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Crete Quiz: 12 Questions on Greece's Largest Island
Crete is the largest Greek island, home to Europe's first great civilization and some of the Mediterranean's most beautiful beaches. This Crete quiz has 12 questions with answers.
Vai, the palm-fringed beach in eastern Crete, recently appeared on the Bing homepage, so it gets a few questions here.
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Pick A, B or C for each question. The right answer turns green and a short fact explains it.
Crete Quiz Questions and Answers
Every question with its answer and explanation. Open “Show answer” after you guess.
1 Crete is the largest island of which country?
- A Cyprus
- B Italy
- C Greece
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✓ Answer: C. Greece
Did you know? Crete covers about 8,300 square kilometers.
2 Which Bronze Age civilization built the palace of Knossos?
- A Mycenaean
- B Etruscan
- C Minoan
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✓ Answer: C. Minoan
Did you know? The name 'Minoan' comes from the legendary King Minos.
3 Which archaeologist excavated Knossos from 1900?
- A Howard Carter
- B Heinrich Schliemann
- C Arthur Evans
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✓ Answer: C. Arthur Evans
Did you know? Evans also partly reconstructed parts of the palace, which remains debated today.
4 According to myth, which half-man, half-bull creature lived in the Cretan labyrinth?
- A The Cyclops
- B The Minotaur
- C The Centaur
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✓ Answer: B. The Minotaur
Did you know? The hero Theseus killed the Minotaur with help from Ariadne's thread.
5 What unique trees grow behind Vai beach?
- A Cork oaks
- B Olive giants
- C Cretan date palms
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✓ Answer: C. Cretan date palms
Did you know? Vai has Europe's largest natural palm forest.
6 Vai beach looks out on which sea?
- A Aegean Sea
- B Adriatic Sea
- C Black Sea
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✓ Answer: A. Aegean Sea
Did you know? Vai sits on the northeast tip of Crete.
7 Which city is the capital of Crete?
- A Heraklion
- B Rethymno
- C Chania
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✓ Answer: A. Heraklion
Did you know? Heraklion is also home to the archaeological museum with the best Minoan finds.
8 According to Greek myth, which god was born or hidden in a cave on Crete?
- A Apollo
- B Zeus
- C Poseidon
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✓ Answer: B. Zeus
Did you know? Legends name caves on Mount Ida or Mount Dikti.
9 Samaria Gorge on Crete is famous for what?
- A Ancient pyramids
- B Hot springs
- C A long hike through a narrow canyon
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✓ Answer: C. A long hike through a narrow canyon
Did you know? The popular hike is about 16 km through the White Mountains.
10 Which Cretan author wrote 'Zorba the Greek'?
- A Nikos Kazantzakis
- B Homer
- C C. P. Cavafy
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✓ Answer: A. Nikos Kazantzakis
Did you know? Kazantzakis was born in Heraklion in 1883.
11 Which Cretan beach is famous for pink-tinted sand?
- A Matala
- B Elafonisi
- C Vai
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✓ Answer: B. Elafonisi
Did you know? Crushed shells give Elafonisi's sand its pink color.
12 Which product is Crete especially famous for?
- A Olive oil
- B Maple syrup
- C Tea
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✓ Answer: A. Olive oil
Did you know? Olive trees cover much of the island, and some are thought to be thousands of years old.
About Crete
Crete lies in the southern Aegean and is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands. The Bronze Age Minoan civilization flourished here, building palaces such as Knossos, which British archaeologist Arthur Evans excavated from 1900.
Greek mythology placed the birth of Zeus in a Cretan cave and the Minotaur in King Minos's labyrinth. Today the island is known for olive oil, gorges such as Samaria, and beaches including Elafonisi and Balos.
Vai beach
Vai, on the northeast coast, is famous for Europe's largest natural palm forest, made of the native Cretan date palm (Phoenix theophrasti). Its golden beach faces the Aegean. In the 1970s it drew travelers and hippies who camped among the palms. See the July 17, 2026 Bing Homepage Quiz answers.
Crete Quiz FAQ
What is the capital of Crete?
Heraklion is the capital and largest city of Crete.
What is Knossos?
The largest Bronze Age site on Crete, the ceremonial and political center of the Minoan civilization.
What is special about Vai beach?
It is backed by a forest of native Cretan date palms, the largest natural palm forest in Europe.