Why Crete is the best destination for your family’s autumn break

Are you considering an Autumn break family holiday? This article will explain why Crete is the ideal destination for you. Autumn school break time is perfect for a family getaway in Crete. The high temperatures of the summer requiring shade and tons of sun lotion, the traffic, the overcrowding, not to mention the high season prices, are gone. What’s left is Cretans returning to their everyday life, mild weather and warm seas, and lots of opportunities for your kids (and you) to have fun. Let’s see some of the activities you can enjoy with your family while visiting this lovely Greek island! 

Cycling around the old town

Cycling -either with a guided tour or by renting bicycles for the family- is the most fun way to explore the old town. In every corner of Crete, you can find sites from many periods of its history. Archaic sites of 5000 years of age, medieval-age Venetian fortresses and beautiful fountains with carved lions, or majestic minarets of the Ottoman years. The island’s rich heritage might not be as fascinating for the younger members of your family. However, still, the bicycle factor will make it a memorable experience for you and your children. Finally, an ice cream pitch stop can never go wrong!

In Crete, you will find some of the oldest olive trees in the world! Image by Simplybook

Olive harvesting

Autumn is the olive harvesting season in Crete. Visit a small olive oil farm and learn about the olives’ journey from a tree to become the tasty olive oil in your salad. Watch the process of picking the olives from the trees, and why not try it yourselves? This process hasn’t changed much since it started in the older years! With their thousand years of history, the olive trees still have a strong presence in Crete, the local cuisine, and the people’s everyday life. Try the different varieties in shapes and flavours and learn what makes a good quality olive oil. If you rent a car, visit one of the island’s massive 3.000 old olive trees, where the whole family can fit in their opened tree trunk!

Cooking courses

Cooking is one of the best skills you can teach your children before they start their adult life. Do you want to get them interested in cooking? Then, your family holiday could be a start! Join one of the many cooking courses available in all Cretan towns and some traditional villages. Your children will love playing with dough, making the “kaltsounia”, the Cretan sweet cheese pastries. How about wrapping rice in vine leaves, making the delicious “dolmadakia”, a dish many love for its rich flavour? Cooking with the family is fun, especially since a nice meal will follow! Enjoy the fruit of your work, along with a glass of local wine and “raki”, or “tsikoudia”. But that’s just for the grown-ups!

 In Crete, you can learn to cook local dishes the traditional way! Here is a wood stove with old kitchen utensils. Image by Simplybook

The smaller gorges

For the more active or the nature-loving among us, the gorges of Crete are a unique opportunity to discover the local plants and animals while in a dramatic setting of mountain rocks carved by water for millions of years. While the famous 16 km Samaria gorge can be too long for your children, you can find many smaller but impressive gorges. Two suggestions are Imbros close to the area of Sfakia and Deliana on the west side of Chania. These are gorges for the whole family to enjoy! Explore the new water streams after the first rains, watch some impressive vultures and meet friendly goats, enough to avoid the “how long till the end” and “are we there yet” questions!

Birdwatching in Deliana gorge. Image by Simplybook

Kayak, SUP or Sea pedalo with a water slide on top

As the Mediterranean sea is still warm in Crete during October, a day at the beach is undoubtedly a “must do”! Now that the crowds are gone, it’s time to lie down with your book or iPad and enjoy the autumn calmness. But first, let’s do something interesting for the kids! Depending on their age, on the size of your family, you can choose between different activities like SUP or kayak, or get the whole family on a sea pedalo. The north coast -especially around Chania- with the shallow waters, soft sand, and coves protected from the wind, is ideal for a family day at the beach!

Rent a vehicle with Simplybook for your next vacation in Greece and support the local communities.

Feature image by Simplybook