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Easy touring in Crete is very achievable: the island is one of the most rewarding in the Mediterranean for a relaxed self-drive holiday, with manageable distances, good main roads and a hire car from around £15 a day. The honest catch is that not all Crete driving is equal.
The coastal roads are gentle and easy, ideal for nervous drivers, while some mountain routes are winding and slower than the map suggests, and the famous Samaria Gorge is a walk you cannot drive at all. This guide sets out the six best day drives from the two main gateways, honestly graded for difficulty, so you can build a car-based holiday that feels like a holiday and not a marathon.
Most guides to easy touring in Crete are really two-week cross-island itineraries, hundreds of kilometres of driving with a different hotel every night. That suits some people, but many visitors want something gentler: a comfortable base, a hire car, and a handful of beautiful, manageable day drives they can dip into at their own pace.
That is what easy touring in Crete means, and that is exactly what this guide is built for. Pick a base near Chania in the west or Heraklion in the centre, and every drive in this easy touring in Crete guide is within a comfortable day’s reach.
How Easy Is Driving in Crete, Really?
Here is the honest answer that most guides avoid. Easy touring in Crete is genuinely relaxed in the places most visitors spend their time, and more demanding in a few specific spots that are simple to plan around. The main north-coast road, the E75, is a good, fast, modern route linking Chania, Rethymno and Heraklion, and the coastal drives off it are gentle and well surfaced. If your idea of easy touring in Crete is beaches, old towns and a lake, you will find the driving relaxed and stress-free.
The mountain roads are where it gets more interesting. Routes up to the Lasithi Plateau, the Omalos plateau or through the Cretan interior are paved and safe, but they are winding, with many bends and slower average speeds, so they take longer than the distances suggest and reward an unhurried approach.
And one famous route, the Samaria Gorge, is not a drive at all but a 16 km one-way walk. Knowing which drives are gentle and which are mountain roads, before you set off, is the single most useful thing for easy touring in Crete, and every drive below is clearly graded.
The Two Gateways: Where to Start
Crete has two main airports and hire-car gateways, and between them they open up the whole of the island’s best easy touring. Choosing which to fly into, or which to base near, simply depends on which half of the island you want on your doorstep.
Chania in the West
Chania Airport, on the Akrotiri peninsula just east of the city, is the gateway to western Crete, and for many it is the loveliest base of all. The beautiful Venetian old town, the gentle western coast, the White Mountains and some of the island’s most famous beaches are all within easy reach. If you want the gentlest, most scenic and most relaxed touring, the west is a wonderful choice. See our full guide to cheap car hire at Chania Airport for prices, suppliers and collection tips.
Heraklion in the Centre
Heraklion Airport, beside the island’s capital, is the busiest gateway and the base for central and eastern Crete. From here you can reach the palace of Knossos, the Lasithi Plateau, the elegant Gulf of Mirabello around Elounda, and the ancient sites and beaches of the south. It puts more of the island’s history and variety within a day’s drive. See our full guide to cheap car hire at Heraklion Airport to plan your pick-up. For an overview of the whole island, our main car hire in Crete guide ties it all together.
The Six Best Easy Touring Drives in Crete
Here are our six favourite easy touring drives in Crete, three from each gateway, each one researched and driven, with honest notes and full guides including maps and downloads. They are graded from gentle to mountain so your easy touring in Crete matches your confidence and mood. Start with a gentle one on your first day, and work up to the mountains once you have found your feet.
From Chania: Three Western Drives
The Rethymno Scenic Drive (gentle). The easiest and most family-friendly drive of all, an easy coast road east to the riverside town of Georgioupoli, the tranquil freshwater Lake Kournas and the golden Venetian old town of Rethymno. Perfect for a first day or a nervous driver. Read the full Rethymno scenic drive guide.
The Akrotiri Scenic Drive (gentle). A compact, varied loop that starts the moment you land, taking in Chania old town, two historic monasteries, the moving Souda Bay War Cemetery and the beach where Zorba the Greek was filmed. Easy driving throughout. Read the full Akrotiri scenic drive guide.
The White Mountains and Samaria Gorge Drive (mountain). A magnificent climb into the Lefka Ori to the Omalos plateau and the head of the Samaria Gorge. A proper mountain road with many bends, and honest advice on the gorge, which is a walk, not a drive. Read the full White Mountains scenic drive guide.
From Heraklion: Three Central and Eastern Drives
The Elounda and Spinalonga Scenic Drive (moderate). A beautiful coastal run around the Gulf of Mirabello to elegant Elounda and the haunting former leper-colony island of Spinalonga, with a local boat secret most visitors miss. Mostly easy with some gentle coastal bends. Read the full Elounda and Spinalonga scenic drive guide.
