Crete Entertainment

Crete’s evening entertainment scene is in keeping with its high profile as a popular holiday destination. Night-owls can happily spend the best part of their days doing nothing in preparation for a night of hedonism, while those preferring to get up early and head out sightseeing can pursue the quieter side of the island’s night scene. Whatever your background, you should find something to keep you busy once the sun’s gone down.

Nightlife

Crete nightlife is a busy affair and all four of the main resort areas have their fair share of popular nightspots. There are venues to cater to most tastes and you can opt for either a wild or a sedate night, whichever best suits your requirements.  In Heraklion, much of the action is focused around the port of Heraklion Town. while other popular venues can be found at resorts such as Limenas Hersonissou.

In the Chania region, head for Chania Town, Platanias and Paleohora; in Rethymno head for Rethymno Town, Agia Galini and Plakias; and in Lassithi, head for Agios Nikolaos, Elounda, Sitia, Makrigialos, Ierapetra and Neapolis. If you’re a young party-animal then the island’s nightclubs will suit you down to the ground, with their beyond-dawn closing times  Whereas, if you are of the older crowd, then the many restaurants and tavernas with live music are ideal venues for a pleasant evening.

Theatre and music

Crete is fairly bereft of venues offering traditional theatrical entertainment and it is not really the kind of place to head if you’re looking to catch a little Shakespeare of an evening. What you will find, however, are plenty of tavernas where local Greek musicians showcase their talents while the customers enjoy a good meal. You’ll also find many of the big hotels and apartment complexes have their own stages or mini auditoriums, where they offer shows and performances with various themes.

Festivals

There are a number of annual summer festivals on Crete, some of which are unique to the island, others which are common to all of Greece. Some highlights are listed below:

• Navy Week is a countrywide event that sees celebrations and festivities conducted at ports off the Greek mainland and on most of the Greek Islands (June/July).
• The Heraklion Festival is one of the island’s biggest annual events and sees a programme of live music featuring some of Greece’s best-known musicians plus various theatrical and art performances (July to September).
• After Easter, the day of the Panagia (Virgin Mary) is Greece’s second most significant religious holiday and is celebrated, with fervour, across the country. Locals make pilgrimages to churches where holy statues of Mary are kept, often climbing the steps up to them on their knees.