The 10 Best Stops in Heraklion that will Guarantee an Amazing time
sA tour around the 10 best stops in the prefecture of Heraklion that will guarantee you an amazing time!
Before we get into the ten best stops, visit our website here or email us at [email protected] to receive more information on our exclusive experiences all over Crete.
The One and Only Knossos
It was the seat of King Minos and is the largest palace of the Minoan period, covering an area of 22,000 sqm. The city of Knossos, around the palace, was continuously inhabited from the end of the 7th millennium until Roman times and its great heyday is placed in 1600 BC when it seems to have housed 80,000 inhabitants. The excavation and restoration were carried out by the English archaeologist Arthur Evans. Even today you can admire entire rooms with impressive frescoes and bright colors, mansions, and other houses.
Life Under the Sea
Visiting the Cretaquarium is one of the most beautiful experiences you can have in Crete. It is one of the largest aquariums in Europe, with an area of 5,000 m2. Its design will make you feel that you are at the bottom of the sea. Sharks, stingrays, and 2,000 other sea creatures from 200 different species circulate you in tanks, in an evocative atmosphere that captivates.
Reach the Top
Kofinas is the highest peak of Asterousia, in the south of the prefecture, at 1,230 m altitude, but you don’t have to work hard to conquer it. It is enough to walk-climb for 15 minutes from the small church of Panagia Keras, where the car arrives. The view from there in all directions is shocking: the immensity of the Libyan Sea, on the one hand, the Messara Plain, and Psiloritis on the other. The Minoans had established a summit sanctuary here. However, the worship continued in Christian times with the small church of the Holy Cross, which you will see today.
A Picturesque Village
Kapetaniana is the most beautiful village of Asterousia thanks to the restoration of the old houses, which are part of the Thalori Retreat and restaurant of Markos and Manos Skordalakis. The village has come alive and is an excellent base for excursions to the South of Heraklion. In addition to strolling through the alleys and gazing at the sea, you can also see Panagia the Kapetaniana. Don’t miss a visit to their port, Ai-Yiannis. The winding route is wonderful and the three beaches are interesting. However, the impressive small church of Agios Ioannis will steal the show. It is built into the rock, on the site of the ancient Asclepius, and is also frescoed on the outside.
In the Footsteps of Hippies
The caves at Matala were prehistoric dwellings and were used as tombs in Roman times, however, they became famous thanks to the hippies who made the beach their home from 1965 to the late 1970s. Today, the area above the fine beach has a fence with visitors gazing ecstatically at the unique timeless retreat. Inside the rocks, notice the carvings that testify to the use of the space for burials in earlier times. Finally, you will see paintings or engraved names of the «children of the flowers».
Going Down South
The unknown face of the prefecture of Heraklion is located in the South and includes the wider region of Asterousia. The routes on the dirt roads of the impressive mountains offer a unique mystical feeling. Ravines and cliffs, strange rocks, barren slopes, gorges, and amazing sandy beaches await you with the Libyan Sea as a background.
One of the most beautiful parts of the route is the one that connects Kapetaniana with Trypiti. Trypiti itself has an impressive canyon, between the walls of which the car passes, and a nice beach. From there you can continue to the more touristic Lenda. The most beautiful beaches, however, are Agiofarango and Vathi, which you will approach from the Odigetria Monastery. For Agiofarango you will need to walk 20-30 minutes on a passable path. Along the path, you will see the small church of Agios Antonios from the 14th century.
Agioi Deka and Gortyna
Gortyna was the capital of Crete in Roman times, spreads over an area of 4,000 square meters around the village of Agioi Deka, and was continuously inhabited for 6,000 years. The monuments include the Odeon the impressive temple of Agios Titos, and the Sanctuary of the Egyptian Deities. Moreover, the temple of Apollo, the Praetorium, and the Great Inscription of 450 BC. With a Law Code based on Minoan standards. Spot it on the north wall of the Conservatory. In addition to the archaeological site, it is also worth taking a walk in the village. The church of Agioi Deka is around a picturesque neighborhood with old houses with bright colors.
Two Unexpected Shops
A surprise awaits you in the small settlement of Kouses, 60 km southwest of Heraklion. A doll shop, colorful and musky: Botano of Yiannis Giannoutsos, who came to Crete from Thessaloniki fifteen years ago. The countless jars containing healing herbs and spice mixtures, and soaps, and essential oils. The artwork on the walls and the view of the Messara plain make the place especially peaceful.
Speaking of coffee shops, in the nearby village of Sivas, you will find a very special one on the main road. You will recognize it by the green facade with the big tree, a tufted pepper! Inside, you will be impressed by the images that cover every centimeter of its walls and are photographs of the works of Domenikos Theotokopoulos, but also snapshots of groups in the shop. You will accompany your raki with meze that includes roasted chickpeas artichokes and kritamo.
The Privets that Turned into Trees
At a distance of 45 km southwest of Heraklion, in the area of Riza of Psiloritis, is the forest of Rouva, the largest primeval forest in Europe, with privets that have overcome the bushy form and become real trees. The landscaped area in the small church of Ai-Yiannis is suitable for an excursion — and the feasts of the locals, while from that point also begins the beautiful gorge of Agios Nikolaos and a 5 km long hiking route that ends at Lake Zarou or Votomou ( you can also reach it by car). This, in turn, has emerged as a recreational area with picnic benches, as well as several taverns.
Intoxicating Skalani Wine Village
The famous vineyard of Heraklion includes three zones of designation of origin – Peza, Archanes, and Dafnes – and many wineries that are worth visiting following the Wine Routes of Heraklion. We single out the Boutari Winery in Skalani, 8 km from the city, which in 2008 was awarded as the best European winery by the American magazine Wine Enthusiast, while it has received many distinctions from Wine & Spirits. Tour the tasteful grounds and 70-acre vineyard, taste the fine wines and stay in one of the luxury lodges. A few kilometers to the south, the village of Archanes is worth seeing. Cobbled alleys, colorful restored houses, and flower-filled courtyards make it one of the most beautiful settlements in Crete. While they are a rare case of proper utilization of financial programs, which earned them the European Village Renewal Award.
Feature Image by @sianavb on Instagram