Heraklion. It is the capital of Crete, has the biggest port on the island and the most bustling airport in the country. In a large city like Heraklion there are many sights, monuments and lots of beaches to visit, the most noteworthy are:
1. Heraklion Archaeological Museum: It is located in a central part of the city and is one of the most significant museums in Europe. Its main focus is the finds and treasures of Minoan civilization, the first civilization that was created on European ground.
2. Natural History Museum of Crete: Here you can learn everything about the natural environment of Crete and the animals that inhabit it, as well as the history of dinosaurs. Visitors can experience a strong earthquake in a special room and learn how to deal with it. There are specially configured areas with interactive games for children.
3. Knossos Palace: It is located 5 kilometres out of the city of Heraklion. Knossos was the seat of the first king of Crete, Minos and the excavations in the area brought to light a lot of details for the life of a great civilization.
4. Cretaquarium: It is the best aquarium in Europe. It has 60 tanks with more than 2.000 sea organisms living inside. You can explore the sea world and then relax in the specially configured areas of the aquarium while enjoying the view of the Sea of Crete.
5. Matala: It is famous for its extraordinary beaches with golden sun, but it is even more well known from the ’70s for the different way of life of the people who went and resided in the caves of a huge rock that hugs the sea, the hippies. On the Komou beach you can watch loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) lay their eggs under the protection of the Sea Turtle Conservancy organization.
6. Hersonissos: It is located 26 kilometres east of Heraklion city. It is one of the best tourist seaside attractions and that’s why it attracts hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world. It is a place that can accommodate various types of travellers because it combines entertainment till the morning with the relaxation of the beautiful beaches and the graphic villages.
*Also Don’t forget to walk in the historic centre of the city of Heraklion and enjoy the old market, the Venetian walls, the Koules Fortress and the beautiful public squares.
