Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
CRETE
By plane
Crete has two international airports, Iráklion
(Heraklion) and Haniá (Chania), both served by direct flights
from the UK and Europe between April and October. Daily
flights from mainland Athens operate year-round to Iráklion,
Haniá and Sitía with Aegean Airways and Olympic Air.
By ferry
There are daily year-round ferry connections from
Pireás to both Iráklion and Haniá with ANEK Lines and
Minoan Lines, and there are also ferries to Kastélli in the
west and Sitía in the east.
GETTING AROUND
By bus
There are excellent connections across most of
Crete, regular fast buses run along the north-coast
highway, and the south coast is served, less frequently,
with connections from the main hubs of Iráklion, Áyios
Nikólaos, Réthymnon and Haniá.
By car or motorcycle
The main routes across the island
and south are generally well surfaced and fairly well
signposted. Beware of heading of on unsurfaced roads,
particularly on mountain tracks, which often just peter out
before coming to a dead end.
INFORMATION
Maps
The best maps for driving are the German-produced
Harms-Verlag (
W
harms-ic-verlag.de), which cover the
island (east and west) in two separate maps at a scale of
7
1:100,000. For hiking try the 1:25,000-scale Crete Hiking
Maps series (Anavasi;
W
mountains.gr); both are widely
available from bookshops on the island.
Central Crete
The hub of central Crete is the capital city,
Iráklion
, a busy but convenient base for
visits to the nearby Minoan palace of
Knossos
. The area immediately around the city is
Kýthira & Yíthio
Pireás
Rodhópou
Stavrós
Moní Gonía
Kalathás
Gramvoússa
Akrotíri
Tavronítis
HANIÁ
Kolymvári
Falásarna
Stérnes
Plataniás
Ayía
Marína
Plátanos
Kastélli
Soúdha
Kalýves
Balí
Sfinári
Pánormos
Topólia
Kámbos
RÉTHYMNON
Élos
WHITE
MOUNTAINS
Yeoryoúpoli
Pérama
Dhamásta
Alíkambos
Kándanos
Dourakis
Omalós
Arkádhi
Arméni
Khryssoskalítissa
Kournás
Páhnes
(2452m)
Anóyia
Aryiroúpolis
Psilorítis
(2456m)
Ímbros
Soúyia
Anópoli
Elafoníssi
Spíli
Hóra
Sfakíon
Fourfourás
Idean
Cave
Ayía Rouméli
Mýrthios
Paleóhora
Loutró
Kamáres
Frangokástello
Préveli
Lefkóyia
ECOTOURISM
Enaeron (Axós)
Lasinthos (Áyıos Yeóryıos)
Milia (Vlátos)
Ayía Galíni
2
3
1
Míres
Phaestos & Ayía Triádha
Pitsídhia
HIGHLIGHTS
Archeological Museum, Iráklion
Knossos
Paleóhora
Lasíthi Plateau
The Dhiktean Cave
Haniá old town
Samariá Gorge
Southwest coast
Mátala
Kalí
Liménes
Gavdhopóula
Gávdhos
