Crete, Greece: The Best of Mediterranean Island Life
Crete is a Greek island located in the Mediterranean Sea. It is the largest among Greece’s nearly 6,000 islands, at 161 miles long by 37 miles wide.
Crete is thought by many to be one of the most beautiful locations in Greece, if not the entire world.
The island offers a lot for both tourists and residents, including sunny, sandy beaches, and hospitable people.
Most all of the tourist areas and cities in Crete will have an abundance of shop owners who understand and speak English.
Chania, a city on the island’s northwest coast, is a microcosm of that history. Its Old Town boasts evidence of every culture and conquest—Roman, Byzantine, Venetian, Ottoman, and Egyptian—that influenced Crete’s history.
Crete’s expat community is big and active. There’s a big British population, as well as expats from across Europe and beyond.
Because of the U.S. naval base in Souda Bay, made up of 350 commissioned and enlisted personnel, there’s also a big community of American expats here.
It’s easy to set up a social life here, and both locals and expats are friendly and active.
Cost Of Living In Crete
Crete is an affordable place to live, and because the island is so big, there’s enough room for budget flexibility. Outside of the cities, rent can be as little as $500 per month.
Local produce and olive oil are cheap, and so too is dining out, with the average meal at a taverna costing about $20.
Two expenses you’ll most likely have to take on are the cost of car ownership (fuel can be pricey) and electricity because you’ll definitely want air conditioning at home.
Internet is fairly reliable and fast here, at 50 Mbps download speeds in Chania.
Real Estate
In Greece, standard restrictions on the purchase of real estate are in place. For example, there’s more regulation involved if you’re buying property near military sites or in national parks.
Here is the monthly budget for a retired couple:
Things To Do In Crete
This place is ideal for lovers of outdoor recreation, with a variety of landscapes available and plenty of space to practice your sport.
The obvious attraction is the Mediterranean Sea, and the beaches that surround Crete are outstanding. There are rugged outcrops, completely unspoiled beaches, sandy beaches, pebble beaches… there are even pink beaches.
On land, Crete’s sprawling and mountainous landscape provides more opportunities to get active than your average Greek island. You can cycle, hike, mountaineer, or go horseback riding or paragliding.
Map Of Crete, Greece
Health Care In Crete, Greece
Greece’s health care system is a combination of the National Healthcare Service, compulsory social insurance, and a voluntary private health care system.
With a residence permit, you’d get access to public health care. Greece has the highest number of physicians relative to population size in the EU.
For instance, many Greece expats prefer to maintain international private insurance to ensure access to care and shorter wait times for procedures.
There is a School of Medicine with its own hospital, as well as seven public hospitals, seven private clinics, and dozens of health care and diagnosis centers.
Infrastructure In Crete
The island of Crete is known for having excellent infrastructure.
The majority of cities on the island have been developed around tourism and thus have developed high level infrastructure to match, including nicely paved roads and walking paths.
And, many businesses and homes have installed solar panels, helping to alleviate many of the electrical infrastructure issues facing other islands around the world.
How To Get Here
You have a few different options for getting here, whether you are coming from mainland Greece or another country.
Crete is in the Eastern Mediterranean, geographically far from North America relative to the other European destinations in this index.
For instance, it’s got two international airports with great connections to Europe but none to the States or Canada. To get to Crete, you’ll need to make a stopover—likely in Athens.
Crete has three airports. Heraklion Airport (HER), Chania Airport (CHQ), and the Sitia Airport (JSH). All are international airports but Sitia is smaller than the other two.
Also, Heraklion Airport benefits from regular busses between the airport Eleftherias town center.
Chania Airport has a bus service but it is less frequent and a taxi is usually the best option. Expect to pay around 15 euros.
Sitia airport has no bus service andis a 10 minute taxi ride from the town center. Another option is by boat or ferry.
For international travelers, there are often cruises that tour the Mediterranean and stop on the island, in places like Souda, where you can easily explore Crete’s second largest city, Chania. Ferry services are widely available to all of the main towns on the island.
Weather In Crete: Hot-Summer Mediterranean Climate
You’ll get plenty of sunshine living here, especially if you settle on the island’s south coast, which receives the most sunshine in Greece at 3,257 hours.
On the other hand, if you settle into a mountainous area, you might also see snow. It’s common in mountainous areas but rare in low-lying ones.
This big island has diverse landscapes and that is reflected in its climate.
The weather in Crete varies between the north and south, coastal and inland, mountainous and lowland regions.
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