Crete is the biggest island of Greece and the best greek island to visit in April famous for having the longest summer in Europe.

For those of you interested in visiting Greece in April expect warm and sunny days with average temperatures during the daytime of 20 degrees Celsius and 10 degrees Celsius during night time.

Water temperature is still low, around 16 degrees Celsius but there are plenty of people who bathe in the Mediterranean Sea during this month.

best greek island to visit on April

You probably are wondering what can you do in Crete if not bathing in the sea or spending the entire day perfecting your tan.

The reasons why I choose Crete as the best destination for April are:

• The large variety of hotels open to the public and the low prices
• Frequent flights or ferries to and from the island
• Island location, in the southern part of Greece where temperatures are warmer than on the mainland.

things to do on the Best Greek island to visit in April

1. Traditional villages

You might find April’s weather for Crete a little bit cold for sunbathing but for sure it is ideal for exploring the island.

And Crete has many interesting places to explore out of which the traditional villages are the most interesting of all.

Most of these villages are located on the mountainside of the island and are full of Venetian and Ottoman architecture.

The centrepiece of these villages is the square with a church located right in the centre of the village surrounded by beautiful houses made of stone.

Let yourself lost on the narrow streets of these villages to admire the beautiful flower gardens and the amazing landscape.

Crete Anogeia Village Greece

Old customs and traditions are kept unchanged here and they unveil aspects of the true Cretan culture.

Archanes, Zaros and Ascites from Heraklion region, Chora Sfakion and Vamos from Chania region, Anogeia, Margarites and Axos from Rethymno region and Makrygialos and Kritsa in Lasithi region are the “heart” of the traditional Crete life.

Take some time and try different activities characteristic to each village and immerse yourself in the traditional Greek way of life.

The best way to explore these traditional villages from the best Greek island to visit in April is by car, as you have the freedom and mobility to move around the island as you want.

The prices for rented cars start from 30 euros per day for small cars, suitable for taking a tour along the island.

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2. Gastronomy

For trying the local cuisine you don’t need hot and dry weather, so April is a good time of year to taste the Greece flavours.

The core of the Cretan cuisine consists of food derived from natural sources based more on fruits, milk and vegetables.

The traditional cuisine was widely spread in the island until the 1960’s when alimentary patterns changed towards more meat and other animal-derived products.

Bowl of Black Olives Crete Greece Food

The method locals utilize their land’s rich fruit and vegetables is exceptional.

The wide variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables, beans, wild edible environment-friendlies and also fragrant natural herbs are combined with delicious goat and lamb meat.

Greek Salad with Feta Cheese Crete Greece

The result is a variety of especially tasty meals that do not show up anywhere else in Greece.

The regional cheese checklist is also rather impressive; on the first place of the top, you will discover the prominent Cretan graviera (a type of hard cheese) which is a PDO cheese.

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3. Ancient ruins

Crete, the best Greek island to visit in April is full of ancient ruins surrounded by myths and history which fascinate tourists from all over the world, but also the locals.

When travel to Greece on the island of Crete plan a visit to the Palace of Knossos in Heraklion, the political and ceremonial centre for the Minoan civilization.

Another interesting attraction is the Ancient Aptera from Souda, the place where you can find Roman water cisterns dating from 2.000 years ago.

palace ruins of Knossos Crete Greece

Not to mention the beautiful ruins of Malia Minoan Palace from Malia, an impressive structure built a few thousand years ago.

What I like most at this place is that you can see the model reconstruction of the palace to have an idea about how impressive it was.

The weather is not too hot for exploring, so take a bottle of water with you, a sun hat and hiking shoes as there are many ancient ruins to explore.

These are the new essentials you have to pack for your trip

4. Beautiful villas in the breathtaking landscape

When I am talking about Greece and the accommodation choices it comes into my mind a white and blue hotel with amazing rooms, incredible views of the island, maybe a private beach and 5-star services.

Blue Palace Crete has everything you can ask for and even more: great location, top services and amazing facilities.

Located on the coast of Elounda, on top of a hill, just 4 kilometres away Elounda town centre, the hotels have one of the best views from the island.

Greek islands for family holidays

Stretching across 143 acres, the resort has no major building however it is bordered by cottages, suites & rental properties that are located around a gentle slope, leading to its remarkable coastline and also spectacular bay.

All spaces open up to expanded terraces, most of them with a personal swimming pool and all with beautiful sights to the Aegean Sea and also Spinalonga island.

Airy and spacious, are the embodiment of a Mediterranean escape.

Dining establishments include outdoors seating and are spread around various degrees, from higher up with attractive views right down to the shoreline.

5.Nature’s amazing creations

The best Greek island to visit in April, Crete also has one of the most amazing sceneries from all the islands so there are many day trips to plan while there.

The terrain’s morphological diversity is remarkable as well as it offers hard-to-ignore possibilities to bold explorers and nature lovers for extensive trips of the countryside.

Crete Greece Landscape Goat sunset

High hills with tough tops, caverns and also gorges are the pieces that compose the wonderful Cretan island.

To all these elements add productive plateaus and also valleys, uncommon cedar woodlands as well as water environments to get the full picture of the island.

Include in your trip a hike to Mt. Psiloreitis (or Psiloritis) Natural Park and also Siteia (or Sitia) Natural Park – both are UNESCO Global Geoparks.

There you can find caverns celebrated in ancient Greek folklore such as Idaion Antron, Diktaion Antron, Melidoni as well as Sfendoni.

Book some time to visit the impressive Samaria canyon, take pleasure in a ramble in Vai hand forest, Lakes Kourna & Preveli, as well as on Lasithi and Nida plateaus.

There are so many interesting things to do around and there is not a surprise for anybody that Crete is considered the best greek island to visit in April.

6. Celebrating the Orthodox Easter

Easter celebration is one of the most important events for greeks orthodox from all over the world.

It is the time of the year when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.

The celebration continues on the week after, the Holy Week including the Easter Monday.

During this time of the year, greek people like to travel and celebrate so expect some more people hanging around and higher prices for hotels and food.

Greek Church Easter Crete

Not just Crete, Mykonos and Santorini and some other Cyclades islands are popular places to go for locals.

Most of the Greek people also like the idea of island hopping, while some of them are searching for remote islands where to relax and enjoy themselves.

Book at least 10 days on Crete if you plan to explore everything that it has to offer and explore the island on your own to discover more of its traditional vibe and amazing sceneries!