Crete

With a varied landscape, mild climate and rich history, Crete enjoys an enviable position in the southern Mediterranean, while its diverse flora and confiding birdlife are of great interest to naturalists.

Crete’s rugged landscape includes a chain of mountains that rise to nearly 2,500 metres, which in early spring create spectacular snow-capped vistas. Many of the mountains are formed of limestone and dolomite, with high plateaux cut through by deep gorges.

Although birds are never particularly numerous on Crete, as it lies off the main migration routes, the range of species here can nevertheless be diverse and unpredictable, and close views of some of the migrants can be stunning. The western end of Crete is probably the wildest and most spectacular part of the island.

Crete has a fascinating history from the times of the earliest European civilisation onwards, and the Palace of Knossos (the original ‘labyrinth’ from Theseus and the Minotaur), is an intriguing relic of rich Minoan culture.

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