Heraklionin Crete

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About HeraklionHeraklion, the hometown and resting place of Nikos Kazantzakis, is the biggest town of Crete. Itdistinguishes for its impressive Castle, the Venetian port and the fish taverns along the waterfront. Apart fromthe town, the entire region is also beautiful and unexplored.

The history of Heraklion started in the Minoan times, as is shown by the close ancient town of Knossos, themost developed of all Minoan towns in Crete. Excavations in Knossos have revealed a flourishing ancienttown with an impressive palace and a vibrant cultural life. The town was found almost intact under ashes,which is why scientists believe that this civilization was destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Santorini.

After the Minoan times, Heraklion flourished again as an important port of the Byzantine Empire. After thefall of Crete to the Venetians, the town developed economically because of trade. Attention was paid to theeducation and many impressive buildings, like the Loggia, were constructed to house public works. This isalso when Koules Fortress around the port of Heraklion was built, to protect the island from pirates and fromthe Turkish fleet.

In the 16th century, Heraklion was conquered by the Turks who kept the entire island under their occupationtill the early 20th century. In fact, the town has vivid the signs of the Venetian and the Turkish occupation inits architecture structures.

The prefecture of Heraklion is green and very interesting. Pure nature gives way to mountainous villages andsandy beaches are followed by impressive gorges. Driving around the prefecture is an excellent experienceto get to know the Cretan landscape.

Heraklion has developed a lot its tourism facilities. Most famous tourist resorts are Malia, famous for theirvivid nightlife, Hersonissos and Agia Pelagia, while Matala on the southern side of Crete is also muchdeveloped. The relaxing sandy beaches and the picturesque villages have made Heraklion a populartourism destination in Crete.

Best Villages in HeraklionTownLocation: On the northern side of CreteDescription: Heraklion Town is the largest city in Crete and the main transportation hub of the island. It distinguishesfor its large fortress at the entrance of the port. Many beautiful beaches surround this big town.Sightseeing: Agia Ekaterini, Agios Minas, Agios Titos, Archaeological Museum, Byzantine Collection, El GrecoMuseum, Historical Museum, Koules Fortress, Minoan Palace of Knossos, Natural History Museum, Tomb ofKazantzakis, Venetian Loggia

ArhanesLocation: 16 km south from Heraklion TownDescription: This is a picturesque village built on the slopes of a short hill. Many ancient sites surround EpanoArchanes, while in a close distance is also the village Kato Archanes.

Best Beaches in HeraklionMatalaLocation: 67 km south west of Heraklion TownDescription: Matala is the most famous resort on the southern side of Heraklion Crete. The organized beach next tosome strange rock formations offers a nice environment to relax.Sightseeing: Caves

HersonissosLocation: 28 km east of Heraklion TownDescription: The beaches around Hersonissos are among the most popular in Heraklion Crete. It is well organizedand has many watersports centres.

AmoudaraLocation: 5 km west of Heraklion TownDescription: Ammoudara is a very long, sandy beach with clean water. The organized coast and the close distancefrom Heraklion Town makes it very popular.

TymbakiLocation: 70 km south west of Heraklion TownDescription: Tymbaki is a calm and relaxing beach on the south western side of Heraklion Crete, close to the famousresort of Matala.

Agia PelagiaLocation: 24 km north west of Heraklion TownDescription: Agia Pelagia is a lovely fishing village that turns into a tourist resort in summer. Its calm ambience andthe beautiful beaches make it a nice family place.

Best Sightseeing in HeraklionMinoan Palace of KnossosLocation: TownThe Minoan Palace of Knossos lays about 5 km south of Heraklion Town. This is the most famous and largest Minoansite in Greece. Discovered in the early 20th century by the British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, the site was foundalmost intact and covered by ashes. This led scientists believe that the palace was destroyed by a tsunami wavecaused by the volcanic eruption of Santorini in 1,550 BC.

Koules FortressLocation: TownKoules Fortress is the symbol of Heraklion Town. It stands at the entrance of the port and dominates over the lovelyVenetian harbour. The fortress was originally built by the Venetians in the 13th century but then it underwent manytransformations by the Ottomans, who ruled Crete till the late 19th century.

Phaestos Minoan PalaceLocation: MiresThe Minoan Palace of Phaestos is the second most important Minoan site in Crete, after Knossos. The design of thepalace is a copy of Knossos, but in smaller scale and without many labyrinths.

Gortyn Ancient SiteLocation: KasteliThe Doric town of Gortyn was one of the strongest in ancient Crete. It lays 44 km south west of Heraklion, close tothe villages Agioi Deka and Kasteli. The famous Minoan law code has been excavated on Gortyn as well as asuperb Roman Odeon. The findings testify about the prosperity of the ancient city of Gortyn, which used to be an allyof Rome and the capital of Crete.

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