Animals in Crete

Crete has an animal of its own — the kri-kri, a wild goat with curved horns that has survived only here and on a few neighbouring islets. The chance to see one comes in the Samaria gorge and on Dia, reached by boat from Heraklion: the goats are fed near the shore and come down to the water. At Gournes the Cretaquarium holds the inhabitants of the Mediterranean, from morays and octopus to sharks — the only display on this scale in the region.

The second line is domestic animals. On the Lassithi plateau donkeys carry riders along village paths, and near Georgioupoli people ride horses beside the water and through the olive groves. Shepherds in the mountains show the milking and the boiling of graviera right in the yard: there are more sheep and goats on the island than people, and cheese here is still made by hand.

Practical notes: the aquarium is about 15 km from Heraklion but over two hours from Chania, so it is taken from the near side of the island. Horse rides are split by level and a beginner will not be put into a canter. The kri-kri is a wild animal and feeding by hand is forbidden. Closed shoes are needed in the mountains and the gorge, and water by the sea — there is almost no shade on the routes.