Knossos
Crete’s most famous historical attraction is the Palace of Knossos, the grand capital of Minoan Crete, located 5km south of the city of Iraklio. The…
Must-see attractions in Iraklio Province
Heraklion Archaeological Museum
Iraklio
This state-of-the-art museum is one of the largest and most important in Greece. The two-storey revamped 1930s Bauhaus building makes a gleaming showcase…
Iraklio Province
Gortyna (also Gortyn or Gortys) has been inhabited since Neolithic times but reached its pinnacle after becoming the capital of Roman Crete from around 67…
Iraklio Province
Phaestos was the second-most-important Minoan palace-city after Knossos and enjoys an awe-inspiring setting with panoramic views of the Messara Plain and…
Iraklio
After six years of restoration, Iraklio’s symbol, the 16th-century fortress called Rocca al Mare by the Venetians, reopened in August 2016 with a brand…
Iraklio Province
The Palace of Malia, 3km east of Malia, was built at about the same time as the great Minoan palaces of Phaestos and Knossos. The First Palace dates back…
Iraklio
If you’re wondering what Crete’s been up to for the past, say, 1700 years, a spin around this engagingly curated museum is in order. Exhibits hopscotch…
Iraklio Province
Driving south from Arhanes, look for the turn-off for Giourtas. The narrow (but drivable) road leads to the top of Mt Yiouhtas. After a bone-rattling 5km,…
Iraklio Province
Well worth a detour to Vori, this nonprofit museum lifts the curtain on how rural people lived on the island until well into the 20th century. The English…
Knossos
Behind an antechamber, this beautifully proportioned room is separated by a pillar from a sunken basin that may have been used for purification rituals…
Knossos
Archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans believed that this pretty space in the residential eastern wing, with its painted pillars and playful dolphin fresco on the…
Archaeological Museum of Arhanes
Iraklio Province
This small museum displays many important finds from regional excavations, especially from Minoan times. Among the highlights are clay larnakes (coffins)…
Iraklio Province
Matala’s main beach below the caves is a lovely crescent but often gets uncomfortably crammed. To escape the crowds, follow signs to Red Beach, reached in…
Iraklio Province
Continuing on from the Aposelemis Dam takes you to Kerá, home to one of Crete’s most cherished monasteries, the Panagia Kardiotissa. Its teensy chapel is…
Iraklio Province
In a modern building overlooking the kafeneia-flanked central plaza of author Nikos Kazantzakis' ancestral village, this well-curated museum zeroes in on…
Iraklio Province
Located 2km north of Matala near Pitsidia and reached by a steep and winding road, the sun-kissed sands of Kommos hug Messara Bay in one of the region's…
Iraklio Province
This place is for animal lovers. The passionate folk at Kiwi-run Agia Marina Donkey Sanctuary feed and care for abandoned donkeys. At research time, 22…
Iraklio Province
In a lovely seaside setting at Hersonisos’ eastern edge, this family-operated, open-air folklore museum recreates a traditional Cretan village with…
Iraklio Province
The Minoan site of Kommos, 3km north of Matala above a fantastic wide and sandy beach, is believed to have been the port of the mighty palace-city…
Monastery of St Peter & St Paul
Iraklio
One of Iraklio's most striking ruins, this 13th-century Dominican monastery has been rebuilt and repackaged (mosque, movie theatre) numerous times…
Iraklio
Housed in a 13th-century monastery that was later a mosque, this tiny but fascinating museum features well-displayed historic religious artworks from…
Iraklio Province
This wonderful spot is highly recommended for getting a hands-on education in traditional Minoan pottery. English is a struggle, but Giorgos and Kristina…
Iraklio Province
Under the Romans, Lebena (today’s Lendas) was a health spa cherished for its therapeutic springs. The ancient settlement stood right above the beach, but…
Iraklio Province
On a hill west of town and reached via a steep footpath, Fourni is the most extensive Minoan necropolis in Crete. Burials took place here over a period of…
Iraklio
One of Greece’s largest cathedrals, with space for 8000 worshippers, Agios Minas was constructed (with interruptions) between 1862 and 1895 and dedicated…
Iraklio Province
About 5km south of Arhanes, and well signposted, Vathypetro was built around 1600 BC, probably as the villa of a prosperous Minoan noble. Archaeologists…
Iraklio Province
Situated 4km northwest of Zaros, this monastery is noted for its 15th-century Venetian fountain with a relief of Adam and Eve, and early-14th-century…
Iraklio Province
About 6km south of Sivas, Moni Odigitrias is a historic monastery with a tower from which the monks fought off the Turks, the Germans and the odd pirate…
Iraklio Province
Easily overlooked, this pint-sized chapel was carved straight out of a cliff, apparently during Venetian times. It contains some lovely icons and a carved…
Iraklio
Four water-spouting lions make up this charming fountain, the town's most beloved Venetian vestige. Built in 1628 by Francesco Morosini, it once supplied…
Iraklio Province
The pretty, if rocky, Loutro beach is the launching pad for a scenic 6km hike to Kronos via the Trakhoula Gorge. It’s about 5km east of Lendas. Its…
Iraklio
The three-aisled 13th-century Agios Markos Basilica was reconstructed many times and turned into a mosque by the Turks. Today it's an exhibit space…
Knossos
At the heart of the palace, the Central Court was hemmed in by high walls during Minoan times. Rooms facing the western side of the courtyard had official…
Iraklio Province
Impressive Quarter M is a residential area a bit further west of the palace. Though fenced off, it's still possible to appreciate its size and complexity…
Knossos
Covered storerooms in the east wing hold giant clay jars decorated with ornamental relief that once held oil, wine and other staples. They were…
Iraklio Province
This disc with 34 impressions around its edge is on the western side of the Palace of Malia's Central Court. Archaeologists believe it probably had a…
Iraklio Province
The palace was surrounded by an entire city whose excavation is still ongoing. The canopied structure just west of the compound is described as the crypt.
Iraklio Province
In the middle of Thrapsano, the twin-aisled 15th-century Timios Stavros church houses well-preserved frescoes. You might have to ask around for the key.
Knossos
Remnants of a drainage channel and underground clay pipes show that the Minoans had developed a sophisticated water-supply and sewage system.
Knossos
This famous fresco adorns Sir Arthur Evans’ restored elevated, colonnaded west bastion of the north entrance of the palace.