The Cretan South Scenic Drive (moderate). Across the island to the ancient sites of Gortyna, Phaistos and quiet Agia Triada, and down to the hippie beach caves of Matala on the Libyan Sea. Good roads with a twisty stretch or two. Read the full Cretan South scenic drive guide.
The Lasithi Plateau Scenic Drive (mountain). A climb to the extraordinary high plateau of windmills and the Cave of Zeus, taking in the palace of Knossos and the mountain village of Krasi. A winding mountain road with a wonderful reward. Read the full Lasithi Plateau scenic drive guide.
Easy Touring Tips for Crete
A few simple things make easy touring in Crete genuinely stress-free. Hire the right car: a small hatchback is perfect for the coast and the towns, and handles the mountain roads fine too, so you rarely need anything bigger. Collect it relaxed: after a long flight, some visitors take a taxi to their hotel and pick the car up the next morning, fresh and unhurried, which is a sensible way to start driving on the right.
For easy touring in Crete, start early for beaches and mountains alike, as the roads are quieter and the popular spots calmer in the morning. Carry a credit card, as hire firms require one for the security deposit, not a debit card. Keep to the speed limits, especially on the straight coastal stretches where radar traps are common. And above all, do not over-pack the days: the joy of easy touring in Crete is leaving room for a long lunch, a swim and the occasional unplanned detour, rather than racing from pin to pin.
When to Go for Easy Touring
The best months for easy touring in Crete are May to early June and mid-September through October, the shoulder seasons. In these shoulder seasons the weather is warm but not fierce, the roads and sites are quieter, the light is beautiful and the driving is at its most comfortable.
High summer is hot, especially inland and on the exposed archaeological sites, so if you visit in July or August, do your mountain and sightseeing drives early and save the afternoons for the sea. Spring brings wildflowers and full mountain streams; autumn brings warm seas and the grape and olive harvests. Even winter suits the gentle coastal drives and the towns, though the high mountain routes and the Samaria Gorge close in the colder months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Crete easy to drive around?
Yes, Crete is one of the easier Mediterranean islands for self-drive touring, with manageable distances and a good main north-coast road linking the major towns. The coastal drives are gentle and suit nervous drivers, while the mountain roads are paved and safe but winding and slower. Plan which drives are gentle and which are mountainous, and easy touring in Crete is very achievable.
How many days do you need to tour Crete by car?
You do not need a long cross-island trip to enjoy Crete by car. Basing yourself near Chania or Heraklion for a week and taking three or four day drives gives a wonderfully full experience without changing hotels. If you want to see both ends of the island, ten days to two weeks allows a relaxed circuit, but for easy touring, a single base and a handful of day drives is ideal.
Is it worth hiring a car in Crete?
Very much so. Crete is large and its best beaches, gorges, villages and ancient sites are spread out and poorly served by public transport, so a hire car transforms the holiday. With cars from around £15 a day in the shoulder season, it is also inexpensive, and it lets you explore at your own pace rather than on a tour’s schedule. For easy touring in Crete, a car is essential.
Which is the best base for touring Crete, Chania or Heraklion?
Both are excellent, and the choice depends on which half of the island you prefer. Chania in the west offers the loveliest old town, the gentlest coastal driving and the western beaches and mountains. Heraklion in the centre puts Knossos, the Lasithi Plateau, Elounda and the southern sites within reach. For the most relaxed easy touring, many choose Chania; for history and central variety, Heraklion.
Is driving in Crete difficult for nervous drivers?
Not on the right roads. The coastal drives, such as the gentle run from Chania to Rethymno and Lake Kournas, are easy, well surfaced and ideal for nervous drivers. The mountain routes are more demanding, with bends and slower speeds, but are still safe if taken steadily. Nervous drivers should start with the gentle coastal drives and build confidence before tackling the mountains, which makes easy touring in Crete comfortable for everyone.
Start Your Easy Touring in Crete
Easy touring in Crete is made for relaxed, car-based holidays: manageable, beautiful and inexpensive, with six wonderful day drives graded from gentle to mountain waiting for you. Pick your base, choose your drives, and take the island at your own pace. Compare prices and book your car at Chania Airport for the west or Heraklion Airport for the centre and east, and start planning the easiest, loveliest touring holiday in the Mediterranean.
About the Author
Written by the Digitalhound.co.uk editorial team. Every guide is thoroughly researched with genuine local knowledge, road numbers, food stops and practical driving tips gathered from on-the-ground experience.
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