Here are some important Ierapetra travel tips to have in mind before you travel! Crete is relatively easy. There’s not much things to do to prepare for your trip beyond making a few advance bookings. Packing is simple – and if you forget something, you can buy it there.
The island is safe. The local economy depends on tourists, and the Cretans are really friendly and welcoming. In any business where tourists turn up, someone will speak English. A little common sense and politeness will go a long way as you navigate the etiquette of the place.
Important Ierapetra travel tip. Book your rooms and Ierapetra car rentals in advance
As travelers continue to make up for missed trips during the pandemic, Crete is a favorite destination. From April to October, the best places to stay at all price levels book up early. So, here’s the first Ierapetra travel tip. Don’t wait till the last moment, expecting prices to fall. They won’t.
This is even more true for rental cars, thanks to the global car shortage. If you’re driving the entire time you’re on the island, shop around and reserve the best deal you can find. One exception: if you’ll just be hiring a car for the occasional day trip, you can wait until you’re on the island and then arrange for a day rental with a local rental company.
Know your season you are travelling
Images of sun-drenched beaches and balmy nights in cafes underpin Cretan tourism cliches. But outside of summer, it’s not always warm. Winter can be blustery, chilly and wet. Nights outside of July and August can be brisk. Bring layers.
Generally the best time to visit Crete is at April-June and September-November. The weather is balanced, not so crowded and the prices are more reasonable.
Bring some cash with you
Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted for purchases large and small, and ATMs are common on Crete. But you might encounter offline machines or cash-only vendors, so we recommend carrying about €200 in cash in various smaller-euro denominations. Don’t be that person who hands the elderly ex-fisherman running the beach ferry a €50 note for a €5 fare.
Download as many maps as you cam before you take the wheel
There is numerous mapping apps which allow you to download maps in advance that you can then use for navigation if your phone does have signal. This can be a life savior when you’re at the junction of two unmarked roads deep in the mountains and you don’t know which way to turn.
Cover up in churches
Letting it all hang out is fine on many beaches (there are a few completely nude ones on the island) but when you’re stopping into Crete’s many historic, incense-filled churches, show some respect. Cover your shoulders, have shorts or a skirt and don’t enter barefoot.
Cretans rarely go naked or topless on the beach
Island residents fully expect the clothes to fall away from their beach-loving visitors. Yet you should still exercise some discretion. Near town centers and along beach promenades, polite exposure maintains a shred of modesty. Elsewhere, women often go topless and designated nude areas abound. When in doubt, check out the prevailing fashion around you.
Expect long dinners
Ierapetra and in general, Crete, has some of the best food in Mediterranean Europe. Meals are an event – and can extend over two or more very enjoyable hours. Friends share dishes large and small, which are served to the entire table, family style. On a busy summer evening, restaurants can get slammed and courses may meander out of the kitchen only after long gaps. Trying to hurry things along is bad form and the antithesis of a lovely, relaxed night out.
In contrast, lunch can be enjoyed fairly quickly at a cafe or savored for much longer, especially at a seaside taverna, where a shady table and fresh seafood meal is the ideal antidote to the scorchingly hot midday sun.
Be sure to tip – but don’t overdo it.
Ierapetra and in general, Crete, has more of a tipping culture than more un-touristed parts of Greece. In restaurants and cafes, 5% is a good median amount, with 10% very generous. Locals will round up to an even number in a restaurant (eg leave €35 for a tab of €33) or leave small change in a cafe.
Leaving some euros for your room cleaner is always appreciated. If someone helps you with your bags, €1 to €3 per bag is appropriate – unless it’s a taxi driver, in which case the bag handling fee is added to the fare. You only need to tip a taxi driver a couple of euros at most.
Pay the asked price
Outside of open-air markets, bargaining over prices is not the norm in Ierapetra. Expect to pay the marked price in shops and galleries.
Feel free to drink the water
Tap water in Ierapetra is safe to drink. Remember to refill your water bottles whenever you can, as it gets very hot in summer. You’ll need plenty of hydration for the beach, hiking trails, bus and car rides, and more.
Don’t stress about crime
Ierapetra is a safe place to travel and you shouldn’t lose sleep over the risk of crime. As anywhere, though, common sense should always prevail: lock your doors, don’t leave valuables in the rental car and never leave your phone or other treasures unattended on the beach or at the cafe.
Frustrate the mosquitos
Mosquitos buzz about ceaselessly at dusk. If you like anti-bug sprays or balms, bring them with you – repellants can be surprisingly tough to find in Ierapetra. Mosquito coils are widely available, as well as electric gizmos that plug into the wall of hotel rooms. But the efficacy of these methods is variable at best.