heraklion
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RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 03-12-2025
Route Summary Motorcycling in Crete is a true pleasure. This island has many beautiful winding roads with thousands of bends, idyllic villages, stunning views of the sea, bays, beautiful passes, and ravines.
The locals are very hospitable. The roads are reasonable, but it's recommended to rent an all- or off-road motorcycle, as there are also many poor roads with potholes and unpaved sections.
This highly touristy island boasts many hotels, particularly along the coast. There are also B&Bs and several campsites. This tour will focus on campsites.
The routes can be explored by motorcycle, car, or quad bike, and there are several rental companies in Crete where you can rent all-road, custom, quad bikes, buggies, scooters, and cars. Prices for a weekly motorcycle rental range from €280 to €900, depending on the model.
Renting from Eurodriver has the advantage that they can deliver your motorcycle anywhere, so you can hop on your motorcycle at the airport and start your journey.
This 4**** Star tour is a wonderful end to an 8-day Road Trip across Crete
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Verdict
Duration
10h 10m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
200.12 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review We'll drive along beautiful winding roads through small villages to Crete's only freshwater lake, Lake Kournas. It's the perfect spot to stop for brunch and relax by the lake. There are several tavernas where you can enjoy a delicious meal. You can also rent a pedal boat at the beach.
We drive along a beautiful winding road through the mountains to the impressive Agios Antonios Gorge, also known as Patsos Gorge. It's a beautiful, green, and easy gorge where the temperature remains mild. You can walk through this gorge without a guide, and it has a special bonus: at the beginning, there's a very good family restaurant called Drymos (with a small animal park) where you can enjoy a drink and a bite to eat. We also drove past this gorge on days 4 and 5, so if you haven't visited it yet, now's your last chance.
The next stop is the Arkadi Monastery. The current catholicon (church) dates from the 16th century and is characterized by Renaissance influence. This influence is visible in the architecture, which combines both Roman and Baroque elements. Already in the 16th century, the monastery was a place for science and art, and it housed a school and a well-stocked library. Situated on a plateau, the monastery is well-fortified, surrounded by a thick, high wall. On the other side of the square stands the Monument to the Dead.
A few kilometers further, you can visit the Museum of Ancient Eleutherna. This museum is located on the grounds of the Eleutherna Archaeological Park, Rethymno, and houses artifacts found at the nearby Eleutherna archaeological site and the necropolis of Orthi Petra. This is also our last planned stop. From here, we still have about 80 kilometers to drive to the airport in Heraklion, where we return the motorcycle.
This last leg of the journey is a beautiful winding road through stunning scenery. We'll ride up to an altitude of 780m before winding our way back down to Heraklion, where we'll refuel the bike and return it to the rental company. Heraklion has a lot to offer, so plan a few more days in this vibrant city before your flight home.
The 4****-star tour was a wonderful conclusion to an 8-day road trip across Crete. This last day, too, offered beautiful roads, plenty of curves, stunning scenery, and several interesting stops.
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Crete
About this region
Crete (Greek: Κρήτη, Modern: Kríti, Ancient: Krḗtē, [krέːtεː]) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica. Crete rests approximately 160 km (99 mi) south of the Greek mainland. It has an area of 8,336 km2 (3,219 sq mi) and a coastline of 1,046 km (650 mi). It bounds the southern border of the Aegean Sea, with the Sea of Crete (or North Cretan Sea) to the north and the Libyan Sea (or South Cretan Sea) to the south.
Crete and a number of islands and islets that surround it constitute the Region of Crete (Greek: Περιφέρεια Κρήτης), which is the southernmost of the 13 top-level administrative units of Greece, and the fifth most populous of Greece's regions. Its capital and largest city is Heraklion, located on the north shore of the island. As of 2020, the region had a population of 636,504. The Dodecanese are located to the northeast of Crete, while the Cyclades are situated to the north, separated by the Sea of Crete. The Peloponnese is to the region's northwest.
