Best 78 Safaris & wildlife activities on Crete Island

Choose from a morning or afternoon Quad Bike safari, and benefit from a hotel pick-up from Rethymno, Bali, or Georgiopoulis. Journey to the base in Rethymno town and get kitted out with all the necessary equipment. Listen to a detailed briefing before you set off for some serious off-road fun. Journey up into the mountains of Maroulas, and head for the summit for a 10-minute break to take in the panoramic views. Then, continue on your bike for another 20 minutes to reach a spot where you can relax over coffee at a traditional kafeneion (Greek coffee house). Soak up the peace and quiet of Café Gidospito overlooking beautiful Lake Potami before making your way to the picturesque village of Prassies for a quick snack to refuel after your Quad Bike experience. Return to Rethymno and get dropped off at your hotel to relax and freshen up after your dusty adventure.

Begin the tour at the Peninsula Resort and Spa with a short theoretical introduction and a quad driving lesson before the adventure begins. Follow a beautiful off-road cliff path along the sea and into the heights of Achlada away from traffic and in the midst of the most beautiful nature the area has to offer. Enjoy breathtaking views over Agia Pelagia until reaching Heraklion, then continue to the ancient and abruptly abandoned ghost village of Achlada.  Find out more about the background of the village and the traditional Cretan way of life and share a special personal moment with the last two remaining inhabitants of the village. Stroll through this otherwise inaccessible village at leisure. From the heights of Achlada, pass in between the mountains surrounded by breathtaking nature before continuing to Fodele, a traditional Cretan village, also called the village of the oranges and birthplace of the famous painter El Greco.  Explore Crete’s culture and marvel at its local handicrafts. Take some time for shopping and a visit to the museum or to the village’s orthodox churches. Sit back and enjoy a famous freshly squeezed orange juice made from the local orange trees for a more relaxing experience. Return to the hotel at 1.00 p.m., just in time for lunch.

Start your day by meeting your guide at the farm, where you will have a cup of coffee before taking a basic riding lesson to make sure you feel safe and comfortable while riding a horse. Then, hop on your horse to begin your ride out into the mountains. After riding for about an hour, you’ll arrive at the top of the Finikia mountains, where you’ll stop for a break. Help yourself to a soft drink, or fruit, and take a moment to admire the amazing views and snap a picture or two. In the distance, you can spot the nearby mountain of Archanes, the place where the Greek God Zeus is said to be sleeping. Then get back on your horses and make your way back to the starting point. After riding for about another hour, you’ll arrive at the stables and then sit down for a delicious traditional Cretan lunch, including homemade wine. After lunch, have a seat out in the garden of the farm, help yourself to some more wine, or enjoy a few more minutes with our horses. At about 12:45 PM, you will head back to your hotel or apartment.

Discover the Mountains of Crete and experience driving a 450cc ATV quad bike in the morning or the evening. Feel the fresh air on your face as you cross shallow rivers and explore hidden hills and small gorges that are only known to the local shepherds. Feel enchanted by the changing landscape of Crete and have guaranteed fun driving on the dirt roads. You will be accompanied by an experienced guide who will introduce you to wonderful Cretan landscapes and will entertain you with fascinating local tales and Cretan culture. This perfect holiday will give both you and your family a treasure chest of memories to share and look back on.

Discover traditional life in rural Crete by witnessing the daily activities of the locals and visiting the sites where Greek myths were born. Enjoy a tour of Potamies, Aposelemis dam, Empasa, the cave of Zeus, and the beautiful scenery of the plateau. Start with pickup from your accommodation. Visit one of the most characteristic Cretan villages, Potamies, for a tour of a traditional local farm. See the process of milking and cheese-making, meet the animals, and sample their fresh cheese. Next, head to the Aposelemis dam, the largest water supply project in Crete. See the village of Sfendili submerged in the waters of the dam with its impressive old houses fading on the surface of the water. Explore the natural wetlands and spot a unique variety of birds. Continue uphill on the dirt roads to the gorge of Empasa. Enjoy the views of the mountainous landscape and thriving wildlife. Try your hand at foraging for native herbs or relax and take in the panoramic views. Take a trip to Lassithi Plateau to enter Psychro Cave, the fabled birthplace of the Greek God Zeus. Follow the trails of the gods and after that take a tour around the plateau to get a sense of local life. Finally, enjoy authentic food baked in the wood oven in one of the most celebrated taverns in the picturesque village of Krasi. Admire the town square filled with fountains and see imposing plane trees that are up to 2000 years old. Return to your hotel full of unforgettable memories of Crete.

