Things to do in Crete, Rhodes & Corfu

On Crete, the Palace of Knossos, the island's largest Minoan palace, has the Throne Room with its alabaster throne, griffin and dolphin murals and the red columns of Arthur Evans' restorations, and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum holds the Phaistos Disc, the gold bee pendant and the Knossos frescoes. Head south to the hilltop Minoan Palace of Phaistos above the fertile Messara plain, take a short boat ride to the Venetian walls of Spinalonga Island Fortress, and stroll the Chania Venetian Harbour & Old Town, guarded by its Egyptian lighthouse. On Rhodes, the Gothic Palace of the Grand Master, Rhodes stands inside the UNESCO-listed medieval town, and the Acropolis of Lindos rises on a cliff above a white village with the Temple of Athena Lindia and a monumental Propylaea staircase. On Corfu, the Old Fortress of Corfu shows the winged Lion of Saint Mark and views over the Ionian Sea, Corfu Old Town mixes Venetian, French and British influences, and the Archaeological Museum of Corfu displays the Gorgon pediment from the sanctuary of Artemis.

Good to knowIn winter Knossos opens 8:00–17:00 daily, while the Heraklion Archaeological Museum opens 8:30–15:30 except on Wednesdays, when it opens 10:00–17:00. Boats reach Spinalonga in 5 minutes from Plaka or 10 minutes from Elounda; in winter Spinalonga, the Palace of the Grand Master and the Acropolis of Lindos open 8:30–15:30 and close on Tuesdays. The Archaeological Museum of Corfu closes on Tuesdays and Thursdays in winter, while the Old Fortress of Corfu opens daily.