Crete

Greece · Mediterranean · island · history

Greece's biggest island. Crete is the largest island belonging to Greece and the fifth largest island in the entire Mediterranean Sea. It stretches 260 kilometers from west to east but is quite narrow from north to south, making it look a bit like a long, thin loaf of bread.

Surrounded by seas. Crete sits between two different seas: the Sea of Crete to the north and the Libyan Sea to the south. Its long coastline of 1,046 kilometers means there are beaches and rocky cliffs all around the island.

Bridge between continents. Crete floats in a special location about 100 kilometers south of mainland Greece and about 300 kilometers southwest of Turkey. This spot makes it an important crossroads between Europe and Africa in the Mediterranean world.

Surprisingly large. With an area of 8,450 square kilometers, Crete is big enough to fit millions of people and has mountains, valleys, and plains spread across its land.

Mediterranean giant. Crete ranks as the 89th largest island in the whole world, but it's a true giant in the Mediterranean, coming in as number five after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica.