Dream beaches and hiking routes: Large island comparison: when you should travel to Crete – and when to Mallorca
Which island suits me better? The most popular islands in the Mediterranean include Greece’s star Crete and Spain’s highlight Mallorca. In the large island comparison, we show which island has what to offer.
What a luxury problem: where to go on summer vacation? Europe has so many beach holiday destinations to offer – each more beautiful than the next. Many Germans are always drawn to islands, often to Greece and Spain.
The islands of Crete and Mallorca are currently the most popular on many booking portals. We compare the two islands in the large island check.
1. Crete: All-rounder with gorges, South Sea beaches and palaces
Of the 3000 Greek islands, Crete is the largest – in many ways: 260 kilometers long, 60 kilometers wide and mountains up to 2456 meters high. Four mountain ranges with 400 gorges and many caves also make the island interesting for active vacationers. The Samaria Gorge is spectacular, one of the longest in Europe. Bathing and family vacationers will find most of the beaches on the north and south coasts – there are said to be almost 100 in total – which is due to the elongated shape of the island.
Variety of beaches on two seas
In the north, the Aegean Sea lures with gently sloping, child-friendly beaches and mostly a little cooler ones temperatures than in the south, which is very pleasant in midsummer. In the south you can swim in the slightly warmer Libyan Sea, but the coast is rockier. The most beautiful beaches include Marathi Beach in the north, the palm beaches of Preveli in the south and Vai in the east, and Elafonissi Beach in the west.
There are no palm trees in the nature reserve there, but fine, white sand and crystal-clear water in shimmering blue and green tones – like in the South Seas. Beach fans will find a wide variety of beach types: rocky bays on the cliffs, white sandy beaches, with and without palm trees, as well as small pebble bays and mini islands off the coast.
Cradle of European high culture
There is also a lot culturally on Crete: The 4000-year-old palace of Knossos with its 800 rooms, for example, which bears witness to the first high culture on European soil. White villages in the hinterland with rustic taverns are interesting excursion destinations, as are the many churches, monasteries and chapels or pretty port towns such as Retyhmnon with its noble palaces and fortresses. The best travel time is from spring to autumn. From May the temperatures are above 20 degrees and the sun shines ten hours a day. In July and August it gets very hot with temperatures of over 30 degrees.
Conclusion: Crete is so diverse that hikers, water sports enthusiasts and beach mermaids as well as culture or family vacationers will find paradisiacal conditions.
2. Mallorca: Favorite island with caves, dream beaches and a historic capital
The country of Spain has around 160 islands. Mallorca is not only the best known, but also the largest: the Balearic island is 78 kilometers long, 98 kilometers wide and the highest peak of its two mountain ranges is 1445 meters. The Serra de Tramuntana dominates the northwest of the island and is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Hikers will find a still relatively unknown natural paradise and solitude here. The underworld is also full of surprises with its 200 stalactite caves. Only four of these are open to the public. One of the most spectacular caves is the Cuevas de Artà on the east coast with the largest stalagmite in Europe.
Beach paradises beyond the Ballermann
The Germans’ favorite island can also shine with superlatives when it comes to beaches: 180 beaches and bays promise beach holidays for every taste. Long, golden beaches stretch along the south coast. In the west, the steep coast rises steeply into the sky and boasts hidden sandy bays. On the rugged east coast, one picturesque rocky bay follows the next and wide dune beaches await in the north.
One of the most beautiful is the Caribbean Playa Es Trenc with its powder-sugar-white sand, the crystal-clear sea with its finely tuned turquoise nuances. The gently sloping beach in a nature reserve on the south coast is almost undeveloped over a length of six kilometers. In the hinterland there are sand dunes and pine trees that, with a little imagination, look almost like coconut palms.
One of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world
The historic old town of Palma de Mallorca offers a change from beach life. The symbol of the island is enthroned here: the La Seu Cathedral, built of golden sandstone.
The dimensions of the Gothic building, which can accommodate 18,000 people, are impressive: 110 meters long, 30 meters wide and 45 meters high. The construction time of 700 years for the “Cathedral of Light” was also gigantic, which can be compared to the Cologne Cathedral due to its size. But even before the construction of the sacred building began in 1229, there was a lot going on in Mallorca. The Romans built the island’s capital “Pollentia” around 70 BC, the ruins of which can still be seen today. In the hinterland, far away from mass tourism, there are fincas, windmills and monasteries, as well as harbor towns such as Cala Figuera or Port d’Andratx on the coast. The best time to travel is between April and September, with the thermometer often exceeding 30 degrees in July and August.
Conclusion: In recent years, Mallorca has successfully developed from the beach and party island towards luxury and family holidays and yoga and lifestyle tourism.