Heraklion Tourism Information
Heraklion , Crete.

The Prefecture of Heraklion is the largest of the four and it borders with the Pr. of Rethymno on the west and the Pr. of Lassithi on the east. Heraklion is the capital city of the Prefecture. It is mountainous area with Ida and Asterousia mountains occupying the southwest part. Dia island off the north cost is a part of the Prefecture. In Heraklion Pr. are the most important archaeological sites, amazing landscapes and wonderful beaches.
Agia Pelagia is a village by the sea northwest of Heraklion. It has a beautiful sandy beach with waters of amazing colours protected from the winds. Agia Pelagia offers all the tourist facilities.
Amoudara is a Blue Flag sandy beach situated 5km west of Heraklion with tourist facilities.
Heraklion is the largest city and the capital of Crete situated on the north coast of the Prefecture. Since Neolithic times there has always been a settlement where Heraklion is today. During WWII the Germans bombed the city but it was rebuild and developed very quickly the last decades. That created a busy modern city very indifferent from Chania and Rethymno. Of course there still exist many places of beauty and history like the well preserved old port, the Venetian walls, the Venetian fortress or Koules built at the entrance of the old port, the Morosini and Bembo Fountains, the Loggia a Venetian building and many more. In Heraklion can be seen and admired the oldest monuments in Europe of Minoan civilization and it was here where Zeus fell in love with Europe and gave birth to the Minoan kings. In the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion there is evidence of the above. The city’s market is one of the richest with any kind of product and various prices. There is plenty of accommodation from luxury to simple, the food is excellent and the nightlife is vivid. Heraklion is served by Nikos Kazantzakis International airport the second after Athens in the numbers of arrivals and departures in Greece. The port of Heraklion is also very busy with ferries from the Aegean Islands, Athens, Thessaloniki and many cruises to the Mediterranean.
Analipsi is a golden sand beach awarded with the Blue Flag east of Heraklion with tourist facilities.
Gouves is separated into Pano which is on the hill over the Kato which lie by the sea. It’ s located 20km east of Heraklion awarded with the Blue Flag for the crystal clean waters and the beautiful sandy beach. All the types of facilities and many daily excursions are available. Hersonisos is 15 minutes away by car.
Hersonisos is one of the most famous resorts in Crete visited by thousands of tourists every year. It’s situated 25km east of Heraklion on the north coast just 30 minutes from the airport and has a beautiful golden beach with emerald waters of many kilometres. In Hersonisos there is any kind of accommodation, the night life is vivid, all type of watersports are available, many archaeological sites and traditional villages are nearby and it also has a well established aquarium being the largest in Greece.
Malia is a coastal town 33km east of Heraklion famous for the archaeological sites and the wild nightlife. It is a combination of the old town and the new that is still developing without loosing the authentic character of Malia. The ancient palace is 3km east of the city and there are beautiful inland villages with marvellous landscapes in the surrounding area. The beach one of Crete’s finest is 5km long with many watersports, bars, cafes and restaurants.
There are many inland villages in the Prefecture of Heraklion of great natural beauty and archaeological interest such as Ano Vianos built at the feet of Mount Dikti in a beautiful landscape where there are remains of the Minoan civilization, the sanctuary of Aphrodite and Hermes can be seen as well as the Viglas caves with stalagmites and stalactites. Epano Archanes is a picturesque village that was attacked many times by the Turks, the ruins of a small Minoan palace can be seen and also the richest prehistoric graveyard of the Aegean. Zaros is a big and beautiful village where one can see the Kamares Cave and Vrontissiou Monastery built during the 14th century.
Matala beach resort is located 74km south of Heraklion on the south coast of Crete in the Messara bay. It is the most ancient village in Crete used as the port of Phaistos and Gortyn. Some of the remains of the ancient city can be seen at the bottom of the sea. The characteristic of the beach are the caves carved into rocks by nature or human north of the coast. During the prehistoric times the caves were inhabited then used as a place of worship and later as tombs. In late 1960’s and 70’s ‘the children of the flowers’, an international hippies movement of that period turned the caves to a home. Many musicians lived here and inspired by the beauty of the area like Joni Michell and his song ‘Carey’ that says about his life in Matala. But because of their liberal ways the locals never accepted them and forced them out. Today the Matala caves can be visited and are protected by the Archaeological Service.