Heraklion, Crete

Crete was the seat of the Minoan civilisation, the earliest in Europe, and Knossos is its largest palace complex — a site of over a thousand interlocking rooms that gave rise to the labyrinth myth. It was excavated by Arthur Evans from 1900, who controversially rebuilt sections in painted concrete. Archaeologists still argue about it, and it does make the site far easier for a visitor to read.

The Heraklion Archaeological Museum holds nearly everything found at Knossos, including the frescoes, the bull-leaping panel and the faience snake goddesses. As with Pompeii and Naples, seeing the site without the museum tells half the story — and the museum is air-conditioned, which matters in August.

The city itself is often skipped and is worth an hour. The Venetian harbour with its fortress, the Morosini fountain and the covered market give a sense of the 400 years Crete spent under Venice before the Ottomans took it in 1669.

Crete is much larger than the other Greek islands on an itinerary — 260 km end to end — so excursions outside Heraklion involve real distance. The Lasithi plateau and Phaistos are both the best part of a day.

Hot and dry, 29–32°C in July and August. Knossos is an exposed site with limited shade, and the site is at its hottest in early afternoon when most excursions arrive.