As of 2009 I have visited Crete three times, always on a family holiday rather than a birding trip. All my holidays have been in the northern part of the island, two have been in the summer holidays (June/July) and once in autumn (September/October). Invariably there has been a lot of birds (and other wildlife) to see although at times it can be difficult to get good views.

I have used the fourth edition of "A Birdwatchig guide to Crete" for all my visits to this wonderful island - it is about time I bought the fifth edition. Although there are some weaknesses to the guide I would still recommend it as it gives visitors valuable advice about where to go and gives, for the most part, a good indication as to the status of many of the species encountered.

Although the north western coastline around Chania is very developed it doesn't take much to get away from the crowds - a few hundred metres inland and one is usually into olive groves or other cultivated land where there is plenty to see. Taking backroads and exploring off the beaten track can be productive

The places I have visited most are Lake Aghia, the Omalos plateau and the Samaria Gorge - along with much of the coastline west of Chania. The vast majority of my birding has been done on bicycle early in the mornings, only twice have I hired a car to get into the hills. 

During my visits typical species seen "everywhere" that are of interest to birders from northern Europe have included Serin, Sardinian Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, Alpine Swift and Red-rumped Swallow. Cory's shearwater have been abundant offshore on my last two visits.

Other than the birdlife there are plenty of reasons to visit Crete - the food being one of the best. Check the links at the bottom of this page for further information.





Below are links to trip reports from my visits to Crete:

Omalos Plateau and Samaria Gorge
One of the "must do" sites in Crete. Even if one doesn't walk through the gorge (which is often full of tourists in the summer) a visit to the entrance at the north end of the gorge will produce Griffon Vulture, Crag Martin, Choughs and plenty more besides. There is an entrance fee to enter the Samaria Gorge (a National Park) which in July 2009 was 5 Euro (no charge for children).


The plateau can also be quite productive - there are at least two pools here which look to be more or less permanant (still had water in them mid July 2009). Early morning visits will undoubtedly pay dividends (I saw plenty even in the middle of the day in mid July - possibly the worst possible time to visit). Drinking troughs for the hundreds of goats on the plateau are also attractive to the birds with Cirl Bunting, Woodlark and others easily seen in the area.



Northern shores
Despite a lot of disturbance along most of the shoreline there are areas where birds can be seen. Amazingly Little Plover seem to breed at a few localities and Kentish plover would seem to be regular too. Cory's Shearwater are regular from the shores, although a telescope is often necessary for good views. There are many open areas and side roads that kead down to the shore between Gerani and Tavrontis that can be worth exploring - doing this by bike may be the best way.

Many of the beaches I have visited on the northern coast are nesting grounds for turtles which come ashore to lay their eggs - their nests are often marked in an attempt to protect them. More details about this can be found by clicking on the following link:








Links to other websites covering Crete can be found below:

Cretan Wildlife

Birding Crete

Important bird sites in Crete

General information about Crete:

Crete's Magazine: Stigmes

Crete info

The best restaurant we have eaten in is Mitsos situated in Aghia Marna. Click on this link to visit their web page (they even have a web camera!).


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