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Though much overgrown, the dilapidated walls standing among orange and lemon trees are still impressive. The castle was the scene of a famous massacre, when the Cretan rebel leader Georgios Kandanoleon was betrayed by Francesco Molini during his wedding to Molini’s daughter.

Daedalus and his son, Ikarus, made wings of feathers held together with beeswax in order to escape imprisonment at the hands of King Minos – punishment for helping Theseus slay the Minotaur. Ikarus flew too high and the sun’s heat melted the wax, causing him to plummet into the sea, but Daedalus reached safety in Sicily.

Its golden sands have been somewhat marred by insensitive hotel building, but east of the main beach are smaller sandy coves, Ammoudi and Skinaria.

A group of endangered Cretan wild goats have made their home on Dia. They can be visited on a day trip from Irakleio.

A tiny guesthouse in Psychro village that makes a good base for a visit to the Diktian Cave or for exploring the Lasithi Plateau, high in the mountains of eastern Crete.

According to ancient Greek myths, this mossy cavern, filled with strange limestone formations, was the birthplace of the greatest Olympian god, Zeus. Rhea, Zeus’s mother, supposedly hid the young godling from his father, Kronos, here. Bronze figurines and Minoan double axes found in the cave are on show in the Irakleio Archaeological Museum. The site is also often referred to as the Idaian Cave.

Said to be the birthplace of Zeus, this cave above the Lasithi Plateau contains an artificial lake.

The flat, dish-shaped Lasithi Plateau offers easy walking on dirt tracks and paths through fields, olive groves and orchards. Starting from Tzermiadou, the 7-km (4-mile) stroll to the Diktian Cave takes about two hours.

The best restaurant around Chania’s delightful inner harbour, serving an extensive choice of seafood, from octopus and whitebait to langouste and sea bass.