Bright lights, big city: Although Crete’s capital Heraklion has only 200,000 inhabitants – which still makes it the island’s largest city – it surely has some swag, and its rough vitality can definitely compete with the fierce energy of Athens. Now, add some amazing history, the proximity of some beautiful beaches, and major hubs like an international airport, a busy seaport, and a bus station from where you can get to all of Crete’s most captivating spots – and there you have it: Heraklion, your perfect base in the East of Crete.
As the over-popular south coast of Tenerife is the most neglectable part of the island, I’ll show you in this guide which are the best things to do in one week in the island’s lush north. We’ll visit picturesque villages and lush fields, admire bewitched forests, enjoy black lava beaches and approach the mighty Mount Teide.
Located about halfway between the Cretan capital of Heraklion and the glorious coast town of Chania, idyllic Rethymno is kind of a smaller version of the latter: The same historic old town, a Venetian harbor, picturesque alleys, and fascinating Ottoman heritage make Crete’s third-largest city one of the most popular destinations for vacationers. But due to its favorable location, Rethymno is also the ideal place for a lovely day trip.
I urgently need to make a correction to this post. No, I didn’t make a typo. Oh no, there are no grammatical or spelling errors – at least, that’s what I hope. I was simply entirely misjudging Santa Cruz when I first created this post. Was it the bad weather? Was it the exhaustion after a few weeks on the road? Whatever it was that drove me to portray Santa Cruz as not worth seeing, I was wrong. So very wrong!
View of the iconic belfry of the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción from the picturesque Calle Antonio Domínguez Alfonso.
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the city on another trip to Tenerife, and what can I say, I thought it was a great place: Lively and yet not stressful, with lots of shops, excellent restaurants, beautiful squares, and a pleasant promenade along the sea, the city scored highly at second glance. And since I was hunting for the best street art, this time I also went to parts of the city that usually aren’t on the tourist agenda.
Charming alleys, friendly residents, lots of local vibes, and yes, the best street art in Tenerife convinced me: Santa Cruz is not only absolutely worth a day’s visit. The city, which is connected to a comprehensive public transport network, can also be an excellent base and starting point for exploring the entire island.
So again: Sorry, Santa Cruz, I totally stand corrected!
A bus ride to the Albufera Nature Reserve, located just one hour outside of Valencia, is probably the cheapest and easiest day trip you can take. And you should – since the region is absolutely beautiful and inspiring.
One thing every visitor to Crete should do is a hike into – or through – the Samaria Gorge. Not only do you get to see the most amazing scenery. If you cross the gorge hiking, you’ve also walked the longest canyon in Greece, the second-longest in Europe, and the third-longest in the entire world. All in one go.
The walls seem to be closing in.
And although you certainly won’t walk alone, it’s still a one-of-a-kind experience – no matter if you do it the hard way or opt for the easy one.
No matter what else you are planning to do on the island of Tenerife – a visit to the mountain town of La Orotava, basically the forecourt of the Teide mountain, will be the absolute highlight of your trip – literally.
I know, I know, it’s hot, Tenerife’s beaches are beautiful and the waters turquoise’n’tempting. Yet, spending all your time lazing on a beach would be a big mistake since idyllic townlets like Garachico, Icod de Los Vinos, and Masca are awaiting visitors on the island’s cooler yet very delightful Northcoast.
Since, after almost an entire week in Tenerife, I hadn’t been to the beach, I urgently needed to add some lazy hours of sweet nothing. After having explored the island’s northern hinterland, I really didn’t feel like letting the tourist ghettos on the south coast put an ugly stain on the positive’n’pure impression Tenerife had made. Fortunately, the wind blew me to a small surfer town on the east coast, and although I’m not a surfer, El Medano, with its beautiful coastline, laid-back atmosphere, and great fish restaurants, actually did blow my mind.
Do you guys want to see where Disney & Co. get their inspiration and their decoration ideas from? Then follow me on a day trip to the picturesque town of San Cristobal de la Laguna – mostly just referred to as La Laguna – from where we’ll take the bus uphill to the enchanted forests of Anaga. Quick, call Snow White, and then it’s hi ho hi ho off to Anaga we go!
Hardly anyone is talking about La Laguna’s artsy side. This is my favorite mural, created by Matías Mata aka Sabotaje al Montaje.This Way to the Whole Story ->
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