The six main Minoan sites in Crete collectively became Greece’s 20th UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2025. Many visitors know about Knossos, the second most-visited site in ancient Greece after the Parthenon in Athens. But the others are mostly well off the beaten track, and well worth seeking out if you’re passing any of them while travelling around the island.
Two of the sites are in popular tourist areas – Kydonia is within the lovely city of Chania, while the second largest Minoan site in Crete is on the outskirts of Malia, near the eastern end of the island’s most popular tourist strip. The others take more effort to reach, with Zakros in the far east of the island, an area relatively few travellers reach.
The Minoans – British archaeologist Arthur Evans named them after the legendary King Minos – were a Bronze Age people who lived on Crete from roughly 3000 BC to around 1400 BC. The six palace sites we explore in this article date from the 17th or 16th century BC, and most were rebuilt following a devastating earthquake or tsunami – possibly at Thira (Santorini) around 1700 BC.
Most of the Minoan sites across Crete consist of excavated foundations of buildings. The only one that has had any substantial ‘restoration’ work carried out is Knossos, and there’s no way of knowing how accurate this may have been. What we do know is that Minoan culture was extraordinarily rich, as shown by the amazing works of art on display at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum.
IN this guide I’ll describe each of the sites, including their histories, what to see, and run through the practicalities of getting to each of them. I’ll also suggest guided tours and places to stay where necessary. I hope you find it useful.
Knossos
Visiting Knossos Palace is one of the best reasons to visit Crete, its foremost archaeological site and presumed centre of the Bronze Age Minoan civilisation that lived on the island for 2,000 years.
It’s certainly the most iconic of the Minoan sites in Crete, partly because of the many superb ancient artworks uncovered there, but also because it’s the one Minoan site in Crete where any reconstruction has taken place.
One of the drawbacks of seeing one set of foundations after another is that they do all look like each other, and their settings aside, there’s nothing to distinguish them from each other. Most of the excavations at Knossos were undertaken and led by British archaeologist Arthur Evans in the early 20th century. He took it upon himself to rebuild some parts of the Knossos site, including what has become one of the most famous images of Crete, the red-pillared North Propylaeum with the Bull Fresco within.
Historical accuracy was not Evans’ strong point. He rebuilt the Throne Room area using reinforced concrete, whereas the Minoans used mud brick and later a mixture of mud brick and sandstone. So some of his work stands out like a sore thumb. But there is a chance the North Propylaeum may have looked something like it does now – the Minoans were exceptional artists, as shown by their many surviving frescoes.
Knossos is three miles (5 km) south of Heraklion city centre and the port. If you only have one day in Heraklion I suggest you visit Knossos early in the morning, then head straight to the superb Heraklion Archaeological Museum to see the original artworks found there.
Getting there: Bus number 2 departs the port and then stops on the road outside Heraklion bus station, taking 20 minutes to reach the site.
Tours: This is possibly the best Knossos tour, as it also includes a tour of the Archaeological Museum and over two hours exploring the historic centre of Heraklion.
Where To Stay: Lato Boutique Hotel – 4-star hotel overlooking the Venetian Harbour and Koules, with some of the best views in Heraklion
Heraklion Archaeological Museum
Visiting Heraklion Archaeological Museum is one of the most rewarding things to do in Crete. It’s where most of the prime Minoan artefacts from around Crete are on display, retrieved from most of the sites I’ve written about in this article, and numerous others besides.
Many of these are, as you might expect, from nearby Knossos, but some of the finest exhibits are from much smaller sites including Agia Triada, where an astonishing sarcophagus was unearthed and pieced together.
The Museum also houses the Phaistos Disc, named after the site where it was excavated. It’s one of the best-preserved examples of Minoan writing, but archaeologists have never been able to decipher it.
It’s home to thousands of other treasures, from tiny figurines of snake goddesses to larnakes, beautifully decorated sarcophagi that preceded Classical Greek civilisation by over a thousand years.
The originals of many of the artworks you see at Knossos are held in the archaeological Museum. These include the iconic Blue Ladies fresco, and the Bull Leaping fresco that suggests that Minoan youths were daredevils willing to put themselves in danger, jumping over running bulls for thrills. The original Dolphin Fresco from the Queen’s Megaron (Suite) is another highlight.
However many Minoan sites in Crete you intend to visit, I suggest visiting the Museum before heading around the island to see them. Some of the sites – particularly Malia – are vast, and their superb settings also hint at this once powerful civilisation. But with only foundations and a few reconstructed pithoi (storage vessels) to see, you’ll have a much greater appreciation of them having seen their greatest treasures.
Tickets: You can book your Archaeological Museum ticket and audio guide here.
Malia Minoan Palace
The Minoan Palace at Malia, 25 miles (40 km) east of Knossos and Heraklion, is the third largest Minoan palace site. It was built in an amazing spot, with soaring mountains inland and the coast just a few hundred metres away.
