Heraklion

Heraklion (Greek: Ηράκλειον, Irákleio) or Iraklio is the major city and capital of Crete, the largest of the Greek islands. Its archaeological museum holds the remains of the 4000-year-old Minoan civilization, which centred on the nearby palace of Knossos, with its Minotaur legend. The city has several Venetian and Byzantine churches and the biggest in East Mediterranean well-preserved Venetian wall and harbour fortress from the 15th century.

Understand
Around 1880, the Greek Kalokairinos, and later in 1900, the British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans began excavating a site just south of the city, thinking to find remains of ancient culture maybe Mycenean. He quickly discovered a much older, more powerful civilisation, which he called “Minoan” after the Minotaur legend. 4000 to 3000 years ago, Crete dominated the east Mediterranean from this site, Knossos. These discoveries changed our ideas of the ancient world – and Crete's modern fame and tourist industry were born.

Heraklion (also transcribed as Herakleion, Iraklio, Irakleion) has been much fought-over down the centuries. From 1204 it was held by the Venetians, who built a great wall around the city, and a harbour fort, to defend against the Ottoman Turks. But the Ottomans won in 1669 and held the island until 1898 when their empire was crumbling. Crete for a time was independent, then was incorporated into Greece in 1913.

Modern air transport brought huge numbers of tourists, mostly heading to resorts further along the coast, and the city sprawled out way beyond its historic centre – the population of the urban area is now some 211,000 (2021). Many developments were ugly and ill-planned. Then came recession, and turmoil in the Greek economy. Heraklion today is an interesting city with a pedestrianized center and a lovely coastal promenade.

Like the rest of Crete, Heraklion has a Mediterranean climate. Summers are hot and dry with clear skies, but often with stiff breezes to relieve the heat. Winters are mild with little rain and rare frosts.

Tourist information

 * Heraklion Tourism website

By plane

 * Flat priced taxi service from the airport to downtown Heraklion is available for €18 (April 2024). Public bus service is also available.

By boat
The principal ferry route is from Piraeus, the port for Athens. These ferries mostly sail overnight, leaving in each direction around 21:00 to dock next morning at 06:00. The Heraklion ferry terminal is near the KTEL bus station just east of town centre. The operators are Minoan Lines, Anek Lines and Superfast Ferries

Other routes are:
 * from Thessaloniki and Dodecanese by G.A. Ferries
 * from the Cyclades by G.A. Ferries, Sea Jets and Hellenic Seaways.
 * from Santorini by Anek, Seajets and Hellenic, links above.

Most ferries take vehicles and run year-round – trucking is an important part of their business, especially since so many people nowadays fly. But frequency is much reduced in winter, so for island-hopping you may find you have to double back via Piraeus.

By road
See below under “Get around”.

By bus
Heraklion is connected with the rest of Crete by regular bus lines operated by two KTEL companies for Western and Eastern Crete. The coaches are modern, comfortable and air-conditioned. Fares are reasonable. The main inter-city buses run hourly.

There is only one bus station for all inter-city buses in Heraklion:

In and around Heraklion, use the public city buses. For trip planning, route, schedule and stop information use Herakleio City Bus app. Or check bus itineraries and departure times at https://astiko-irakleiou.gr/en/itineraries.

The main bus stops have routes and schedules posted, LCD displays for the next buses, and ticket machines, which are cheaper than buying onboard the bus (which costs €2 Zone A, or €2.50 Zone B). Small stops may have none of these, so consider buying two tickets, keeping one for your return. At bus stops, signal the driver by raising your arm. Orange ticket (A zone whole, B zone students) costs €1.20, blue ticket (B zone whole) costs €1.70, all tickets have a QR code, directing to Astiko KTEL website. There are two free circular "Citybus" lines in the city centre which run from 07:00 until 22:40. When you get on the bus, hold the bottom half of your ticket in your right hand. The driver will take the top half (side with ticket price) and the two of you will rip it in half. Tickets are available inside buses but cost more.


 * Line 1 goes to the airport
 * Line 2 goes to Knossos
 * Line 7 goes to Amnissos
 * Line 8 goes to FORTH (Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas)
 * Line 11 goes to University hospital
 * Line 12 goes to HMU (Hellenic Mediterranean University, formerly TEI - Technologiko Ekpedeftiko Idrima Kritis)

By car
Traffic in Heraklion is bad and parking is worse. You can see the main central sights on foot, and take the bus for Knossos, Rethymno and Chania. You hardly need a car for your trip.

Hiring a car is easy with the usual documentation (a standard EU driving licence is fine.) Get prior permission in writing from the rental company if you plan to take the car away on a ferry.

Petrol stations often close around 21:00, particularly in villages. Most petrol stations expect you to pay cash; they serve you, so you can choose for them to fill the tank or put in fuel to a cash value. On the National Highway, there are service stations, but they are often 50 km or so apart. Fill up before public holidays and Sundays when you may have more difficulty finding an open station.

By taxi
Lots of taxi ranks in all the main locations, downtown and at the airport and ferry port. Usually they're looking for trade and will spot you before you spot them. If they're sparse, call or via their website.

By motorbike
Even though Crete is the biggest Greek island, it is still easy and quick to get around it by motorcycle. Riding mopeds and motorcycles is a common activity in Crete and a lot of tourists choose this way of exploring the island. The minimum driving age for a moped in Greece is 16. As Crete is a very rural island, riders should be aware of livestock who often are present along the sides of the highways, and sometimes can make their way into the middle of the road. As tempting as it might be to explore off the beaten path, a good rule of thumb is to stick to roads and trails that emergency services will be able access should there be a need for emergency assistance.