Hop in a Land Rover 4×4 vehicle for a full-day safari adventure and learn about Cretan traditions while indulging in delicious food. Tour the paradisical countryside and swim in the clear water of the South Cretan Sea. Climb to an altitude of 1,100 meters and experience the quietness of the White Mountains and Cretan dances in a fascinating landscape. Keep an eye out for vultures that will take your breath away with their imposing appearance. Visit an old village with a Byzantine Church and a café stocked with Cretan products, including herbs, raki, and honey. See a castle and swim in the pristine waters of the South Cretan Sea before heading to a tavern to try traditional dishes. Discover the secrets of Creten olive oil at an old factory and learn how to identify various grades of olive oil.

This is the ideal diving course for those who want to try scuba diving but do not have a diving certificate. Enjoy a pre-dive lesson and always be accompanied by a certified instructor. Begin your day with the basic theory on diving and the skills necessary to do so. You will then move on to real-life diving under the supervision of a certified instructor. During the dive, you will have the opportunity to explore the bottom of the sea in Agia Pelagia, learn the basic commands, and get the chance to observe up-close the fish and sea creatures living near the seabed.

Set out on a self-driving quad safari and explore the Cretan countryside with a guided tour with hotel transfers from Malia, Heraklion, Sisi, and surrounding spots. Drive to Milatos, featuring rock-hewn caves and a little beach. Visit an olive oil factory, and discover the Palace of Malia. Before starting your quad tour experience, get acquainted with your ATV vehicle, including lessons for beginners, by an instructor. Begin by going uphill on off-road terrain to reach your first stop, the Chapel of the Prophet Elias, where you will be greeted by panoramic views of the surroundings. Descending through this lush place, hit an off-road route between the vineyards and olive groves to explore Cretan nature in all its glory. Stop at an olive oil factory to see how locals extract olive oil, followed by a brief tasting. Continue on the dirt roads to Milatos to explore a series of caves hewn into rocks, surrounded by mountains, rich flora, and fauna. This is your chance to collect some local herbs and be one with nature. After the hike on the path to Milatos Cave, head to Milatos Beach for a swim. Next, it’s time for a seaside safari tour through the narrow streets of the quaint fishing villages of Milatos and Sissi. Then, we’ll drive through impressive off road around the picturesque countryside, where the Malia Palace Archaeological Site once stood. Finally, unwind over lunch after a full day of adventure in Crete.

Discover what lies below the surface of the water on an amazing 3-hour boat trip off the northwest coast of Crete. Benefit from pick-up at your hotel in Chania, and then journey by air-conditioned minivan to the resort town of Almyrida. Avail of the services of experienced instructors who will give you a short theory lesson on arrival. Then, sail to secluded beaches that can only be reached by boat and swim with your provided snorkeling equipment. Learn the names of all the fish with the help of a book as the crew takes photos and videos of your experience to send by email as a souvenir. Relax and enjoy the good company in the warm sun, and get fantastic views of the coastline.

Explore the famous Samaria Gorge on a trip along the northern coastline of Crete and through the White Mountains up to the Omalos Plateau. Samaria Gorge became a National Park in 1962 and today, it is the last natural refuge for the Cretan goat species known as Kri-Kri. Depart early in the morning and board a coach which will pick you up from your hotel. After a comfortable drive, arrive at the plateau of Omalos for a small break before heading to the entrance of the gorge. The start of the hiking trail through the gorge is at a height of 1200m. On the route, pass by rich vegetation and through the tall rock walls known as the “Iron Gates”. Fill up your water bottle at one of the springs in the gorge. At the end of the 17km walk, reach the Libyan Sea. There, at the beach of Ayia Roumeli, enjoy a refreshing swim or sit at one of the taverns until a ferry takes the group to Chora Sfakion where the bus will be waiting for you to return you back to your hotel.