Must see attractions in Iraklio Province

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

In a lovely seaside setting at Hersonisos’ eastern edge, this family-operated, open-air folklore museum recreates a traditional Cretan village with…

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…

Behind an antechamber, this beautifully proportioned room is separated by a pillar from a sunken basin that may have been used for purification rituals…

Archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans believed that this pretty space in the residential eastern wing, with its painted pillars and playful dolphin fresco on the…

This small museum displays many important finds from regional excavations, especially from Minoan times. Among the highlights are clay larnakes (coffins)…

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…

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…

In a modern building overlooking the kafeneia-flanked central plaza of author Nikos Kazantzakis' ancestral village, this well-curated museum zeroes in on…

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…

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…

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…

One of Iraklio's most striking ruins, this 13th-century Dominican monastery has been rebuilt and repackaged (mosque, movie theatre) numerous times…