Best 78 Island Exploration activities on Crete Island

Kick off your shoes and come onboard an elegant yacht on a sailing tour with us. Embark on a private cruise or a group trip to Dia Island from Heraklion and explore this rugged island with plenty of time to swim, snorkel, or relax on its pristine shores. Enjoy a glass of wine or a refreshment. Benefit from optional pick-up from your hotel or apartment, and then relax on a 1-hour sailing cruise to Dia Island on a luxury yacht only for you and your family or friends. After dropping anchor in the romantic Gulf of Saint George, spend your day discovering an idyllic location with great history, such as the underwater ancient Minoan port, which was one of the favorite destinations of the explorer, Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Enjoy fishing, swimming in the crystal clear water, taking a walk among the island’s cedar trees, or just relaxing in the quiet bay overlooking Heraklion. Snorkeling and fishing equipment are provided for your comfort and convenience by the attentive crew, along with unlimited refreshments and seasonal fruits.

Sail to the exotic Dia island on our modern and large sailing yachts! Explore the magnificent bay of the island and spend 6 hours of pure relaxation and joy. Sailing to Dia takes approximately 1 hour so after anchoring at the bay there will be 4 hours to spend swimming, enjoying our delicious menu freshly prepared from the crew on board and trying our endless water activities before setting sails to return to Heraklion to enjoy 1 more hour of relaxing sailing. While on anchor in the bay our crew will be happy to offer you any piece of equipment for our water activities and serve you plentiful drinks so please don’t hesitate to request it from them. You can choose between the morning or the afternoon cruise with the sunset view. Below we give you the timetables of the 2 trips. Morning Sailing Trip: 9:00 AM : Departure from the Port of Heraklion. As we sail you can enjoy the sun, the wind or have some drinks or even learn how to sail and be the captain yourself! 10:15 AM : We arrive to the exotic Dia island. Time for swimming, exploring and trying our water activities. 12:00 AM : Time for a break to enjoy our delicious menu. 12:30 PM : More time to spend swimming, sunbathing, relaxing or trying our water activities. 1:45 PM : Time to say goodbye to the beautiful scenery and the crystal waters and set sails once again to head back to Heraklion full of joy and great memories! 3:00 PM : We arrive to the Port of Heraklion and we wish you farewell hoping to see you again in one of our trips! Afternoon Sailing Trip: 3:00 PM : Departure from the Port of Heraklion. As we sail you can enjoy the sun, the wind or have some drinks or even learn how to sail and be the captain yourself! 4:15 PM : We arrive to the exotic Dia island. Time for swimming, exploring and trying our water activities. 6:00 PM : Time for a break to enjoy our delicious menu. 6:30 PM : More time to spend swimming, sunbathing, relaxing or trying our water activities. 7:45 PM : Time to say goodbye to the beautiful scenery and the crystal waters and set sails once again to head back to Heraklion admiring the magnificent sunset, full of joy and great memories! 9:00 PM : We arrive to the Port of Heraklion and we wish you farewell hoping to see you again in one of our trips! We look forward to welcome you on board for an unforgettable day!

Discover one of the most beautiful beaches in the world on this day trip from Rethymno to Elafonissi. Experience a heaven on earth, with soft white and pink sand, exotic crystal-clear water, and cedar trees that extend down to the coastline. Visit traditional villages like Elos and Kaloudiana. Get picked up from your hotel area in the morning, then stop for a short break in the traditional village of Elos. Time permitting, enjoy time to have breakfast or a coffee (cost not included). Afterward, depart for Elafonissi. On the way, see small traditional villages combined with typical Mediterranean scenery. Admire the rugged landscape around the Topolia Gorge. At Elafonissi, get 4 hours of free time to soak in the sun and enjoy the spectrum of shades of blue that this beach has to offer. At the end of your tour, stop at the village Kaloudiana, where you can explore the village and have refreshments or food (not included). Later, get driven back to your accommodation in Rethymno.

Kick off your shoes and come onboard a half-day private sailing tour via your choice of an Elan 37, Dufour 32 Classic, or Bavaria 45 Cruiser. Cruise to Dia Island from Heraklion and explore this rugged island with plenty of time to swim, snorkel, or relax on its pristine shores. Enjoy unlimited drinks and fruits. Benefit from optional pick-up from your hotel or apartment, and then relax on a 1-hour sailing cruise to Dia Island on a luxury yacht only for you and your family or friends. After dropping anchor in the romantic Gulf of Saint George, spend your day discovering an idyllic location with great history, such as the underwater ancient Minoan port, which was one of the favorite destinations of the explorer, Jacques-Yves Cousteau.  Enjoy fishing, swimming in the crystal clear water, taking a walk among the island’s cedar trees, or just relaxing in the quiet bay overlooking Heraklion. Snorkeling and fishing equipment are provided for your comfort and convenience by the attentive crew, along with unlimited refreshments and seasonal fruits. Depart from Dia Island and journey back to Heraklion, where a transfer to your hotel or cruise ship is provided if requested.

