General Information & Reviews

Reviews

• ralph76 28 Jan 2011
  Fabulous beaches in the region

  A close friend of mine invited me to Heraklion last summer. To be honest I was very thoughtful at first because of the long trip but I was finally persuaded.
  
  The town of Heraklion is actually more brustling that the other places around. It has the main elements of a city such as hundreds of stores, too much traffic, full of hotels. The road full of cafeterias and restaurants is at Plateia Venizelou. As far as I've seen, the architecture of Heraklion is influenced by the Venetians. We mostly focused on the beaches and night entertainment.
  
  For a day trip, we went to Matala, a beach famous by hippies in the 60s and 70s. Today it has several accommodations nearby, plus the rocky cliffs create a beautiful landscape. It was very crowded, all day long, except if you go quite early in the morning.
  
  Another day we visited a beach called Stalida, about 40 min drive east of Heraklion. It is a shallow sandy beach where at one side it has pine trees offering a great shade for those who do not have umbrellas while the other side is more organized. This is a popular tourist spot attracted by the wide range of water spots. However, when there is wind huge waves break on the coast creating interesting scenery.
  
• giannhs8883 11 Aug 2010
  Enjoy your stay

  The largest of the Greek islands, Crete has all the attributes for a great holiday experience with the added attraction of some of the world's most famous and intriguing archaeological sites. We stayed at the Blue Bay Hotel last June, it's a wonderful hotel, we had a room at the front with both sea & pool view, would highly reccomend it! The people there make the difference as so friendly, this resort is beautiful and it has great beaches, also some peaceful ones. Enjoy your stay in Crete, it's a magical island.
• gilben 07 Jan 2010
  Beautiful beaches

  Agia Pelagia in Heraklion Crete was our destination a few summers ago, a small village that seemed to come alive with tourists. Tourists were even more than residents there. The quiet place and the beautiful beaches was perfect to relax and get ready for another busy winter. We rented a car from the airport of Heraklion to go to Agia Pelagia and dropped it off at the airport again, when we were leaving.
  
  We drove to the small bays around the village and made a visit to Heraklion Town. Beautiful town with strong castle and cheap restaurants, however it was impossible a nightmare to find a parking seat. It took us 45 minutes to squeeze it in the end between two other cars. Also you must really put more signs to show the way out of the city. We got lost and made circles for many time to find the way to Agia Pelagia. Finally we asked a local man for directions.
  
• johana_tsip 09 Nov 2009
  Needs a summer to see all

  The first time that I saw Heraklion port, as the ferry was approaching, I was disappointed because it was just like an imitation of Piraeus. Heraklion is a big crowded city and the locals were driving like crazy! But as a town it has a lot to offer you related to tourism luxurious hotels, numerous places to see, sports activities etc. Locals were very friendly and most of them speak English.
  
  My husband could not stop taking pictures of Knossos Archaeological monument and of the marvelous village Archanes which received the 2 place award of the most traditional village in whole Europe! My children literally fell in love with the Aqualand in Hersonissos. Me, I could not resist to this salad they made there (takos if I remember correct) with tomatoes, tacks, feta cheese and caper along with a shot of raki drink which is actually really strong!
  
  The fact of some waiters trying to force passers-by into certain restaurants at Lions Square its disappointing!
  
  Renting a car is essential because Crete is a large island and you will need at least an entire summer to swim to all the great beaches, visit all the archaeological sites and see all that it has to offer you from the smallest traditional village to an enormous luxury hotel area as Elounda!
  
• qartyt 02 Jul 2009
  Construct better roads and signs

  Heraklion town is worth only for its castle and the port. This is the main transportation hub in Crete. All fish taverns in the waterfront are great and very cheap. We found grilled fish for 20 euros, while in other places it costs 50! Fresh fish is Greece is sold by kilo in Greece and it can be very expensive. Otherwise, the town doesn't have much to do. Very busy and streets are frustrating. Although we had a map, we couldn't find our way from the highway to the port and eventually we found it by chance.
  
