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Excavated by Italian archaeologists at the beginning of the 20th century, Agia Triada is smaller than other Minoan sites such as Knosos and Phaestos and was probably an aristocratic villa or a royal summer palace. Some of the finest Minoan pottery, including three carved stone vases, was discovered here and is displayed in the Irakleio Archaeological Museum. Agia Triada is only 3 km (2 miles) west of Phaestos, so can easily be visited on the same day. Because Agia Triada receives fewer vistors than the larger sites, you can explore its honeycomb of stone corridors, stairs and courtyards at your own pace.

Turn right immediately after the Loggia to find Agios Titos (St Titus). Originally Byzantine, the church was rebuilt by the Venetians, turned into a mosque by the Turks and reclaimed by the Orthodox church in 1925. Inside, a reliquary contains the skull of St Titus.

Knosos was pinpointed as an important archaeological site by the great Heinrich Schliemann and unearthed by British archaeologist Arthur Evans less than 100 years ago. The columns, courtyards and coloured frescoes of this ancient Minoan palace still have the power to amaze. Knosos was lost to history after the cataclysmic volcanic eruption that destroyed the Minoan civilization, but the site is now one of the most impressive relics of the vanished world of the Minoans (see Ancient Knosos).

At the Fantaxometochi Winery, south of Knosos near Archanes village, one of Greece’s leading winemakers has opened Crete’s newest purpose-built visitor attraction. A state-of-the-art audio-visual show celebrates the island – its landscapes, history and traditional way of life. The show also highlights the vineyards and grape varieties that produce some of the Boutari family’s award-winning wines. You can sample and buy Boutari red and white wines at the winery shop.

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.

Returning to 25 Augoustou, turn left onto Theotokopoulou, then left onto Gazi, which leads to the Historical Museum of Crete. The basement contains some interesting Venetian stonework, Turkish and Byzantine remnants and the only El Greco painting left in Crete.

Cretan author Nikos Kazantzakis (1883–1957) is best known outside Greece for the novel Alexis Zorbas , which is set in Crete during the early 20th century. The book was filmed in 1964 as Zorba the Greek , starring Anthony Quinn in the title role. Kazantzakis’ outspoken humanism led the Orthodox church to regard him as a heretic. The author was born in Mirtia, and a small museum in the village (in the Kazantzakis family home) is crammed with his manuscripts and diaries, film posters, photos and other memorabilia.