It’s believed that the site was first occupied as early as 2500 BC, and a palatial complex was built there by around 1700 BC. This was later rebuilt following destruction, either by the Thira or Santorini earthquake or a tsunami which followed it. This second palace was destroyed around 1450 BC.
The Malia site was later used by the Mycenaeans from what is now mainland Greece, and they lived there for around 200 years before finally abandoning the site.
Excavation work began on the site in 1919 under Joseph Hatzidakis, and was then taken over by the French School in Athens, who have been working there for over a century.
Numerous pithoi (large storage jars, which would have held olive oil or wine) have been found and pieced together at the site. Metal tools and tablets with Linear A script have also been unearthed there, as has the famous Malia Pendant (pictured), an exquisite miniature of two honeybees which is held in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum.
The Malaia Palace site is open from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm in the summer months. My advice is to visit around 6.00 pm, when the heat has begun to lose its edge. Potamos Beach is close by, as are some excellent restaurants, including Taverna Kalyva, where we feasted like Classical Greek gods.
Getting there: The Minoan Palace at Malia is a short walk from the main road across northern Crete, where regular buses between Heraklion and Hersonissos, Malia and Agios Nikolaos (the most common final destination) run. When boarding the bus – usually a coach – ask for stop 36. From there, the turn-off for the Minoan Palace and nearby Potamos Beach is a few metres’ walk, and the palace entrance is just 200 metres beyond that.
Where To Stay: Pyrgos Beach Hotel Apartments – spacious beachfront aparthotel, roughly halfway between Malia town centre and the Minoan Palace
Kydonia (Chania)
Kydonia is believed to have been the westernmost Minoan palace site in Crete, occupying a site in what is now the beautiful city of Chania.
The most productive excavations have been in the hillside Kastelli district, close to the Venetian harbour. Whenever further digs have been carried out in the vicinity of what already has been found, more Minoan remnants have been unearthed. But no large Minoan palace site, with a characteristic central courtyard area, has been discovered, and given the built-up state of Chania Old Town, it’s unlikely that it ever will be.
The most substantial remains of Kydonia are at the junction of Kantanoleon and Kanevarou streets in Kastelli, five minutes’ walk up the hill from the old harbour. The excavated area is covered, and the foundations suggest that the building contained numerous small rooms. They could have been used as living space, and possibly for storage.
There’s another small excavated site around the corner on Katre, around 60 metres away from the larger site. As you walk down the hill towards the harbour, turn left at the Synka supermarket, it’s a few doors along on your left. The small plot of land was excavated in the 1970s, and what was found is believed to be from the later Minoan period. Linear A script was found on some of the tablets at the site.
It won’t take you long to see these two sites – to bring it to life, I suggest two or three hours at the excellent Chania Archaeological Museum a mile to the east of the Old Town. Buses 11, 18 and 23 stop 100 metres from the Museum.
Tours: This is the best Chania Old Town tour, including several street food stops along the way
Where To Stay: La Maison Ottomane – medieval Venetian house with Turkish-inspired décor and furnishing, very close to the Venetian Harbour and Kydonia site.
See Also: Things To Do In Chania – the most beautiful city in Crete
Phaistos (also spelt Phaestos or Festos)
Phaistos, near the south Crete coast and the popular beach village of Matala, was possibly the first Minoan palace site to be settled, as early as 3600 BC. Its setting as magnificent, with views north towards Psiloritis, the mountain that dominates the landscape of central Crete, east over the Messara plain, and south over the Libyan Sea.
The palace complex of Phaistos was built three times, suffering destruction through natural disaster at least twice. The Palace may not have been rebuilt after 1450 BC, but the surrounding area was inhabited long afterwards, and the city was powerful at the time of Homer (8th century BC).
The site if Phaistos is large, over 8,000 square metres, and if size is anything to go by, its expansive central court area suggests it was of very high status. There are substantial remains of some less regal and ceremonial parts of the site, including the storage areas and the enormous grain silos.
If you visit the Heraklion Archaeological Museum before Phaistos (as I suggest), you will have seen the most famous discovery from the site, the mysterious Phaistos Disc. The Disc is inscribed with Minoan script on both sides, but 3,500 years later, sadly, nobody has been able to decipher any of it.
Tour: This tour from Heraklion visits Phaistos, the nearby site of ancient Gortyn, Matala Beach and Zaros village and Byzantine monastery.
Where To Stay: Matala Luxury Apartments – exactly as the name suggests, 30 metres from the famous beach, and seven miles (11 km) from Phaistos
Zakros
Zakros is the most remote of the main Minoan sites in Crete, on the far eastern coast of the island, well beyond where most visitors tread.
The palace site at Zakros is in the seaside village of Kato Zakros (Lower Zakros), close to the end of the so-called ‘Gorge of the Dead’. The remains of a Minoan villa are near the top of the gorge, at Epano Zakros (Upper Zakros), a 4-mile (6 km) hike away.
