Kritsa Crete – One Of The Most Beautiful Villages In Greece

Kritsa is one of the most beautiful villages in Crete – and a wonderful step back in time.

The old part of the village is wonderfully preserved, its character has remained because the streets are far too narrow for cars.

It’s one of the most popular day trips from Agios Nikolaos, a great place to relax, enjoy the scenery and some excellent Cretan food for a few hours.

Kritsa is also a great place to go shopping – either for traditional crafts or one of the most famous olive oils in Greece.

The village is also home to several fine churches, including Panagia Kera, which has some of the best Byzantine frescoes in Crete.

Kritsa is also the starting point for the popular Kritsa Gorge walk and the short climb (on foot or by road) to the impressive Ancient Greek city of Lato.

Kritsa Crete Tours

Several tours call at Krista, stopping in the village and also down the hill at Panagia Kera church. Here are some options for you too consider:

From Heraklion: Kritsa Village and Myrtos Beach – pick-up along the touristed coastal strip between Heraklion and Malia

Spinalonga, Kritsa and Olive Oil Factory Tour From Heraklion – includes transport to boat for Spinalonga Island

Kritsa Gorge Guided Hiking Tour – guided walk through stunning rugged terrain near Kritsa village

Wandering these old streets is by far my favourite thing to do in Kritsa. It’s one of the most beautiful villages in Crete, if not Greece. Take your time, go slow and savour it.

USEFUL TO KNOW: Some of the street surfaces are uneven, so wear a comfortable pair of sturdy walking shoes.

Kritsa Crete is full of shops, and many of these sell beautifully made tablecloths, throws and other embroideries. Everything is made by local women, who often sit outside in the shade crafting their next work of art.

Some of the shop fronts are amazing, tapestries of cloths filling all the space save for a tiny gap at the bottom where you enter the shop.

As well as these embroidery shops, there are also shops selling olive wood souvenirs and various foods. Kritsa olive oil is regarded as one of the best in Greece, and you can buy it tat several shops in the village.

There is a good selection of tavernas in Kritsa, most of which are towards the northern end of the main street.

We opted for Taverna Agadiko, which is on a street corner near the end of the busier part of the village.

It was a great choice for Faye’s birthday lunch, and we ordered a few courses including dakos (Cretan bread with tomatoes) and a delicious mixed grill. Fantastic food, and the host was great too.

There are several beautiful churches around Kritsa village, but the one you have to see is on the outskirts of the village.

Panagia Kera church was probably founded in the 13th century. It’s renowned across the island for its Byzantine frescoes, which most likely date from the 14^th century.

They are among the best-preserved Byzantine frescoes on the island, so Panagia Kera is one of the best churches in Crete to visit.

You can get off the bus outside the church and then walk up to the village. It’s in a wonderful setting, surrounded by olive groves, and a footpath begins across the road from the church, leading up the hill through the groves.

The Museum is partly a tribute to her, and also a record of what a house would have looked like during her lifetime, with similar furniture and decoration.

Confusingly, there is another small Museum – the Rodanthi Museum – in the village. It also bears her name, but focuses on local herbs and plants.

The entrance to the Kritsa Gorge walk is just outside the northern end of the village, and signposted.

The gorge is a dried-up river valley, where rain can sometimes produce a stream of water in winter and spring (but seldom in summer).

It’s a moderate hike, with some clambering and scrambling around large rocks along the way.  The shortest route is a 4.2km loop which includes the Minoan Path back to the village.  The longest option takes you to the village of Tapes  -the trip there and back is around 9-10 km.

Kritsa is very easy to reach by car or bus.

It’s a 10-15 minute drive from the centre of Agios Nikolaos. It’s on the Prinas road, which can be accessed from the town centre or the E90 highway intersection on the outskirts of town. If you’re approaching from the Malia and Heraklion direction, turn right at this intersection and follow the road up the hill.

Regular buses to Kritsa also leave from Agios Nikolaos bus station.  They also take around 15 minutes. There are several services a day. Be aware that the last bus from Kritsa to Agios Nikolaos leaves at 6.45 pm, so if you’re staying late you’ll need to get a taxi back.

The Kritsa bus terminates at – and returns from – the village square, Plateia Melina Merkouri.

If you’re just visiting the village, you could see everything in three or four hours. This includes a stop for a meal at one of the tavernas and a stop at one of the small museums, as well as a walk through the older part of the village.

If you’re also visiting Panagia Kera Church, add on an hour for this. It’s a 10-15 minute walk down the hill from the bus stop in the square.  There is a bus stop outside the church, so you could catch the bus back to Agios Nikolaos from there.

If you plan to hike to Ancient Lato, add another three hours to your Kritsa visit.

And if you plan to do the Kritsa Gorge hike, you are heading towards a full day out. You may even need a second day if you intend to do the full 8-mile (13 km) circuit, depending on the conditions.

Several tours stop at Kritsa, usually for between one and two hours. If you’re just after a flavour of the village, then this is ideal.

I hope you have found my guide to Kritsa inspirational and helpful.

It’s one of the loveliest villages on Crete, and I’m inclined to say that it deserves a couple of days. One hiking day with a meal to follow, and another day slowly wandering and eating, is about right!

Agios Nikolaos and Elounda both make excellent bases for exploring eastern Crete.  Check out my guides to the best Agios Nikolaos beaches and the top things to do in Agios Nikolaos for much more information on the regional capital.

Elounda Crete, a few miles up the coast from Agios Nikolaos, has many of the best luxury hotels in Crete. The seaside village of Elounda is great, with an awesome beach, Schisma Elounda, with golden sand and shallow water ideal for families.

Elounda and Agios Nikolaos are both departure points for boat trips to Spinalonga Island.  This rocky islet, at the entrance to the Gulf of Elounda, served as Grece’s last leper colony between 1903 and 1957. It’s a harrowing story, some of which is told by Victoria Hislop in her 2005 novel The Island.  It’s also the site of one of the best-preserved Venetian fortresses in the Mediterranean, and is mooted for World Heritage status.

There are plenty more places to visit from Agios Nikolaos and Kritsa. Stunning tropical Voulisma Beach is a short drive or bus ride along the coast. It has amazing golden sand, some of the clearest turquoise water we’ve ever seen. Try to visit on a day with little wind to enjoy the best of the conditions.

If you’re heading west towards Heraklion, don’t miss Sissi Crete, a delightful village around a harbour below the Dikti Mountains. It’s an idyllic place to spend a day (or week), eating fish from a restaurant a few metres from where the catch was hauled in. Or watching one of those unforgettable Cretan sunsets.