Kick off your shoes and come onboard an elegant yacht on a private sailing tour. Embark on a full-day or half-day private cruise to Dia Island from Heraklion and explore this rugged island with plenty of time to swim, snorkel, or relax on its pristine shores. Enjoy a glass of wine or a refreshment. Benefit from optional pick-up from your hotel or apartment, and then relax on a 1-hour sailing cruise to Dia Island on a luxury yacht only for you and your family or friends. After dropping anchor in the romantic Gulf of Saint George, spend your day discovering an idyllic location with great history, such as the underwater ancient Minoan port, which was one of the favorite destinations of the explorer, Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Enjoy fishing, swimming in the crystal clear water, taking a walk among the island’s cedar trees, or just relaxing in the quiet bay overlooking Heraklion. Snorkeling and fishing equipment are provided for your comfort and convenience by the attentive crew, along with unlimited refreshments and seasonal fruits. Depart from Dia Island and journey back to Heraklion, where a transfer to your hotel or cruise ship is provided if requested.

Relax & Enjoy We offer our guests the opportunity to visit Dia Island, by sailing boat. You can choose between a morning or sunset private half-day cruise, and a full-day private cruise, up to ten persons. Embark on a half-day cruise to Dia Island from Heraklion and explore this rugged island with plenty of time to swim, snorkel, or relax on its pristine shores. Swim in the crystal clear water, take a walk among the island’s cedar trees or just relax in the quiet bay overlooking Heraklion. Our cruises include historical narrations across the Cretan coastline, sailing, swimming, exploring the Aegean Sea. Relax on board our sailing boat MARYLINE, enjoy the stunning view of the city and feel the refreshing summer breeze!

Enjoy a relaxing cruise along the Aegean sea and admire stunning views as you sail for Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island. Take time to swim and explore these incredible locations at your own pace. Start your morning at Kissamos port and board a private sailboat. After learning the safety procedures on board from your experienced skipper, set sail on a private cruise for Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island. Relax on board while taking in the spectacular views of the Cretan coast. Learn a bit about sailing on the trip with the help of your skipper. After 1.5 hours at sea, reach Balos Lagoon. Soak up the sun on the pristine shores of Balos Beach or even go for a swim in the clear water. Next stop: Gramvousa Island. Hike to the extraordinary castle built high up on the island and admire panoramic views of the horizon from above. Take your time exploring this rugged island or practice your snorkeling. At noon, relax on deck and enjoy a delicious lunch cooked on board. If it’s too hot, take a break in the cabins. Admire the beautiful views of the sea once more as you head for the port.

Discover the Balos lagoon from above and go for a swim in the crystal-clear waters of Falassarna beach on this guided day trip from Chania. Travel aboard a comfortable all-terrain vehicle and stop a mouth-watering Greek lunch with wine or beer.  Hop in an air-conditioned vehicle at your hotel in Chania and relax on the drive. Follow your guide the Balos lagoon viewpoint. Admire panoramic views of the island’s landscapes and the azure sea. Continue to Falassarna beach, a favorite destination of the locals. Have sunbeds and umbrellas already reserved for when you arrive at the beach for a smooth and easy trip. Relax on the beach or swim in the idyllic waters. Sip a cup of coffee or a soft drink.  Finally, savor a delicious lunch at a nearby restaurant. Taste traditional food and wine at your reserved table and enjoy the lively atmosphere. Keep your energy up during your trip with fruit and local energy bars. Return to your hotel at the end of your tour. 

Upon arriving at the take-off area, take some time to enjoy the beautiful views. Your pilot will begin to prepare the glider, while constantly and thoroughly checking the weather conditions. Watch him unfold the glider and deal with the hundreds of lines — a routine procedure for him. Then, gear up, putting your harness and helmet on. As your pilot prepares, he’ll tell you a few things you need to know about the experience and describe how you’ll feel in the air, so as to make the transition into flight easier on you. As the passenger, you’ll go in front, connected to the pilot who will control the glider. He’ll inflate the glider, and all you have to do is run a few steps forward. 3, 4, and you’re off. There are no words to describe the feeling of flying over Chania, a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. When you are close to the ground, you and your pilot will land softly, jogging a few steps forward as you come into contact with the ground. In rare cases, weather might make your landing a little faster. In this case, you’ll experience a bum landing. Your instructor is equipped to handle this special landing and any other issue that may arise.

Start your day of adventure at your first stop of the trip, a local oil mill. Here you will have the opportunity to see how Crete’s famous olive oil is produced on this fascinating and informative outing. Follow on your journey through Crete and make a quick stop at the watersprings of Argyroupolis. These watersprings are responsible for the rich vegetation that surrounds the village, a truly magical and refreshing experience. Your last stop of the tour, lasting roughly 2,5 hours, will give you enough time to enjoy a swim and eat Cretan delicacies at the many taverns that are located around the lake.