There is no lack of motorbike rental providers around the Island, but mostly are concentrated near the airports and within Heraklion, Chania, and Rethymno.







See
The must-see sights are the Archaeological Museum downtown, and the Palace of Knossos 5 km south. A combined ticket is no longer offered.

Take a stroll along the city's Venetian wall (Greek: Τείχη). It's 7.5 km long, with seven bastions jutting out. On the southernmost of these, the Martinengo Bastion, is the grave of Nikos Kazantzakis with its moving inscription, "I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free." From the wall head towards the harbour, taking in the Historical Museum, which picks up the story where the Archaeological Museum leaves off. The Koules or fortress stands over the inner harbour but the mole continues for almost 2 km, with views back over the city and the ferry port. You don't need to enter the Koules to go on the mole, but you may need to dash where the waves are breaking at its base.





Take the main highway east towards Malia to reach the Cretaquarium and the folklore museum.



Do

 * Amoudara the city's beach area; a 6 km strip of sandy beach, lots of cafes, bars and hotels and the site of "Technopolis", a modern multiplex cinema and open-air theatre.
 * Horseback riding, experienced and amateur riders can ride at the beach of Karteros, or take riding lessons at Ippikos Omilos Hrakliou, located 6 km east of Heraklion, in Karteros.
 * Rock climbing, locals and visitors can climb a 15 m rock at the suburb of Karteros, east of Heraklion. Safety equipment is provided.
 * Water fun at Water City and Aqua Plus water parks.
 * Football: OFI Crete play soccer in Superleague, the top tier in Greece. Their home ground is Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium (capacity 9000) on km west of city centre.
 * Heraklion Sailing Club (Ιστιοπλοϊκός Όμιλος Ηρακλείου) offers sailing lessons, sailing trips, yacht charters and has its own seafood restaurant. It's on the former premises of the port refrigeration plant, east of the Port Authorities.
 * Heraklion Summer Arts Festival is held from June to September.

Buy

 * Visit the central open market near Meidani square and buy mountain herbs, spices and folk natural remedies.

Budget
Throughout the city centre, it is easy to find cheap tavernas (ταβέρνα) offering full meals for under €20 for two people. A strict budget can be met by sticking to the supermarkets which provide the usual array of fruits, vegetables and cheese for modest prices (€5/day is quite feasible.) Central cafes serve the local breakfast treat bougatsa, a local pastry with cottage cheese, served with honey, or cinnamon and sugar. Also available are the usual complement of pastry shops for standard meals such as spanakopita (spinach pie) and various cheap desserts.

There are many low-priced restaurants in the city centre:



Drink

 * Raki, also known as tsikoudia, is the trademark of Cretan day and night life, a strong clear drink similar to grappa in Italy or orujo in Spain. It is made from the 'must' of grape skins and twigs after the local production of the white wine. It doesn't taste like aniseed, as opposed to the Turkish rakı. Most raki is standard spirit strength of 40% or 80o proof, but some are much stronger. It's often served in small glasses after dinner with a plate of fruit or other dessert.
 * Cretan wine: Try the distinctive Cretan wine, produced in the island for at least 4000 years. Labels: Sitia, Peza Union. The Cretans themselves drink so called 'open' wine, straight out of the barrel, like fresh white wine, and the sometimes very old dark rusty red wine, a bit like port. Typical Cretan wine varieties are Marouvas and Kotsifali (both red wines).

Budget
There are two hostels in Heraklion, both in the city centre, a 10-minute drive from the airport and a 5-minute drive from the port. A taxi from the airport to either hostel should cost less than €10, and from the port less than €6.



Connect
Free WiFi provided by municipality, and some cafes. 3G & 4G networks are also available

Stay safe
Road safety is wanting and generally the attitudes of all road users are poor and reckless. For pedestrians, there are haphazard pavements, usually entirely obstructed by parked cars and bikes, meaning the road itself has to be used by pedestrians. Other roads lack pavements. Road crossings for pedestrians do not seem to be recognized by motorists, making crossing difficult in busy roads. Drivers and bikers may even drive through junctions when the "green man" is indicating it is safe for pedestrians to cross. The bikers seem to be the worst, usually wearing no helmet and happily talking on a mobile phone or reading a text message while driving. Sometimes bikers ride on the pavements, and expect pedestrians to move out their way.

There are many stray cats and dogs in the city. The dogs can often be seen in small packs, and may bark and growl but do not attack if they are left alone.

Cope
Heraklion can seem traffic-choked, polluted and crowded with chain-smokers at times. A visit would not be advisable for those very sensitive to cigarette smoke (e.g. asthmatics), as smoke is everywhere. Even no smoking rooms in hotels are likely to have the smell of cigarettes drift from the corridor or the window. Fortunately anywhere near the sea front there is a refreshing mild sea breeze.

Go next
Within reach of a day-trip, but worth longer, are Rethymno, Chania (the most charming old town on the island), and Agios Nikolaos. Chania is the best base for exploring the Samaria Gorge, and Agios Nikolaos is your base for seeing Spinalonga. You'll need your own car to see Anogia, or Phaistos Palace and Matala beach, on a day trip.