Editing Crete (section)

==Tourism==
{{Main|Tourism in Greece}}
[[File:Kreta-Matala07.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Matala, Crete|Matala]] beach]]
Crete is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Greece. 15% of all arrivals in Greece come through the city of Heraklion (port and airport), while charter journeys to Heraklion make up about [https://greece4u.com.gr/destination/crete/ 20% of all charter flights in Greece] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729001912/https://greece4u.com.gr/destination/crete/ |date=29 July 2020 }}. The number of hotel beds on the island increased by 53% in the period between 1986 and 1991.

Today, the island's tourism infrastructure includes a wide range of accommodation; including large luxury hotels with their complete facilities, swimming pools, sports and recreation, smaller family-owned apartments, camping facilities and others. Visitors reach the island via two international airports in Heraklion and [[Chania]] and a smaller airport in [[Sitia]] (international charter and domestic flights started in May 2012)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sitia.gr/information-services/news/aerchart.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001191455/http://www.sitia.gr/information-services/news/aerchart.html|url-status=dead|title=14/06/2011. ΞΕΚΙΝΟΥΝ ΟΙ ΠΤΗΣΕΙΣ CHARTER ΣΤΟ ΑΕΡΟΔΡΟΜΙΟ ΣΗΤΕΙΑΣ. &#124; Νέα - Ανακοινώσεις &#124; Ενημέρωση &#124; Δήμος Σητείας|archive-date=1 October 2011|website=www.sitia.gr}}</ref> or by boat to the main ports of Heraklion, Chania, [[Rethimno]], [[Agios Nikolaos, Crete|Agios Nikolaos]] and [[Sitia]].

Popular tourist attractions include the archaeological sites of the Minoan civilisation, the Venetian old city and port of [[Chania]], the Venetian castle at [[Rethymno]], the gorge of [[Samariá Gorge|Samaria]], the islands of [[Chrysi (island)|Chrysi]], [[Elafonisi]], [[Gramvousa]], [[Spinalonga]] and the Palm Beach of [[Vai (Crete)|Vai]], which is the largest natural palm forest in Europe.

===Transportation===
Crete has an extensive bus system with regular services across the north of the island and from north to south. There are two regional bus stations in Heraklion. Bus routes and timetables can be found on KTEL website.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.e-ktel.com/en/| title = KTEL bus services}}</ref>

=== Holiday homes and immigration ===
Crete's mild climate attracts [[northern Europe]]ans who want a holiday home or residence on the island. [[European Union|EU]] citizens have the right to freely buy property and reside with little formality.<ref>[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2004:229:0035:0048:EN:PDF ''On the Rights of Citizens of the Union'', EC Directive 2004/58 EC (2004)] EUR-Lex</ref> In the cities of Heraklion and Chania, the average price per square metre of apartments ranges from €1,670 to €1,700.<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 29, 2020|title=Buying a Property in Crete as a Foreigner|url=https://www.arencores.com/buying-property-in-crete-as-a-foreigner/|url-status=live|access-date=March 22, 2021|website=ARENCORES|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305233118/https://www.arencores.com/buying-property-in-crete-as-a-foreigner/ |archive-date=5 March 2021 }}</ref> A growing number of real estate companies cater mainly to British immigrants, followed by [[Netherlands|Dutch]], [[Germany|German]], [[Scandinavia]]n and other European nationalities wishing to own a home in Crete. The [[United Kingdom|British]] immigrants are concentrated in the western regional units of [[Chania (regional unit)|Chania]] and [[Rethymno (regional unit)|Rethymno]] and to a lesser extent in [[Heraklion (regional unit)|Heraklion]] and [[Lasithi]].<ref name="books.google.gr"/>

===Archaeological sites and museums===

{{Main|List of museums in Greece#Crete}}

The area has a large number of archaeological sites, including the Minoan sites of [[Knossos]], [[Malia (archaeological site)|Malia]] (not to be confused with the town of the same name), Zakros, [[Petras]] and [[Phaistos]], the classical site of [[Gortys]], and the diverse archaeology of the island of [[Koufonisi]], which includes Minoan, Roman, and World War II era ruins (nb. due to conservation concerns, access to Koufonisi has been restricted for the last few years).

There are museums throughout Crete, most notably the [[Heraklion Archaeological Museum]] which displays most of the archaeological finds from the Minoan era.<ref>[http://www.explorecrete.com/archaeology/antiquities-crete.html Archaeological sites and Museums in Crete] ExploreCrete.com</ref> Other notable museums include the [[Maritime Museum of Crete]], the [[Archaeological Museum of Chania]],  and the WW2 museum in Platinias.<ref>{{Cite web |last=AllinCrete |date=2018-11-10 |title=World War 2 Shelter of Platanias in Chania |url=https://www.allincrete.com/war-shelter-of-platanias-chania/ |access-date=2024-12-07 |website=AllinCrete Travel Guide for Crete |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Harmful effects ===
Helen Briassoulis, in a qualitative analysis, proposed in the ''[[Journal of Sustainable Tourism]]'' that Crete is affected by tourism applying pressure to it to develop at an unhealthy rate, and that informal, internal systems within the country are forced to adapt. According to her, these forces have strengthened in three stages: from the period from 1960 to 1970, 1970–1990, and 1990 to the present. During this first period, tourism was a largely positive force, pushing modern developments like running water and electricity onto the largely rural countryside. However, beginning in the second period and especially in the third period leading up to the present day, tourist companies became more pushy with deforestation and pollution of Crete's natural resources. The country is then pulled into an interesting parity, where these companies only upkeep those natural resources that are directly essential to their industry.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Briassoulis|first=Helen|date=1 September 2003|title=Crete: Endowed by Nature, Privileged by Geography, Threatened by Tourism?|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/09669580308667198|journal=Journal of Sustainable Tourism|volume=11|issue=2–3|pages=97–115|doi=10.1080/09669580308667198|bibcode=2003JSusT..11...97B |s2cid=28002287|issn=0966-9582|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

<gallery mode=packed>
File:Gortys R02.jpg|View of [[Gortyn]]
File:Festos1(js).jpg|Archaeological site of [[Phaistos]]
File:Knossos south propylaeum.jpg|Ruins of the [[Knossos|Palace of Knossos]]
File:Archaeological Museum of Chania.jpg|[[Archaeological Museum of Chania]]
File:AMC Intern of Museum of Chania (Crete) 2.jpg|Archaeological Museum of Chania
File:Chania naval museum.jpg|[[Maritime Museum of Crete]]
File:Pluto Serapis and Persephone Isis Heraklion museum.jpg|[[Pluto (mythology)|Pluto]] and [[Persephone]] in [[Heraklion]] Museum
File:Jars in Malia Crete the two.jpg|Jars in [[Malia, Crete|Malia]], Crete
</gallery>