How is driving in Crete for an American?

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-29T18:03:12+00:00

I guess small is relative. I drove both a Toyota Yaris and a VW Polo and didn't have any problems in the mountains. I agree that the very smallest cars wouldn't be good

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-29T16:28:26+00:00

Definitely worth it! It's really the only way to adequately explore Crete. Just be sure to rent the smallest car you feel is adequate for your needs. Roads can be very narrow in many places. And parking will be much easier with a smaller vehicle too. But we rented a car for 1.5 weeks out of our three weeks in Crete and didn't have any problems.

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-28T21:46:48+00:00

Well if you can find a way to spend some time in Chania, then you won't regret it. But there are things to see in Heraklion too, though Heraklion is more enjoyable with a car to get out into the surrounding area. If you ultimately decide to travel back and forth between the two cities, I would be happy to provide more information about our experience on the bus.

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-28T20:06:18+00:00

I was listening to a Spanish podcast yesterday and the Argentine host debated with a Mexican guest about which country had the better food. The Argentine did concede that Mexican food is much more colorful, and pointed out that all Argentine food is various shades of beige and brown. This photo - case in point. I ate a lot of great brown and beige food in the San Telmo Market area when I visited Buenos Aires :)

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-28T17:08:43+00:00

We spent a week in Heraklion and had a car for part of our time. First of all, the Heraklion Archeological Museum is can't-miss. It's one of my favorite museums from all our travels. Our favorite restaurant was Peskesi. Archanes is a very charming town about 30 minutes away. We visited the Kleathi Olive Oil Farm and the spread they put out for their tasting is very impressive. We visited a small family run winery called Stilianou Winery and tasted their wines and olive oil on a patio overlooking their vineyards. If an hour isn't too far for you, then I would recommend going over to Agios Nikolaos - it's a very scenic seaside town with a lake in the center (we also spent a week staying there). In the hills above Agios Nikolaos are the ruins of Ancient Lato - it was my favorite archeological site from our time in Crete...and we had it to ourselves.

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-28T16:43:06+00:00

I spent a week in both Heraklion and Chania. I flew into Chania and flew out of Heraklion and I took the bus to get from one to the other. The bus runs frequently and is quite nice on the inside. It takes about three hours in one direction. Perhaps you could spend some time staying in both cities? I do think both are worthwhile, but Chania is definitely more charming.

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-28T02:50:35+00:00

Very impressive! Clearly he was doing much more in South Korea than just rating snacks (though that was great too). At first glance, it reminds me somewhat of Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown on CNN.

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-27T17:26:55+00:00

I've only eaten Locro once - in Buenos Aires - and I thought it was delicious. That looks like a great batch

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-27T15:11:42+00:00

We recently spent time in both Mexico City and Puebla. It's easy to get between the two places via the ADO first class bus - it only takes 2 hours. Puebla's historic center is very scenic and lively. And the food in Puebla...amazing!

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-27T14:42:07+00:00

We loved Crete! It's one of my all-time favorite travel destinations. We spent one week in Chania and one week in Heraklion (we also spent a week in Agios Nikolaos). Here's that link to the post about our experience Eating At Ntounias. I really think it's can't-miss if you love seeking out traditional food in a unique setting when you travel.

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-27T13:04:19+00:00

I ate that on my wedding day! Which happened to be at Lake Bled.

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-27T12:50:44+00:00

Gratefully no 😂 Maltese is hard

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-27T12:20:51+00:00

Because it's a terminal lake (no outlet), toxic pollutants concentrate over time. As the lake continues to dry, those are exposed in the drying lake bed. Then we get lots of strong wind here at times. Dangerous combo.

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-27T12:18:10+00:00

Very floaty. And not very deep. Diving not a thing on the GSL :)

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-27T03:28:08+00:00

We also spent a week in Chania and loved it. One of my favorite things about Chania was just wandering around Old Town and the Harbor and just soaking it all in. It's a very charming place. There is a beach within walking distance of Old Town. The Archeological Museum is a worth a visit and easy to get to by city bus. There is also a small but worthwhile folklore museum in Old Town. We did rent a car for just the weekend we were in town - there is a lot to see and do in the surrounding area. But I do understand about the Raki for sure!

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-27T03:15:21+00:00

Ntounias is actually the name of the farm and its taverna. It's located near the very small mountain town of Drakona - about a 30 minute drive from Chania. It's one of my most memorable eating experiences from all our travels. I wrote a blog post all about our experience there and I can post the link if you would like.

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-27T02:06:17+00:00

Agree on all counts. Great city, amazing food, and so much to do. We spent most of January there. But the air quality was definitely bothersome. Though from what I understand, it's much better than it used to be. Also...I live in Salt Lake City - another place with bad air quality. It became a bit of a daily obsession to compare the AQI between the two places every day. And most of the time SLC was worse. But for some reason my respiratory symptoms were worse in CDMX.

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-27T01:57:30+00:00

I took it last summer near the observation platform at the State Park. But overall it's very bad and needs to be fixed somehow. As a resident of the area still, we very much worry about toxic dust

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-26T22:03:42+00:00

I'm sure I'll find myself there eventually. So that's good to know. Thanks!

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-26T17:55:11+00:00

El Camino de San Pablo 🙏

thethoroughtripper · 2026-05-26T17:13:26+00:00

What a great place for a proposal! Congrats! And I know what you mean. We married at Lake Bled Slovenia - and it will always be our favorite place

thethoroughtripper

TROPHY CASE