This trip seems like it was a lifetime ago yet it was only 3 months! Looking back at photos now makes me crave the warm Mediterranean sea and sunshine whilst I sit in a chalet in the French Alps cowering from the snowy rain we are currently having.

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We quit our 9-5 UK jobs and I bought Pete a one way flight to Crete for his birthday. It was £10 from Manchester to Chania! After 10 months in the UK, I was so excited to travel for a month, eat fresh Greek food and explore what vegan options there was in Crete, and we were in luck!

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Top Vegan Finds in Crete:

• Pulse, Chania ~ Fully vegan restaurant that sells amazing meze sharing platters and other Greek specialities like vegan moussaka. Has outdoor seating and located right in the old town.
• Falavela, Chania ~ A small place that serves incredibly fresh and tasty falafel sandwiches. The original ‘Falavela’ wrap was my favourite stuffed with baba ganoush, hummus and hot falafels. They only set you back €3 and the owners are lovely.
• To Stachi, Chania ~ This is a vegetarian restaurant in Chania with lots of vegan options. It’s not as as good as Pulse in my opinion but in a nice location near the sea with outdoor tables.
• Evilion Bistro, Kato Stalos ~ Serves meat but has an extensive vegan menu including a mushroom gyros platter. One of the owners is vegan so has a good knowledge of plant based cooking. Good if you’re eating with omnis.
• Golden Sunset, Falasarna ~ Serves meat but like most Greek tavernas, most of the starters are vegan like fava bean dip, stuffed vine leaves, fried aubergines and courgettes, salad, fries and stuffed vegetables. It had an beautiful sunset view and had tasty food.
• ThirdEye, Paleochora ~ This vegetarian restaurant is quite upmarket and expensive but we had a nice evening here after a long days hiking. I had a potato and artichoke stew which was warming and tasty.
• Falafelaki, Mires ~ We stopped by here after hiking Rouvas Gorge and I’m glad we did because the falafel wraps were incredible.
• The Chickpea, Heraklion ~ Just before we took the ferry to Athens, we had dinner here and the food was so delicious. I had a falafel salad plate that was fresh and full of flavour.

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We had so much good vegan food in Crete and because we were backpacking and not travelling in our van we had to eat out a lot. My favourite lunch snack was a spinach spanakopita and the best restaurant experience was definitely Pulse in Chania.

Crete is an absolutely stunning island with gorgeous beaches, crystal clear waters and lots of opportunities for exploring and hiking. We stayed mostly on the western side but I’d love to go back and visit some of the east coast.