-Europe.Greece.Crete-
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The ship sailed into the port of Heraklion Crete at 08:00 and I did not successfully catch a good sunrise photo though I waited patiently for it since 06:00. Well, you win some and you lose some.
Since we did not plan for a hectic sight seeing day we also went off the ship a little later than the other passengers, so it was relatively empty when we disembarked and again there was a free shuttle bus to the port entrance. At the port building there was an information center where we got a free city map. The lady there was not overtly friendly but we managed to get an English copy of the map.
Sight-seeing Heraklion
I have made prior research about what to see and do in Heraklion. So immediately after exiting the port building we made a left and headed for the ticket booth for the blue bus. The lady there was way more friendly and provided us with the relevant buses to take including the return to the port. (You see what better service you can get when the person is less stressed) The day ticket costed a very reasonable 5 Euros each and we immediately were on our way with the bus no. 2 heading to our first stop – Knossos Palace. Here is the link to the bus routes and schedule in case you need it – Greek alphabet alert!
Palace of Knossos
It was an almost 30 minute ride on the bus due to traffic as it was a working day and we finally arrived at Knossos. I previously read that it costs 5 Euros per entry but when we got there it was 15 Euros per person!, the prices looked freshly replaced and I wondered if the prices changed because of days where ships come in to the port. Very likely where the phrase “his ship came in..” is coined from. I would expect with 15 Euros there would at least be a printed map and some information about what we are seeing but the lady at the ticket counter just said there are many signs posted with explanation.
If you have time, choose a walking tour with a guide. Otherwise just get a skip-the-line ticket. Below are options to choose from GetYourGuide. *Ticket costs is now 18 Euros (information updated June 2023)
There were not many signs posted around and they only state which parts of the grounds these were and when you visit such ancient ruins in Greece, it is the mythological stories that are interesting – so I sometimes caught narrations from some guides explaining the stories behind some of the frescoes. You should definitely go with a guide if mythology interests you.
The site itself was pretty impressive with the labyrinth that housed the minotaur son of the Queen rumoured to be underground of the site. Here are some photos.
After we were done exploring , we looked for the bus stop with Bus No 20 that would take us to the Heraklion town center.
Heraklion Town Center
We walked around town with some areas comfortably pedestrianized. We found a good coffee and juice place where I had mixed fresh melon, mango and strawberry juice which costed 4.50 Euros at the time. As was normal in Crete the prices already included service charges, so a round up to the next dollar is usually how we pay. Tips are always welcome of course if the service provided was excellent.
We explored further the city center with the highlights of 25 August Street with its colonial buildings and the Morosini fountains at Lion Square. Plenty of places to eat and drink around too.
Ammadoura Beach
We looked at the time and decided to head to the beach with the no. 6 bus from Astoria. The bus ride was again almost 30 minutes due to traffic and lots of stops. I have read the stop after Crete beach resort was nice with beach access at LOTOS but we ended up stopping earlier because we got nervous about the time and was unsure which frequency the buses had. So we stopped when we saw a beach access at the Camadari Spa and took a side path to the beach
What a beautiful beach, with endless white sand and possibilities to rent the facilities such as deck chairs, umbrellas. Food and drinks were available as well as showers and rest rooms.
I did not check the prices since we did not have so much time, so it was a quick swim and then back to the bus stop to catch Bus No. 1 to the port. Luck was on our side as we waited about 10 minutes for it to arrive. The bus dropped us off 1 stop after Astoria (City Center). After asking a few people we found out that the port was only a 5-minute walk away and headed back without problems.
Back on the ship I checked the shore excursion offered to Knossos Palace with free time for looking around at Heraklion center would have costed us 63 Euros each and instead we spent 20 Euros per person visiting Knossos, Heraklion and a trip to Ammoudara Beach and done at our own pace! I say money well saved.
Summary of this trip – in the short video below:
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There is so much to do in Greece. We just visited Athens and did a couple of day trips from here. Yet to head to the Greek islands.
Good to know the bus price was cheap but too bad the entrance ticket was costly. The prices of Greek monument change in the beginning of April. Till March the winter prices is basically half-price. I luckily went during end of March.
I love visiting historic sites like this. The ruins look glorious. So nice to see the remains of the throne room too. Great way to end the trip in such a beautiful beach.
Heraklion is one of the first places I visited as a teenager travelling with my friends, and without our parents! We loved exploring the historical ruins and I remember I bought a little souvenir silver pendant of one of the artefacts found at the site. We missed the market streets, which I think I’d have enjoyed.
There is a lot to see in Greece. Enjoying a cruise in Greece will be definitely in my bucket list. You shared a nice brief itinerary of what to see in Heraklion in the given time you had when your ship docked at the port. I love ancient ruins and Crete seems perfect, especially Heraklion I mean. However, I found the juice to be really pricey. I would find some economical alternatives while strolling around Heraklion.
I love travelling to Greece, but unfortunately I haven’t been to Crete yet. This is a great list of things to do in Heraklion with limited time. Have pinned for later.
Sounds a a day well spent in Heraklion. It’s a really good thing to do prior research in a place you are visiting. Even without a plan, if you know the place, you know where to go.
To be honest, this is the first time I heard about this place but it is definitely an interesting place to visit. A swim at the Amoudara Beach sounds love. Happy to know that you had a great time.
I visited Crete a few years back but missed out on Heraklion sadly. Will definitely make an effort to visit it next time as it looks truly beautiful. Ancient ruins are so fascinating to me!