  Worth to see are the beaches close to Heraklion. Try Hani Kokkini and Agia Pelagia. Paleokastro is also famous but it was windy when the day we went there. Malia has a nice beach, but nightlife is awful, especially if you are not 20! We wanted also to visit the mainland of Heraklion but managed to go only to some villages around the town.
  
  Roads were very bad and narrow, put more signs and especially signs in English. I was surprised that such a tourist place like Crete had signs only in Greek in many spots. How are we supposed to understand them? Maps can be of help, but sometimes they send you from roads that are more direct but really bad.
  
• keith 08 Jul 2008
  Stalida

  A recent holiday in Crete left us with a dilema. We had forgotten to pack a very important greeting card, fortunately we found a british couple who import and sell greeting cards.We thought this information could benefit other people with a similar problem. Barbs cards is situated in the stalida shopping centre,they seem to be the only shop open in the centre but are well worth a short walk as Andy & Barb are very friendly and stock many other items such as gifts,mementoes as well as beach items and postcards stamps as well as a huge stock of cards (cheaper than uk prices)
• derek 12 May 2008
  Myrtos Crete

  Myrtos is possibly the most southerly settlement in Greece and although off the beaten track it is worthy of a visit... Lying a little to the west of Ierapetra, the village's shingle beach looks out over the Libyan Sea towards North Africa. The fresh salad you'll get here will have been supplied by one of the many glasshouses that surround the village, growing everything from bananas tomatoes and aubergines, to peppers and cucumbers.
  
  
  This sleepy little village is popular with the Greeks themselves and makes an excellent base for exploring the south east of Crete.
  
  
  Walkers can enjoy the hill country around the fertile Myrtos River Valley. The Pyrgos Minoan site is nearby and the Bronze Age remains of a settlement at Phournou Koripi.
  
  
  The village has three supermarkets, a bakery and a number of taverna’s open until the end of October.
  
  
  
• mark34 24 Mar 2008
  A lot of nightlife and fun

  I didn't like Heraklion town itself but the surroundings were amazing. We stayed with some friends of ours in Hersonissos, a lovely village with a lot of hotels. I didn't like Hersonissos beach and that is why we would usually go to Ammoudara, a very long and sandy beach which was unfortunately too crowded. There was a lot of nightlife on Crete and in general had enough fun. What I didn't like was the high price of the car rentals and the bad condition of some roads, especially in the Crete mainland. We were used to driving in big motorways and found some difficulty with those tiny and rough roads.
• jonathan_r 18 Dec 2007
  Lovely beaches

  The beaches are lovely, and there is a kind of beach for every taste. Personally Ii loved Agia Ppelagia Beach. My favorite things on Heraklion were the waters-ports and motorbiking. The food can be delicious if you stay away from the tourist places where they serve the same things everywhere, and the prices are rediculous. Eat the greek plates as much as you can. They are quite ok. Don't stay at just one place. Crete has something new to offer for every mile you go. Go around the island and you'll be pleased.
• rtropf 07 Aug 2007
  Dont Miss Knossos

  Heriklion is a busy, dirty city like New York or Rome. The city is surrounded by a huge wall built in the 1500's, which is in itself an amazing site. The nightlife is not particularly memorable, but if you get away from the harbor you can find a good restaurant at a decent price. But the main reason to stay here is to visit Knossos. It's an ancient city a short bus ride away. Busses leave from the main terminal every 20 minutes during the day and round trip is only a few Euros. The Knossos site is extensive and fascinating. I paid 10 Euros for a guide and she was well worth the price. In summer, take lots of water and sunblock!
• Jack_J 06 Dec 2006
  Palace of Knossos is great

  Nationality: British
  
  Age: 31
  
  Countries visited: 15-30
  
  The Trip: I arrived on the island by plane with Thomson. The trip was good with no delays
  
  Reasons for going to Heraklio: Discovered in The Traveler by the British Museum. Tourist guide Lonely Planet Greece guide very useful. Interested in ancient civilization and history of Crete. Also nature - beaches, mountains, olives...
  
