Crete ideas?

Agulliver · Jun 17, 2025

I'll be visiting the island of Crete for the second time in October. Any suggestions for places to photograph? Going with the wife and friends who aren't into photography so I probably won't be able to visit lots of specific locations. Last time in 2019 I did get to Matala for the town, beach and caves. I also did a fair bit of under water photography there and off Havania beach.

Any other ideas of "not to be missed" locations? I'll likely have a DSLR, and two film SLRs one with colour film and one with B&W. probably a super 8 cine camera loaded with 50D also.

koraks · Jun 17, 2025

We had a great time on the island in May. Did some driving around. The main thing I noticed is that the north coast around Heraklion wasn't very appealing and the city of Heraklion itself we might as well have skipped in hindsight. The south coast, on the other hand, was marvelous. Friendly people and overall great food, too. We liked the town of Zaros, which isn't too far from Matala where you've been. We enjoy hiking and found lots of opportunities especially for somewhat longer hikes (>20km).

Agulliver said:
loaded with 50D also.

That's pretty much all I shot there, too, coincidentally.

Tom Taylor · Jun 17, 2025

Crete was at the beginning of my itinerary of a 30 day bicycle tour of Greece. I took the overnight ferry from Athen's Port of Piraeus to Heraklion which was an adventure in itself) and from there circled the island clockwise returning via Port of Souda, Chania. Had a great time and met many locals - you're not considered a tourists when you go on bicycle. Although I came prepared to rough camp along the route, I stayed in rented rooms which were cheap enough and hiked the Samaria Gorge. The Second World War is a vivid memory in the villages.

Thomas

Sirius Glass · Jun 19, 2025

I enjoyed many hours at Heraklion. Have lunches and dinners at the island restaurants and tabernas.

baachitraka · Jun 20, 2025

We are planning to Rethymno, hope there are some photo opportunities there...

koraks · Jun 20, 2025

baachitraka said:
We are planning to Rethymno, hope there are some photo opportunities there...

We drove past that on our way to a village in the hills. The coast around Rethymno looked nice driving along route 90; we did not visit the town itself. We're not beach people and preferred the hills inland. There are photo opportunities all over the place; seriously, it's just trigger-happy shooting on the island when it comes to let's say pretty holiday snapshots, which is what I mostly made there. can't go wrong; have fun.

Sirius Glass said:
I enjoyed many hours at Heraklion.

But....how? We spent an afternoon exploring the city center. Waste of time, really.

blee1996 · Jun 20, 2025

A couple of years ago I was in Crete too, more for family summer vacation than photography. But I find the Heraklion harbor quite charming during summer evenings: nice long walk past the Venetian castle, both scenic and lots of interesting people (local couples and fisherman). I found it much less tourists than other major Greek Islands or Athens.

I did the usual touristic things around Crete, such as the Malia Beach, Zeus's cave, Knossos Palace, etc. But I find them not that photogenic.

Sirius Glass · Jun 21, 2025

koraks said:
We drove past that on our way to a village in the hills. The coast around Rethymno looked nice driving along route 90; we did not visit the town itself. We're not beach people and preferred the hills inland. There are photo opportunities all over the place; seriously, it's just trigger-happy shooting on the island when it comes to let's say pretty holiday snapshots, which is what I mostly made there. can't go wrong; have fun.

But....how? We spent an afternoon exploring the city center. Waste of time, really.

I was talking about the ancient palace, not the city itself. I was impressed that they would use a tree trunk as a column, but installed upside down so that the tree could not grow.

Agulliver · Jun 28, 2025

Last time this group of people went to Crete (2019) we did wander around Heraklion and I found the harbour quite photogenic. I also took some on B&W IR film there. Knossos I did find a lot of photo opportunities too.

I'm considering Rethymno for sure. We will have a car but won't be going on any long hikes - the other three people are more beach than hike types.

koraks · Jun 28, 2025

The Palm Beach of Preveli ma be of interest to you. The beach-nhangers can stay in the nice beach and the hikers can do a pretty and not too strenuous circuit back and forth along the gorge. It's something like 10km and quite photogenic. Cool off in the sea when you're back at the beach!

cliveh · Jun 28, 2025

I have been to Crete, which is a wonderful and like all the Greek islands the light is like liquid gold. I wouldn't bother with black & white, this is a place of colour.

Sirius Glass · Jun 29, 2025

cliveh said:
I have been to Crete, which is a wonderful and like all the Greek islands the light is like liquid gold. I wouldn't bother with black & white, this is a place of colour.

I agree. By the way the first time I visited the Greek islands I took a cruise and the ex wanted to go with the cheapest cruise. The room air conditioner did not work so we got a bigger room that did not have a working air conditioner. I called the company "Alpha Omega lines - first to leave each island and the last to get to the next. We never had a dinner on an island. Years later I went with my SO, and we flew in and out of each island [to and from Athens], and spent four to five days per island. We saw much more on each island and had many meals at various locations.

blee1996 · Jun 29, 2025

Nowadays the local ferries are super fast, thus doing island hopping is very enjoyable. My recent trip was a few hours on the ferry, and then spending a few days on each island. Crete is more raw, and I like it.

Crete ideas?

Agulliver

koraks

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Tom Taylor

Sirius Glass

baachitraka

koraks

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blee1996

Sirius Glass

Agulliver

koraks

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cliveh

Sirius Glass

blee1996

Crete ideas?

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