Cruises in Crete

Sea departures from Crete go three ways, and each is about a place unreachable by land. In the west it is Balos and Gramvousa: the boat leaves Kissamos, stops at a Venetian fortress on a rocky island, and beyond that the lagoon opens with water in three shades. In the east it is Spinalonga off Elounda: an island fortress that held a leper colony, the last in Europe, until 1957, and the houses there stand exactly as they were left.

The third direction is south and the open sea. Chrissi island, an hour from Ierapetra, is covered in cedar forest rare for the Mediterranean and lives without a single permanent resident. Dia, opposite Heraklion, is an uninhabited reserve visited for a half-day swim. Santorini in a day stands apart: a fast ferry from Rethymno or Heraklion, the caldera, Oia and back by night.

Practical notes. Everything depends on the meltemi, the summer northerly: under it the Balos sailings are cancelled more often than any other, with money returned. The islands have no shade and almost no kiosks — water, sunscreen and shoes for stones come with you. Santorini in a day means fourteen hours and two sea crossings; if you suffer at sea, choose something nearer.