  Idea before arriving: Just from i had read in Lonely planet and on the internet.
  
  - Island/Area : 9/10
  
  - Landscapes : 8/10
  
  - Tree Covered : 9/10
  
  - Beaches and Waters : 9/10 Our local beach was small but not crowded so very nice
  
  - Cleanliness : 9/10
  
  - Villages beauty : 9/10
  
  - Main Town beauty : 7/10 Heraklio is not very pretty but the smaller towns are lovely
  
  - Food/Restaurants : 9/10 Great food!
  
  - Nightlife : 9/10
  
  - Local People : 9/10 Very friendly and helpful
  
  - Lifestyle : 9/10
  
  - Activities : 9/10
  
  - Excursions & Sightseeing : 9/10 Palace of Knossos is great, so is main museum in Heraklio
  
  - Prices : 9/10 Very reasonable
  
  - Authenticity : 9/10
  
  - Peace and quiet : 9/10
  
  - Weather : 9/10
  
  Opinion about the accommodations:
  
  - General, for Accommodation : 9/10
  
  - Location (surroundings) : 9/10
  
  - Access (distance from town, beach) : 9/10
  
  - Facilities (air-condition, telephone, TV) : 9/10
  
  - Comfort : 9/10
  
  - Service : 9/10
  
  - Cleanliness/hygiene : 9/10
  
  - Price : 9/10
  
  All round good value for a small hotel, lovely location just outside Heraklio and lovely village
  
  Opinion about catering:
  
  - General, for catering : 9/10
  
  - Quality of food/drinks : 9/10
  
  - Variety of dishes/drinks : 9/10
  
  - Cleanliness/hygiene : 9/10
  
  - Service : 9/10
  
  - Environment : 9/10
  
  - Prices : 9/10
  
  -Access (distance from town, beach, hotel) : 9/10
  
  Lots of choices and variety, reasonable prices, right on beach. Great local food!
  
  Opinion about local transportation:
  
  - General, for local transportation : 8/10
  
  - Vehicle's conditions : 7/10
  
  - Service : 9/10
  
  - Safety : 8/10
  
  - Tickets and prices : 9/10
  
  - Cleanliness/hygiene : 8/10
  
  - Conditions of roads : 8/10
  
  - Parking areas : 8/10
  
  Our hire car broke down but we had very quick service from the car hire company so all was well
  
  Opinion about the infrastructure:
  
  - General, for infrastructure : 7/10
  
  - Tourist information (kiosks, maps, etc) : 7/10
  
  - Telecommunication : 7/10
  
  - Health service : 8/10
  
  - Park & Public spaces : 8/10
  
  Favorite things about the island/area:
  
  -Best Beaches: Agia Pelagia as not overcrowded by big resorts
  
  -Best Activity: Archaelogical sites
  
  Negative opinion about the island: More tourist support like headphone sets to hire as guides for walking around the archaeological museum in Heraklio and around Knossos. More guides at sites and more signs on roads to get to tourist sites. Need bigger effort to clean up rubbish on roads
  
  Recommendations for future visitors: book ferry tickets early to get to other islands as they get booked out. Difficult driving conditions!!
  
  Rating of the overall quality/organization/services of this island/area in comparison with other countries
  
  9/10
  
  
• I_Hasan 10 Nov 2006
  Everyone is friendly except taxi drivers

  Nationality: Turkish
  
  Age: 35
  
  Countries visited: 15-30
  
  The Trip: I arrived on the island by speed boat with Superjet. The trip was good. Due to wind, ferry delayed 3 hours
  
  Reasons for going to Heraklio: Discovered on the Internet. Had a plan before, came to Athens for meetings, than had a tour of Mykonos (1 Night), Ios (2), Santorini (1) and Crete (2). Transfers made by ferries by buying the tickets from the islands, and flight from Heraklion to Athens
  
