Carabidae (Coleoptera, Adephaga) are one of the most diverse and widely studied beetle families. Crete along with its satellite islets is a Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot that hosts a unique faunistic assemblage. In this work, we present the first part of our findings regarding the ground beetles of Crete after almost 40 years of continuous research. We report 24 species new to the Cretan biodiversity, while also comment on the distributions of rare or problematic species. Spatial and ecological data are provided for all the 29 species discussed. Most of the species recorded for the first time in Crete are linked to wetlands and, more specifically, coastal saline habitats. Therefore, issues concerning their conservation have risen, due to the pressure of the economic development of the Cretan coastline. The genera Anaulacus W.S. Macleay, 1825 and Paranchus Lindroth, 1974, as well as the species Anaulacus ruficornis (Chaudoir, 1850) and Paranchus albipes (Fabricius, 1796), are noted in this study as new taxa for the Greek fauna. Genus Anaulacus is also new for the fauna of the Balkan Peninsula. Sirdenus grayii (Wollaston, 1862) is cited with its first specified record from Greece.