Pick up your car in Ierapetra or at a nearby resort, then take the Libyan Sea coast, the mountain villages and the boat over to Chrissi Island at your own pace. Local partners, clear pricing and flexible ways to pay.
Pick up your car in Ierapetra or at a nearby resort, then take the Libyan Sea coast, the mountain villages and the boat over to Chrissi Island at your own pace. Local partners, clear pricing and flexible ways to pay.
Local rates, no surprises
Pricing straight from trusted South Crete partners: what you book is what you pay.
Flexible handover
Hotel delivery, port pick-up, or a meeting point of your choice anywhere around Ierapetra.
No credit card or deposit required
With Premium Insurance you pay on arrival by cash, debit or prepaid card, and leave no deposit.
Cover for the coast and the mountains
Insurance built for narrow village streets, gravel tracks down to the coves, and car-park scrapes.
A fleet that suits the south
Economy cars for town, SUVs for the mountain hairpins, automatics if you would rather not change gear on the climbs.
Beaches, villages and boat trips, without planning your day around the bus timetable.
Wander the old town lanes, look round the Venetian fortress, then eat by the Libyan Sea.
A long pebble beach with clear water and a few beach bars. Parking along the road is easy.
Tavernas on the beach and bright, narrow alleys west of Ierapetra. Nobody is in a hurry here.
A day out by boat: cedar forest, turquoise water. Get to the ticket desk early.
Coast and mountain drives that keep clear of the busiest routes.
5–10 min to port + boat
Take the morning boat and pack water and reef-safe sunscreen. Head back before the afternoon wind picks up.
75–95 min one way
An east-coast drive to the palm forest beach. Add Toplou Monastery and a wine tasting on the way.
40–60 min one way
A short walk between shaded rock walls, then a swim at Tertsa or Psari Forada.
60–80 min one way
Hairpin bends, pine forest, and long views back over the south coast.
Mind the wind
The Libyan Sea coast gets windy. Slow down on exposed stretches and on gravel pull-offs.
Timing the Chrissi boat
Buy tickets early and check the wind forecast: trips are cancelled on very windy days.
Fuel up in town
Petrol stations thin out east and west of Ierapetra, so fill up before a long drive.
Cash for small tavernas
Most take cards, but some south-coast places still prefer cash.
Use the pull-offs
On mountain roads, pull in where you can and let faster local drivers past.
No tolls, but slower roads
Crete has no toll roads. Allow extra time for the winding coastal stretches.
Yes, with Premium Insurance: you pay on arrival by cash, debit or prepaid card, nothing is blocked on your card and there is no deposit to chase afterwards. The price you see at booking is the price you pay at handover. With Basic Insurance, some partners still ask for a credit card and a deposit.
Your partner meets you where you are staying: Ierapetra town centre or the port, your hotel or apartment, Koutsounari beach, Myrtos, or any south-coast resort. Add a remote address in the booking notes and we will confirm it. One-way returns, say Ierapetra to Heraklion, are chosen at booking.
Parking is usually easy: free street spaces run along most of the seafront promenade, with small car parks near the old town and the Venetian fortress. In July and August the seafront fills in the evening, so park before 19:00 or a block inland. Kalamafka and Males have few spaces, so go small.
Boats to Chrissi Island (Gaidouronisi) leave Ierapetra port at 10:00–10:30 and cross in about 45 minutes, returning in the early afternoon. Book ahead in peak season and carry water and reef-safe sunscreen: the island is a protected reserve with no shops. Trips are cancelled on very windy days.
A small economy car handles Ierapetra's streets and the coastal road. For the Lassithi Plateau climb or the inland gorge roads, a compact SUV is more comfortable. Where a gravel track leads to a quieter cove, park where the asphalt ends and walk the last stretch – the car stays on the tarmac. Families take a 7-seater.
Yes: Heraklion is 2 to 2.5 hours on the north-coast VOAK motorway, or 2.5 to 3 hours the scenic way through Myrtos and Arvi. Sitia is 75 to 90 minutes east past Makrygialos and Analipsi, and Agios Nikolaos is 45 to 60 minutes north. Crete has no toll roads, so fuel is your only cost.
The main E75 coastal road either side of Ierapetra is wide and well maintained. The mountain roads north to Lassithi via Kalamafka and towards the Sarakina Gorge have tight hairpins: take them slowly, use the pull-offs, and avoid them after dark. Where a beach track leaves the asphalt, park there and walk down.
Two or three days covers the highlights: the Chrissi Island boat, the east-coast drive to Sitia and Vai, and a loop through Myrtos. Four or five add the Sarakina Gorge, the Lassithi Plateau and Agios Nikolaos. A full week suits Ierapetra as a base, and the daily rate drops the longer you book.
Book in a few minutes, pick the insurance you want, and collect the car where you are staying.