  Idea before arriving: All information could be provided from internet. Especially check the traveler’s reviews. All hotels were found by internet hotel booking companies. Information about Islands and ferries were also found from internet no agency or guide needed all easy. Even you may find hotels in the ports of the islands as hotel owners or personnel came to find customers from each ferry arrive
  
  -Island/Area: 9/10
  
  -Landscapes: 9/10
  
  -Tree Covered: 9/10
  
  -Beaches and Waters: 9/10
  
  -Cleanliness: 9/10
  
  -Villages beauty: 9/10
  
  -Main Town beauty: 7/10
  
  -Food/Restaurants: 8/0
  
  -Nightlife: 810
  
  -Local People: 9/10 (except taxi drivers)
  
  -Lifestyle: 9/10
  
  -Activities: 9/10
  
  -Excursions & Sightseeing: 9/10
  
  -Prices: 7/10
  
  -Authenticity: 8/10
  
  -Peace and quiet: 8/10
  
  -Weather: 8/10
  
  Opinion about the accommodations:
  
  -General, for Accommodations: 10/10 Stayed at Atrion hotel. New, clean, central, friendly
  
  -Location (surroundings): 10/10 near port very friendly
  
  -Access (distance from town, beach): 10/10 5 Euro from port by taxi
  
  -Facilities (air-condition, telephone, TV): 10/10
  
  -Comfort: 10/10
  
  -Service: 10/10
  
  -Cleanliness/hygiene: 10/10
  
  -Price: 10/10 (triple room for 3 adults including breakfast was 105 euro)
  
  Opinion about catering:
  
  -General, for catering: 8/10 (expected to find more authentic crete food which means more vegetables than Greek common)
  
  -Quality of food/drinks: 8/10
  
  -Variety of dishes/drinks: 8/10
  
  -Cleanliness/hygiene: 8/10
  
  -Service: 8/10
  
  -Environment: 8/10
  
  -Prices: 8/10
  
  -Access (distance from town, beach, and hotel): 8/10
  
  Opinion about attractions:
  
  -General, for attractions - recreations: 10/10 good. Rented a car from Heraklion went to Rethymno and Chania. Very beautiful and must see in Crete.
  
  Opinion about Travel and Transportation:
  
  -General, for travel & transportation: 10/10 Fair
  
  -Transfers: 10/10
  
  -Friendliness, information and help: 10/10 Firendly, especially the hotel and car rental service
  
  -Service: 10/10
  
  -Ticket prices: 10/10
  
  -Cleanliness/hygiene: 10/10
  
  -Safety/Security: 10/10
  
  Negative opinion about the island: The only bad thing was the taxi drivers. They do not smile, always try to cheat, newer opened the tariff before we asked. Charged for the luggage, demanded different prices for the same distance and very hard to stop and get in
  
  Recommendations for future visitors: Try to visit the Island on the last week of August and first week of September. Before too crowded and expensive, after too calm and season ends
  
  
  
  Rating of the overall quality/organization/services of this island/area in comparison with other countries
  
  8/10
• John_M 18 Oct 2006
  Lots of choices and variety

  Nationality: British
  
  Age: 31
  
  Countries visited: 15-30
  
  The Trip: I arrived on the island by Plane with Thomson. The trip was good with no delays.
  
  Reasons for going to Heraklio: Discovered in The Traveler by the British Museum, Lonely Planet Greece guide very useful and interested in ancient civilization and history of Crete. Also nature - beaches, mountains, olives...
  
  Idea before arriving: N/A
  
  -Island/Area: 9/10
  
  -Landscapes: 8/10
  
  -Tree Covered: 9/10
  
  -Beaches and Waters: 9/10 our local beach was small but not crowded so very nice
  
  -Cleanliness: 9/10
  
  -Villages beauty: 9/10
  
  -Main Town beauty: 7/10 Iraklio is not very pretty but the smaller towns are lovely
  
  -Food/Restaurants: 9/10 great food!
  