The harbour which once served Zakros palace has long since been submerged by the sea. In its heyday it was likely an important trading post, as evidenced by Egyptian bowls and jars discovered at the site. The Palace was extensive, around 8,000 square metres in total – four times the size of the area excavated at Zominthos (see below).
The most notable artefact unearthed at Zakros is the bull’s head rhyton (pictured), one of three on display at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. It’s believed that it was used as a drinking vessel, possibly at religious ceremonies.
Getting there: If you’re visiting Zakros Minoan Palace, you’ll probably need to consider an overnight stay in far western Crete. You can get there by bus from Sitia bus station – three number 222 services run each day, including one at 6.15 am, which isn’t ideal. The next one runs at 12.45, and takes 50 minutes to reach Kato Zakros, leaving you just over two hours before your return bus to Sitia.
Things To See Near Kato Zakros
The Xerokampos area to the south of Zakros has some fantastic beaches, and there are some superb coastal walks between them. They are at the top of my personal Crete to do list. They are only a few miles south of Kato Zakros but the drive takes longer, as it’s along narrow hairpin roads.
Where To Stay – Yiannis Retreat in Kato Zakros is rated exceptional by hundreds of guests, and is a 500-metre walk from the beach and Palace site. Athena Rooms is on Kato Zakros beachfront, and very close to the Minoan Palace site.
Zominthos
Zominthos is the least-known of the Minoan Crete World Heritage Sites, and one of the two most remote. It also has perhaps one of the most fascinating stories, as it’s the only Minoan mountain site yet discovered. The others are all fairly close to the coast, at low altitude. So Zominthos gives us quite a different perspective on the Minoans.
Zominthos lies 1,200 metres above sea level on the northeastern slopes of the Psiloritis massif, the mountain that dominates the Cretan landscape between Heraklion and Rethymno. It was first excavated in 1982 by archaeologist Yannis Sakellarakis, who was led to the site by a local shepherd.
It may well have been a site that was only occupied for part of the year, as the area remains under snow for long periods during the winter months. Part of it may well have been a palace, and pottery and other ceramics were also produced there. A protected hawthorn tree – declared a natural monument – stands a few metres from the site entrance.
The Zominthos site opened for limited visits in the summer of 2025, with guided tours offered by some archaeologists. It’s 5 miles (7.5 km) south of the village of Anogia, and reachable by surfaced road. There isn’t even a website for visits to Zominthos, that’s how ad hoc things are at present. Google Maps suggests that the site is ‘permanently closed’, but this does not seem to be the case.
If you’re keen to visit, there is a telephone number and email address at the bottom of the Greek Ministry of Culture Rethymno branch webpage. The Psiloritis (Mount Ida) landscape is fascinating, with the Idaean Cave (also known as Idaean Antron), where according to legend god of gods Zeus was raised. There are also some amazing drystone mitatoshepherds’ mountain huts, in the Nida plateau area.
The only tour that currently explores this area is this Psiloritis 4×4 adventure, which also stops briefly at Zominthos, the villages of Kroussonas and Anogia, and Sfendoni cave.
Getting there: the closest a bus gets you to Zominthos is Anogia, 7 kilometres away. Three buses run there daily from Heraklion, taking one hour. This is an instance when you may be better hiring a car or driver for the day.
Where To Stay: Melissa Apartments, Anogia – beautiful traditionally decorated and furnished apartments in the middle of the mountain village
Minoan Sites In Crete – Final Thoughts
I hope that you have enjoyed this guide to the Minoan palatial sites in Crete, and that you get to visit some of them next time you’re on this extraordinary island.
We have been very fortunate to have spent over eight months exploring Crete, and as a result I have written a great many articles on the island. Here are some for you to browse for further inspiration:
Things To Do In Chania – discover the most beautiful city in Crete, indeed, perhaps, Greece
Pink Beaches In Crete – the 3 stunning pink sand beaches to visit on Crete
Famous Landmarks In Crete To Visit – from Knossos to its most famous beaches, gorges and more
Kedrodasos Beach – glorious pristine beach and coves in a grove of rare juniper trees
Things To Do In Rethymno – discovering Crete’s enchanting third city
Rethymno Beaches – 20 of the best beaches in Rethymno province in central and western Crete
Bali Crete Beaches – guide to all 5 beaches in this beautiful north coast village
Things To Do In Heraklion – discover the greatly underrated capital of Crete
Visiting Knossos Palace Crete – the foremost ancient Minoan site in the world
Panormos Crete – complete guide to this charming fishing village on Crete’s north coast
Arkadi Monastery Crete – fascinating monastery and church, site of infamous massacre during the Cretan Revolt
Kalypso Beach Crete – a fjord, of all things, in Crete – and one of the best places to swim and snorkel in Greece