Main SitesHeraklion to Matala, Crete: From Empires to Flower Power GPS Self-Guided Driving Tour
Kaliméra, and here we go! Our drive across Crete begins. We start on the Venetian walls of Heraklion, on the island's north coast. Up on these walls lies Nikos Kazantzakis, the writer who gave the world Zorba the Greek. His grave reads: "I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free." Over the next 89 kilometers, about 55 miles, we'll cross the island to Matala, on the Libyan Sea. In the 1960s, hippies lived in Matala's ancient cliff caves, and Joni Mitchell wrote her song "Carey" there. Between the two, we'll pass Knossos, the palace behind the legend of the Minotaur. It gave its name to a whole civilization, the Minoans. Then the road drops into the Messara, Crete's great southern plain, where Romans ruled from Gortyn and Minoan kings built Phaistos. Along the way, we'll meet kings and saints, rebels and poets. Crete's stories never stay in one century. Narration plays by itself as you reach each place, and you'll hear a short direction before each turn. Village streets are narrow and winding, so take your time. Kaló taxídi, which means have a good trip. Let's go!