Explore Crete
In Crete the road network is fairly widespread and reaches every part of the island. The cities along the north coast of Crete are connected by a modern motorway which is constantly improving. The speed limit is 100 km per hour and traffic police checks are frequent.
There is no corresponding motorway along the south coast of Crete. On the south coast of Chania Prefecture in particular, the high mountains (White Mountains or Madares) and deep gorges (such as Samaria Gorge) make a coastal road impossible.
There are, however, district roads between the towns and villages of south Crete. Some roads are narrow and winding, so even small distances may take a disproportionate amount of time to cover.
The same applies to the interior of the island, with the exception of the main roads from:
- Rethymnon to Spili (Plakias, Preveli, etc.)
- Heraklion to the Messara plains (Phaistos, Matala, Gortys, etc.)
- Heraklion to Viannos
- Agios Nikolaos to Ierapetra.
In practical terms, the trip from the north to the south coast will take you 1 - 1.5 hours' drive in Chania Prefecture, and 1.15 - 2 hours in Heraklion Prefecture. The distances in Rethymnon and Agios Nikolaos Prefectures are shorter, so you only need half an hour to one hour at the most to reach the remotest places in the south.
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