Exploring Crete – Chania & the White Mountains

This seven-night escorted tour by Travelsphere is a measured introduction to Crete’s north-west. After settling into the seaside village of Agia Marina, the itinerary begins inland with Ancient Aptera, where Roman cisterns and Byzantine walls overlook the Bay of Souda. Chania town follows, with its old Venetian harbour and a covered market fragrant with spices and leather.

Midweek brings a day among the White Mountains, where terraced farmland and citrus groves give way to the Omalos Upland Plain beneath limestone peaks still wearing snow in spring. A visit to the island's Botanical Gardens punctuates this stretch of muted rural life. Later, a monastery near Kissamos offers quiet history, with its collection of icons and manuscripts, topped off by tastings of Cretan wine and olive oil near an ancient olive tree.

There is plenty of unstructured time at the beach or in local cafés, with the option of a day trip east to Knossos and Heraklion for those inclined. Afternoons leave space for a slow coffee or last swim, away from the pace of larger resorts.

New to Greece? Our Greece guide has the practical essentials: money, plugs, visas and when to go.