Humans have inhabited the island since at least 130,000 years ago, during the Paleolithic age. Crete was the centre of Europe's first advanced civilization, the Minoans, from 2700 to 1420 BC. The Minoan civilization was overrun by the Mycenaean civilization from mainland Greece. Crete was later ruled by Rome, then successively by the Byzantine Empire, Andalusian Arabs, the Venetian Republic, and the Ottoman Empire. In 1898 Crete, whose people had for some time wanted to join the Greek state, achieved independence from the Ottomans, formally becoming the Cretan State. Crete became part of Greece in December 1913.
The island is mostly mountainous, and its character is defined by a high mountain range crossing from west to east. It includes Crete's highest point, Mount Ida, and the range of the White Mountains (Lefka Ori) with 30 summits above 2000 metres in altitude and the Samaria Gorge, a World Biosphere Reserve. Crete forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece, while retaining its own local cultural traits (such as its own poetry and music). The Nikos Kazantzakis airport at Heraklion and the Daskalogiannis airport at Chania serve international travelers. The palace of Knossos, a Bronze Age settlement and ancient Minoan city, is also located in Heraklion.
Read more on Wikipedia
Crete and a number of islands and islets that surround it constitute the Region of Crete (Greek: Περιφέρεια Κρήτης), which is the southernmost of the 13 top-level administrative units of Greece, and the fifth most populous of Greece's regions. Its capital and largest city is Heraklion, located on the north shore of the island. As of 2020, the region had a population of 636,504. The Dodecanese are located to the northeast of Crete, while the Cyclades are situated to the north, separated by the Sea of Crete. The Peloponnese is to the region's northwest.
Humans have inhabited the island since at least 130,000 years ago, during the Paleolithic age. Crete was the centre of Europe's first advanced civilization, the Minoans, from 2700 to 1420 BC. The Minoan civilization was overrun by the Mycenaean civilization from mainland Greece. Crete was later ruled by Rome, then successively by the Byzantine Empire, Andalusian Arabs, the Venetian Republic, and the Ottoman Empire. In 1898 Crete, whose people had for some time wanted to join the Greek state, achieved independence from the Ottomans, formally becoming the Cretan State. Crete became part of Greece in December 1913.
The island is mostly mountainous, and its character is defined by a high mountain range crossing from west to east. It includes Crete's highest point, Mount Ida, and the range of the White Mountains (Lefka Ori) with 30 summits above 2000 metres in altitude and the Samaria Gorge, a World Biosphere Reserve. Crete forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece, while retaining its own local cultural traits (such as its own poetry and music). The Nikos Kazantzakis airport at Heraklion and the Daskalogiannis airport at Chania serve international travelers. The palace of Knossos, a Bronze Age settlement and ancient Minoan city, is also located in Heraklion.
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Route Collections in this region Eight beautiful routes in Crete Greece
This is a collection of 8 routes for an 8-day tour on the Greek island of Crete.
Motorcycling in Crete is a real pleasure, this island has many beautiful winding roads with thousands of bends, idyllic villages, beautiful views of the sea, bays, beautiful passes and ravines.
The locals are very hospitable. The roads are decent, but it is advisable to rent an All or Off Road motorcycle, as there are also many bad roads with potholes and unpaved areas.
On the very tourist island there are many hotels, especially along the coast, there are also B&B and a number of campsites. In these routes we assume camping accommodation.
The routes can be driven by motorcycle, car or quads and there are several rental companies in Crete where you can rent All Road, Custom, Quads, Buggies, scooters and cars.
Motorcycling in Crete is a real pleasure, this island has many beautiful winding roads with thousands of bends, idyllic villages, beautiful views of the sea, bays, beautiful passes and ravines.
The locals are very hospitable. The roads are decent, but it is advisable to rent an All or Off Road motorcycle, as there are also many bad roads with potholes and unpaved areas.
On the very tourist island there are many hotels, especially along the coast, there are also B&B and a number of campsites. In these routes we assume camping accommodation.
The routes can be driven by motorcycle, car or quads and there are several rental companies in Crete where you can rent All Road, Custom, Quads, Buggies, scooters and cars.
View Route Collection