Generational and rural/city divides are major features of modern Crete. In rural areas, you will see shepherds with their flocks, old women riding on donkeys, and men congregating in the kafeneia (coffee houses) after their afternoon siesta. Mountain villages are repositories of traditional culture and you’ll still occasionally see older folk dressed in black vraka (baggy trousers) and leather boots.

In general terms, the major population centres of the north attract companies, industry and universities, whereas agriculture accounts for the bulk of economic activity in the less-populated interior and south. The mountainous southwest has some of the more traditional villages on the island.

But even pastoral life has changed. While people still live off the land – and provide for their families in the cities – subsistence farming has mostly given way to commercial production. Well-to-do farmers drive pick-up trucks and shepherds can often be seen tending to their flocks while chatting away on their mobile phones. In the fields, foreign workers are also a major part of accomplishing the grunt work.

No matter where you are, though, you'll find that a pride and connection to food and local produce, from mountain herbs and honey to regional dishes and cheeses made uniquely in each village, are vital to Cretan daily life.

Family Life

The Cretan people have a well-justified reputation for hospitality and for treating strangers as honoured guests. They pride themselves on their filotimo (dignity and sense of honour) and filoxenia (hospitality, welcome, shelter). If you wander into mountain villages you may well be invited into someone’s home for a coffee or even a meal. In a cafe or taverna it is customary for people to treat another group of friends or strangers to a round of drinks (however, be mindful that it is not the done thing to treat them straight back – in theory, you will do the honours another time).

Surprisingly, this hospitality and generosity diminish in the public sphere, where customer service is not a widely lauded concept. The notion of the greater good can play second fiddle to personal interests, and there is little sense of collective responsibility in relation to issues such as the environment, though that is starting to change with the younger generation.

Crete takes in more than 3.5 million visitors annually, which has an impact on both the environment and the economy: the majority of tourists come on package trips and are sequestered in northern-coast all-inclusive hotels. The over-development of much of northern-coast Crete has left hotel owners susceptible to larger trends in the travel world, whereas smaller places elsewhere on the island experience less volatile swings as the economy waxes and wanes. New EU grants have been given to promote green tourism and restore historic buildings and traditional settlements, and there is a growing awareness that sustainable, ecofriendly tourism will pay dividends as the tastes of foreign visitors change

Cretans have a reputation for their fierce fighting ability (they have battled with invaders for centuries, after all) and for having Greece's most notable gun culture. Estimates have indicated that one in two Cretans owns a gun, while others suggest there could be over one million weapons on Crete – more than the island’s population.

At Cretan weddings and celebrations volleys of gunshots occasionally punctuate events. Some musicians refuse to play in certain areas unless they get an assurance that there won’t be any guns. At one time, acclaimed composer Mikis Theodorakis led a campaign trying to change the island’s gun culture. But, today, road signs riddled with bullet holes are the first inkling that you are entering the mountain country that was historically a stronghold for Crete’s resistance fighters, particularly around Sfakia in Hania and Mylopotamos province in Rethymno. Sfakiots are aware of their reputation, though, and you'll find T-shirts in their souvenir shops with images of the bullet-riddled signs.

The Orthodox faith is the official and prevailing religion of Crete and a key element of local identity and culture. While younger generations are not necessarily as devout as their elders, nor do they attend church regularly, most still observe the rituals and consider the faith integral to their identity. Between 94% and 97% of the Cretan population belongs at least nominally to the Greek Orthodox Church.

The Orthodox religion held Cretan culture, language and traditions together during the many centuries of foreign occupation and repression, despite numerous efforts by the Venetians and Turks to turn locals towards Roman Catholicism or Islam. Under Ottoman rule, religion was the most important criterion in defining a Greek.

The role of women in Cretan society has been complex and shifting since Greek women first gained universal suffrage in 1952. While traditional gender roles are prevalent in rural areas and among the older generation, the situation is much more relaxed for younger women in cities and large towns. Entrenched attitudes towards the ‘proper role’ for women are changing fast as more women are educated and entering the workforce. Still, although some 40% of Greek women are in the workforce, they struggle when it comes to even finding the career ladder or earning the same as their male counterparts. There are few public programs to help them balance careers and motherhood.

Paradoxically, despite the machismo, Cretan society is essentially matriarchal. Men love to give the impression that they rule the roost and take a front seat in public life, but it’s often the women who run the show, both at home and in family businesses.