Hania is a riot of colour in a historic harbour.The west of Crete stands apart in so many ways.

Iraklio is Crete’s most dynamic region, home to almost half the island’s population and its top-rated tourist site, the Minoan Palace of Knossos.

Lasithi is the wildest area of Crete with the richest biodiversity and least trampled ranges; it’s so rugged in places, you half expect Pan to emerge, pipe in hand, from the meadows.

Rethymno is a wild beauty. Endless ribbons of mountain roads wind through the timeless interior, passing fields of wildflowers and tiny, traditional hamlets cradled by olive groves.