Crete - spring flowers and ancient sites
Our very first Wildlife Travel holiday, way back in 1988, was an April week on Crete, famous for its carpets of springtime flowers and abundance of orchids. The island has held a special place in our hearts ever since, and almost four decades later, we are still being blown away by Crete’s wild flowers, dramatic gorges and entrancing archaeological sites.
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Wildlife Travel leaflet Crete 2026
Dates
17th – 24th April 2026
Leader
Philip Precey and Sarah Lambert
Price
£2,195
Single Room Supplement – £200
Included
Return flight London Gatwick to Chania. Local transport as specified in itinerary. Seven nights accommodation, full board.
Not included
Refreshments. Gratuities. Travel insurance. ETIAS/visa costs. Covid tests and associated costs.
Group size
Minimum 4, maximum 12.
A highlight of any April trip to Crete is the time spent at the famous ‘Spili bumps’, an area of rough limestone hillside where twenty or more species of orchid can be found on a good day, alongside Cretan Iris, Cretan Arum and the beautiful red Tulipa orphanidea.
This year we are also making sure to visit the Omalos plateau where, close to the mouth of the dramatic Samaria Gorge, we will find the delicate pink Tulipa saxitilis blooming amongst the olive groves, as well as the endangered locally endemic tree Zelkova abelicea.
Crete has a rich and ancient history, from the Minoans through the Greeks and Romans to the Venetians and Ottomans. During our stay, we will visit several archaeological sites in the west of the island, rich not only in history and culture, but also in wildlife, with Cretan Wall Lizard sunbathing on the rocks and wild flowers aplenty amongst the ruins.
We will finish our Cretan week with a walk through one of the island’s many gorges, where Cretan Cyclamen grow in the shade of the chestnut trees, before enjoying a hearty lunch at a village taverna.
We will be staying in a comfortable hotel on the edge of the scenic old town of Chania, overlooking the Venetian harbour and the blue waters of the Gulf of Chania beyond.
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Please note that holidays change, although sometimes only slightly, from year to year and previous trip reports may not reflect the planned itinerary, or other holiday details, for the current trip. Please ask us if you would like to know of any significant differences.
Day 1 Our flight takes us to Chania, a historic Venetian harbour town on the north coast of Crete, where we will be based in a hotel on the waterfront, just outside the scenic old town centre.
Day 2 We head south, to one of the island’s classic botanical locations, the famous ‘Spili bumps’. These limestone hills are amazingly rich in orchids: twenty or more species can be found here on a good spring day! We spend the day exploring this wonderful area, sorting through the bewildering variety of orchids, along with Iris cretensis and a wonderful display of the stunning red Tulipa orphanidea. On our way back to Chania, we will stop at the interesting archaeological site at Armeni, a Minoan burial site dating back almost 4,000 years.
Day 3 A little way east of Chania is the ancient city of Aptera, sitting atop a hill overlooking Souda Bay. We will spend the morning exploring the Greek and Roman remains of the archaeological site and the nearby Ottoman fortress, where wild flowers, Cretan Wall Lizard and various migrant birds can be found amongst the ruins. After lunch, we head to the other side of Souda Bay, and the Akrotiri peninsula, where we visit two monasteries, with a walk through the countryside between the two.
Day 4 A free day gives us the time to explore the narrow lanes, craft shops and restaurants of Chania old town. Highly recommended would be a visit to the Archaeological Museum of Chania, where many of the treasures discovered in the sites we are visiting during the week have found a new home.
Day 5 We head up to the Omalos plateau and the mouth of the famous Samaria Gorge. Amongst the olive groves, we will look for the lovely pink Tulipa saxatilis and nodding Crown Anemones, along with the endangered Zelkova abelicea, a tree endemic to the mountains of Crete. Nearby, we explore the rocky hillsides, looking for Muscari heldreichii and Arum idaeum, whilst keeping an eye on the skies for passing European Griffon, Golden Eagle or Bearded Vulture.
Day 6 On a hilltop towards the west end of the island is the site of another important ancient city, Polyrrhenia. We take a walk around the area, with stunning views out towards the coast, enjoying the wild flowers including the locally endemic Dianthus xylorrhizus, found only on this single hilltop. If time permits, we head to the coast, where the beach is home to a different suite of plants, notably Crocodilium pumilio, Colchicum rechingeri and Juniperus macrocarpa.
Day 7 There are those for whom no visit to Crete would be complete without exploring one of the island’s dramatic gorges. Neither as long nor as challenging as some of its more famous neighbours, we will walk the Delianon Gorge, lined with chestnut and plane trees, and home to Cyclamen creticum and Arum italicum, ending our walk at a local taverna. On our way back to Chania, we stop at Agia Lake, where various water birds sometimes stop off on migration.
Day 8 After one last lazy morning, or perhaps a last visit to the souvenir shops of Chania, it is time to bid farewell to the island and head home.
Please note that the itinerary may be changed to suit the weather or other practicalities at the discretion of the leaders.
We will be staying in the Porto Veneziano Hotel, overlooking the harbour and only a few minutes walk from the old town of Chania. All rooms are en-suite.
Evening meals will be taken at the hotel and we will take picnic lunches.
We will travel by small coach or minibus.
Group flights
Group flights are with easyJet from London Gatwick to Chania.
17th April depart London Gatwick 08.00, arrive Chania 13.55
24th April depart Chania 14.45, arrive London Gatwick 17.00
Overland travel
You can reach Greece by train from the UK, with some route options also involving a ferry. From London you can reach Athens in two to three nights. Many of the Greek islands can be reached by ferry from Athens, including Crete and Lesvos. Contact us to find out more, and to make your holiday flight-free.
Time zone
Greece is two hours ahead of UK time.
Entry requirements
If you hold a British passport you can travel to the Schengen area (which includes Greece) for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Your passport must be issued less than ten years before the date you enter the country and valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave.
Starting in 2026 British passport holders will need to apply for the ETIAS European Travel Authorisation to visit Schengen countries. This must be applied for online prior to travel, at a cost of €7 (free for over 70s). Once granted, your ETIAS will be valid for three years.
At this time of year the weather is usually sunny but not too hot. Spring weather is always less predictable, and we may encounter cooler, windier and/or wetter weather. We will adapt our excursions accordingly.
On most days, we are walking for much of the day, albeit at a relatively slow pace. The longest walks (Day 3 and Day 7) will be around 6km, with some rougher ground and slopes up and down, although none of the walking is particularly strenuous. Good (light) walking boots are recommended. All excursions are optional.