Heraklion

Located between the prefectures of Rethymno and Lassithi, on the eastern side of Crete, Heraklion is the most popular region of the island. It hosts many busy places with intense nightlife, including Malia, Hersonissos, Ammoudara and Agia Pelagia, but also many peaceful family places, particularly on the southern side. As Heraklion Greece was the main field where the Minoan civilization flourished, you should not miss a visit to the Minoan Palaces of Knossos and Phaestos. A drive around Heraklion in Crete will also bring you to traditional villages, Medieval castles, Byzantine monasteries and nice beach places to relax. This region combines busy resorts and secluded coves.

Visa requirements	First, check the current validity of your passport. All travelers will need a passport valid for at least 90 days following your departure date from Greece. However, we strongly recommend traveling with 6 months validity on your passport at all times. Second, make sure your passport has blank Visa pages. Most destinations, including Greece, require that you have adequate un-used pages in your passport, allowing for any necessary stamps upon arrival and departure. We recommend that you have at least two free pages in Visas section of your passport before any international travel. U.S. citizens can get extra passport pages added to their passports as fast as within 24 hours. Finally, confirm if transit visa is required for any connections. Check with your airline in case you have connecting flights overseas as part of your journey to Greece. It may be the case that countries you pass through en route to your destination may require a separate transit visa.
Languages spoken	Greek, English, Russian, French
Currency used	Euro
Area (km2)	Crete
Country name	Greece

Sports & nature

There are many chances for alternative activities in Heraklion, apart from beach holidays. Diving is a popular activity in Heraklion, particularly in resorts on the northern side of the island, like Hersonissos, Malia, Agia Pelagia and Gouves. The sea bed of Heraklion has interesting flora and fauna and many ancient wrecks. Also the strong winds that blow frequently in summer provide great chances for windsurfing. There are some windurfing centres in Heraklion that rent equipment and offer courses for all levels. Another popular activity is hiking, particularly in sptring and autumn when the weather is not so hot. Hiking trails in Heraklion cross impressive gorges, villages, ancient sites and end in secluded beaches.

Nightlife info

The town with the most intense nightlife in Crete, Heraklion offers many chances for a night out. The night entertainment consists of modern and traditional spots to choose from. There is an interesting variety of bars and clubs which are located in Heraklion Town, Malia, Hersonissos, Ammoudara, Agia Pelagia, Stalida and other places. Malia, Stalis and Hersonissos are the busiest nightlife spots of Heraklion, particularly popular among British tourists. In the other tourist places of Heraklion, you may find few all night clubs but mostly you will find bars that stay open till 2-3 o'clock in the morning. These bars play lounge or loud music. For a more peaceful night out, you can have a dinner at the many taverns around the prefecture of Heraklion. These taverns have delicious local dishes, local wine and traditional raki.

Culture and history info

The prefecture of Heraklion Greece is the most popular region of Crete island, one of the most popular Greek islands. Heraklion holidays offer a truly relaxing experience. The Town works as the main transportation hub and capital of the island and has many developed tourist places. Malia, Hersonissos and Stalida are the most popular resorts attracting mainly young people due to the vivid nightlife. The rest is great for family holidays, as the beaches are calm, relaxing and lined up with restaurants. Apart from relaxing in the amazing beach resorts, do not miss a visit to the archaeological sites of the region: the Minoan Palaces of Knossos and Phaestos, the Caves of Matala, the Medieval Castles, the Byzantine monasteries and the ancient sites. Many festivals and panigiria are organized in summer in various villages and attending such a festival is a nice experience of local tradition. Have a look in this guide of Heraklion and find all the necessary information about vacations there. Due to its central location, this is also a convenient region for excursions to Chania and Rethymno. From the port of Heraklion, in summer there are also ferries to the Cycladic islands of Santorini and Mykonos.

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