We cross the island through the olive groves of the Messara plain to Phaistos, a Minoan palace set on a hill with one of the finest views in Crete. The day continues on the south coast at Matala, where ancient tombs carved into the cliffs became, in the 1960s, the famous home of travellers and musicians. A swim in the Libyan Sea and a long seaside lunch are entirely up to you.
Highlights
- The palace of Phaistos
- Matala's cliff caves
- A swim in the Libyan Sea
A little history
Phaistos was the second most important Minoan palace after Knossos, and here archaeologists found the famous Phaistos Disc, still undeciphered, now in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. The caves of Matala were carved into the cliffs as Roman and early Christian tombs, and in the 1960s became home to travellers and musicians.