Crete - The Rough Guide to Greece - page 452

One of the oldest bars in Iráklion, it began as a rock bar in
the 1980s and is now a slick pavement café with an indoor
bar, playing mainstream music that ramps up the volume
as the night goes on. Daily 9am-4am.

BARS
Fashion Perdhíkari 3 T 2810 241 903. A large, trendy
music café-bar that's cloned numerous similar places
nearby. On summer weekends, this is the place to be if
you're under 30. Daily 9am-3am.
Korais Koraí 3 T 2810 346 336. Glitzy open-air café with
spacious plant-festooned terraces, overhead movie screens
and soft rock music - highly popular with Iráklion's smart
set. Daily 10am-3am.
Mayo Milátou 11, just north of Korai T 2810 336 000.
This extravaganza of a bar with spotlights, screens and
music under a big canopy terrace is one of the places to be
seen if you're part of Iráklion's student set. Its arrival has
spawned a whole new set of bars and cafés along the same
street. Daily 9am-3am.
Pagopiion (Ice Factory) Platía Áyios Títos T 2810 346
028. Stunning bar with arty decor inside Iráklion's former ice
factory. Much of the old building has been preserved,
including a lift for hauling the ice from the basement freezer
and a fascistic call to duty in German Gothic script on one wall
- a remnant of Nazi occupation of the factory in World War II.
Make sure to visit the toilets, which are in an artistic league of
their own. Daily 9am-late.
Route 66 Hándakos 46. This small rock bar attracts a slightly
older crowd, and blasts out rock classics into the night. Also
opens as a café during the day, with a couple of tables on the
pedestrianized street outside. Daily noon-late.
Take Five Arkoléontos 7, El Greco Park T 2810 226 564.

CLUBS AND DISCOS
Discos and clubs proper tend to play Western music (and lots
of techno) interspersed with Greek pop. Some of the clubs-
proper don't open their doors before 11pm, with the crowds
drifting in after 1am and dancing until dawn. For livelier, and
earlier, partying head to one of the nearby resorts.
Big Fish Corner of Sófokli Venizélou & Makarios 17
T 697 32 36 922. Popular late-night dance club, with
theme evenings, international and Greek music, and
occasional live performers. Daily 9pm-late.
Privilege Dhoúkos Bofór 7, down towards the harbour,
below the archeological museum T 2810 244 850. A
glitzy mainstream club, which opens at midnight in the
summer months - you can dance until the sun rises.
Entrance €10 including a drink.
Room 109 Sófokli Venizélou 109 T 2810 261 615.
Fashionable and cool late-night bar on the seafront road,
hosting various dance-themed nights, including Latin and
house nights. Daily 9pm-late.
Senses Club Papandréou 277, Ammoudára T 2810 824
059. A lively summer club with a party atmosphere, 5km west
of the city, by Ammoudára beach, playing various
international music including dance & R&B. Daily 9pm-late.

7

DIRECTORY

Banks There are ATMs all over town, but the main bank
branches are on 25-Avgoústou.
Car and motorbike rental 25-Avgoústou is lined with
rental companies, but you'll often find good deals on the
backstreets nearby; it's always worth asking for discounts.
For cars and bikes try: Blue Sea, Kosmá Zótou 7, just off the
bottom of 25-Avgoústou ( T 2810 241 097, W bluesea
rentals.com), Kosmos, 25-Avgoústou 15 ( T 2810 241 357,
W cosmos-sa.gr), or the nearby Caravel, 25-Avgoústou 39
( T 2810 245 345, W caravel.gr); and Ritz in the Hotel Rea ,
Kalimeráki 1 ( T 2810 223 638). All offer free delivery to
hotels and airport.
Hospital The closest is the Venizélou Hospital, on the
Knossós road south out of town ( T 2810 368 000).
Internet Two central cafés are Netcafé, Odhós-1878 4
(daily 10am-2am), and Gallery Games, Koráï 14. Many
cafés and hotels offer free wi-fi.
Laundry Washsalon, Hándhakos 18 (Mon-Sat
8.30am-9pm), is reliable and also does service washes
(around €7 for 6kg). The slightly cheaper (around €6 for
6kg) Laundry Perfect at Malikoúti 32, north of the
archeological museum, is also good (Mon-Sat 9am-9pm).
Left luggage Offices in (bus) Station A (daily 6.30am-8pm;
€2 per bag per day), but not Station B, as well as a commercial

agency at Hándhakos 18 (daily 9am-9pm; €3 per large
locker per day). Blue Sea, Kotzia 3 off Epimenidhou, near the
Venetian harbour (daily 7am-11pm), is a reliable and similar
outfit and stores bags for €3 per day. You can also leave bags
at the youth hostel (see p.455); €3 per bag per day for guests,
€5 per bag per day for non-guests.
Newspapers and books For English-language
newspapers and novels, Bibliopoleio, almost opposite the
Morosini Fountain on Platía Venizélou, is the most central.
The excellent Planet International Bookstore, near the
seafront at Hándhakos 73, has the island's biggest stock of
English-language titles and is a great place to browse.
Pharmacies Plentiful on the main shopping streets - at
least one is open 24hr on a rota basis; the others will have a
sign on the door indicating which it is. There are traditional
herbalists in the market.
Post o ce Platía Dhaskaloyiánnis, off Platía Eleftherías
(Mon-Fri 7.30am-8pm, Sat 7.30am-2pm).
Travel agencies Budget operators and student specialists
include the extremely helpful Blavakis Travel, Platía
Kallergón 8, just off 25-Avgoústou by the entrance to El
Greco Park ( T 2810 282 541). Ferry information and tickets
from Paleologos Travel, 25-Avgoústou 5 ( T 2810 346 185,
W ferries.gr).