Tourism is the basis of the Cretan economy.
The island is partly very green despite only having around 60 days of rain per year.
There are many contrasts in this region, you can go from incredible beaches to impressive mountains, from big (and chaotic) cities to really small picturesque villages, from very dry, almost desert areas to very green zones like the springs in the center.
History
Crete was the centre of the Minoan civilisation, a literate and highly artistic Bronze Age culture, the island bearing witness to their achievements in the form of palaces, tombs and sacred sites. Towards the end of the Late Bronze Age, the Minoans were superseded by Mycenaeans from the Greek mainland. Thereafter, Crete very much followed in the classical slipstream of Greece and - much later - Rome.
Crete was the site of an airborne invasion by German troops, and a spirited resistance by Allied (mainly British and Australian) troops and the People of Crete during the 1941 Nazi invasion of Greece.
Eat
Crete is the most delicatessen place of Greece, famous for its tasty and healthy cuisine.
The Cretan Diet was the subject of study that revealed its great health benefits and nutritional value.
A good tip is to join any of the hundreds of traditional fiestas in villages having great food,
wine and live folk music.
Cheese
Unlike most regions in Greece, Feta is not produced and is not very popular in Crete.
However you will find a very good variety of delicious locally produced Cretan cheeses, such as:
Meat
Snails cooked in various ways (one of the most traditional dishes of Crete), Smoked ham (apaki) and smoked sausages (loukaniko), traditional mountain goat or lamb cooked in various ways, cretan pilaf (chicken risotto), souvlaki (pork meat or fish on skewers).
Fish and seafood
Sardines (Greek: σαρδέλες) , barbounia (Greek: μπαρμπούνια - red mullets), kalamarakia (Greek: καλαμαράκια - fried squids), atherina (Greek: Αθερίνα - fried tiny fishes), Octopus (Greek: Χταπόδι - sundried or drunken)
Side dishes
Tzatziki (dip made of garlic, oliveoil, greek yogurt and dill), taramosalata (Caviar dip), melitzanosalata (eggplant and garlic dip),kopanisti or tyrokafteri (cheese dip).
Dakos (Greek: Ντάκος - Cretan rusk with tomato, feta cheese, olives, oregano and olive oil), Horta vrasta (boiled greens with olive oil and lemon juice), Greek salad (Greek: Χωριάτικη) (cucumber, tomatoes, onion, feta cheese and olives), kolokithakia tiganita (fried courgettes), melitzanes tiganites (fried eggplants), kolokythokeftedes (courgette crockets).
Desserts
Amigdaloto (made with almonds), sfakianopita, tyropitakia, spanakopitakia, kaltsouni, Greek...