  -Nightlife: 9/10
  
  -Local People: 9/10 very friendly and helpful
  
  -Lifestyle: 9/10
  
  -Activities: 9/10
  
  -Excursions & Sightseeing: 9/10 Palace of Knossos is great, so is main museum in Iraklio
  
  -Prices: 9/10 very reasonable
  
  -Authenticity: 9/10
  
  -Peace and quiet: 9/10
  
  -Weather: 9/10
  
  
  Opinion about the accommodations:
  
  -General, for Accommodations: 9/10
  
  -Location (surroundings): 9/10
  
  -Access (distance from town, beach): 9/10
  
  -Facilities (air-condition, telephone, TV): 9/10
  
  -Comfort: 9/10
  
  -Service: 9/10
  
  -Cleanliness/hygiene: 9/10
  
  -Price: 9/10
  
  All round good value for a small hotel, lovely location just outside Iraklio and lovely village
  
  
  Opinion about catering:
  
  -General, for catering: 9/10
  
  -Quality of food/drinks: 9/10
  
  -Variety of dishes/drinks: 9/10
  
  -Cleanliness/hygiene: 9/10
  
  -Service: 9/10
  
  -Environment: 9/10
  
  -Prices: 9/10
  
  -Access (distance from town, beach, and hotel): 9/10
  
  Lots of choices and variety, reasonable prices, right on beach. Great local food
  
  
  Opinion about attractions:
  
  -General, for attractions - recreations: 9/10
  
  -Variety: 9/10
  
  -Infrastructures: 8/10
  
  -Cleanliness/hygiene: N/A
  
  -Service/Guidance: 8/10
  
  -Prices: 9/10
  
  
  Opinion about Travel and Transportation:
  
  -General, for travel & transportation: 8/10
  
  -Transfers: 9/10
  
  -Friendliness, information and help: 9/10
  
  -Service: 9/10
  
  -Ticket prices: 9/10
  
  -Cleanliness/hygiene: 9/10
  
  -Safety/Security: 8/10
  
  
  Opinion about local transportation:
  
  -General, for local transportation: 8/10
  
  -Vehicle's conditions: 7/10
  
  -Service: 9/10
  
  -Safety: 8/10
  
  -Tickets and prices: 9/10
  
  -Cleanliness/hygiene: 8/10
  
  -Conditions of roads: 8/10
  
  -Parking areas: 8/10
  
  Our hire car broke down but we had very quick service from the car hire company so all was well.
  
  
  Opinion about the infrastructure:
  
  -General, for infrastructure: 7/10
  
  -Tourist information (kiosks, maps, etc): 7/10
  
  -Telecommunication: 7/10
  
  -Health service: 8/10
  
  -Parks & Public spaces: 8/10
  
  Favorite things about the island/area
  
  -Best Beaches: Agia Pelagia as not overcrowded by big resorts
  
  -Best Villages: N/A
  
  -Best Activity: Archaelogical sites
  
  -Best Bar/Pub/Club: N/A
  
  -Best Restaurant: N/A
  
  
  Negative opinion about the island
  
  More tourist support like headphone sets to hire as guides for walking around the archeological museum in Iralkio and around Knossos. More guides at sites and more signs on roads to get to tourist sites. Need bigger effort to clean up rubbish on roads.
  Recommendations for future visitors: Book ferry tickets early to get to other islands as they get booked out. Difficult driving conditions!!
  
  Rating of the overall quality/organization/services of this island/area in comparison with other countries
  
  9/10
  
  
• maryal 21 Jun 2005
  So many sightseeings

  I just came back from Crete were really nice holidays.
  I knew that the island was very rich in terms of archaeological sites but seeing it is so different, so powerful?.
  The museum of Heraklion is so rich its amazing. Then, the Knossos Palace and mansion which are situated near the town of Malia are so impressive and well-preserved, it really helps you to get back in the time and imagine how was the island during its glorious past, during the great Minoan period.
  Apart from the archaeological treasures of Crete (which, as you probably noticed, are parts of my archaeological passion) the island had also amazing beaches; so what else do I need to be fulfil?