Greeka.com: Heraklion Reviews - Greece and the Greek Islands

Beaches: The old paradise of hippies

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:54:43 GMT

Matala is located very far away from the tourist places of northern Heraklion, we drove about 70 km and the weather was incredibly hot that day. However, the golden sand, the crystal clear waters and the mysterious rocks that stand right above you, are definitely a reward once you get there. Though, that day the beach was very crowded still I enjoyed the beauty of the place. It is worth to make...

General: Fabulous beaches in the region

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:54:43 GMT

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 V...

General: Enjoy your stay

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:54:43 GMT

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...

Villages: Interesting monuments but busy centre

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:54:43 GMT

I found the town of Heraklion a bit crowded, but not surprisingly, for this is the main city in Crete. The city is built on the side of a hill overlooking the port and with my fully loaded backpack, the climb to the center of town took quite an effort. Our hotel was in the centre of the island. We stayed in the town for one night and next day took the bus to Chania. If you are looking for a...

General: Beautiful beaches

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:54:43 GMT

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 Heraklio...

General: Needs a summer to see all

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:54:43 GMT

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, sport...

Villages: Still traditional and lovely

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:54:43 GMT

Two summers ago, we stayed in Chania but this time we chose Hersonisos to spend our holidays. A small, nice village close to Heraklion, but still traditional. What I love mostly in Greece is not the beaches, but how (old) people wake up early in the morning and go to the square to read their paper drinking a hot Greek coffee, even in the middle of the summer. How grandpas go their grandchil...

General: Construct better roads and signs

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:54:43 GMT

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. ...

Villages: Try the legendary Cretan diet

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:54:43 GMT

Hersonissos, where we stayed for two weeks, is a perfect holiday beach location. Also, wonderfully quiet at this time (May) of year. We also spent a week in the mountains inland. My main interest is in wild herbs, for which Crete is famous, but there is so little guidance for the tourist on this. Also Minoan remains, absolutely fantastic- Gortis, Knossos, but best of all Phaestos. In Herakl...

Beaches: Much crowded and noisy

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:54:43 GMT

We had at first booked a hotel room in Malia for 8 nights but after two days there, I couldn't find some peace. All you see is drunken British with a beer at hand. It is really a shame because the area around is so nice amd the beach is so clean. We immediately packed our things and looked for a hotel room somewhere else, in the close villages. After a lot of effort (it was middle August, the m...

Villages: Busy with traffic jam

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:54:43 GMT

The town of Heraklion is not very beautiful, compared to the other big towns in Crete, such as Chania and Agios Nikolaos. The best thing about the town is the port and the strong Fortress on its side. It will take you more than an hour to walk all over the fortress, take pictures and see the view. Such castles are found in other towns of Crete, too, and in many Greek places. It is impressive th...

Beaches: Beach parties all night

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:54:43 GMT

Amoudara is a beach very close to Heraklion, just past the stadium of the city. It is actually a tourist resort withy a large 5km beach and a waterfront with tourist shops, bars and restaurants. Most bars are actually cafeterias with loud music, not clubs. The beach has umbrellas and it is better to go in the evening, when families and kids leave and youngsters remain to start their beach parti...

Beaches: Very tourist place

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:54:43 GMT

Hersonissos is one of the most tourist places in Crete. Its location is perfect for excursions and the village offers all amenities. The beach close to the village is excellent, although it gets very crowded in August. We go to Hersonissos for three years in the row and we were impressed that this year most tourists were Germans and Russians. Along the beach, there are many beach bars and taver...

Villages: Visit the Aquaworld in Hersonisos

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:54:43 GMT

A small village at the east of Heraklion. I thought it would be quieter, but eventually Hersonisos turned out to be very crowded, especially among Russians and German. I was surprised to see many luxurious hotels at the surroundings and the beach of Hersonisos, which were almost all overbooked, so I guess book early if you want to stay there. We went on a daily excursion from Heraklion, where o...

Villages: Like all the modern towns

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:54:43 GMT

The actual town of Heraklion is busier than the other towns of Crete. Too many stores and too much traffic was the dominant sight all around. The cars would make much noise and didn't let you enjoy a coffee at the waterfront. Personally, I prefered the quiet villages of south Crete more than its busy towns. I think a good reason to go to Heraklion is to see the Castle and eat cheap and fresh se...