Hersonissos (Crete) is a miniature resort town located in the northern part of the island, 26 km east of Heraklion. Its population is approximately 3,000 people. The city is formed by municipal communities that have grown up on the basis of small villages. Translated from Greek, the name of the place is interpreted as “peninsula”. The first people who settled on the territory of Hersonissos more than 3,500 years ago, belonged to the Minoan civilization.
Today, Hersonissos has become the epicenter of international tourism and offers its guests all kinds of entertainment and attractions. The resort is particularly popular among young people, who have fallen in love with it for its various night clubs, bars and taverns. The area attracts families with children with its well-equipped beaches, mini-golf courses, water park and convenient hotels. In addition, there are two wellness centers in the city, where many travelers come to restore the body with the help of thalassotherapy.
Attractions and entertainment
Active tourists will definitely not be bored in Hersonissos in Greece. On its territory there are entertainment complexes of different directions, which successfully help to diversify your vacation. First of all, pay attention to the following
Aquaworld Aquarium
Among the attractions of Hersonissos in Crete, the Aquaworld Aquarium is worth noting. This is a small, but worthy of tourist attention, natural area where you can get acquainted not only with the representatives of the underwater world, but also with the inhabitants of the land. The facility was founded in 1995 by John McLaren and was charitable in nature. Many of the local inhabitants were saved from certain death and subsequently found a new home in Aquaworld. The aquarium is primarily unusual for its policy of direct contact of visitors with animals.
Everyone here has the opportunity to touch the local favorites-the Blondy turtle and the Mark Antony iguana. In addition, the aquarium offers various species of snakes and lizards, as well as the Nile crocodile. By the way, you can also communicate directly with a real python here. You will be welcomed at the complex by friendly and friendly staff who lovingly care for all its residents. It is best to visit the aquarium in the morning, around 10: 00, when the feeding of animals begins. It is not forbidden to take photos with the inhabitants.
- Address: Filikis Etirias 7, Hersonissos 700 14, Crete, Greece.
- Opening hours: from April 1 to October 31, the attraction is open daily from 10: 00 to 17: 15. Sunday is closed. The aquarium is closed in winter.
- Admission fee: adults and teenagers – 8€, children-4 €.
Star Beach Water Park
The water park is located on one of the best beaches of Hersonissos in Greece, which allows tourists to combine entertainment on water slides with a beach holiday. The complex has 5 swimming pools and several attractions, including the Kamikaze descent. In addition to water slides, you can also enjoy water sports such as banana rides, parasailing and bungee jumping. The water park also has a children’s area with a playground and a miniature swimming pool. During breaks, visitors can have a snack in one of the cafes, which serves mainly national dishes. There is also a spa and a small shop on site. Professional rescuers monitor the safety of tourists, so families with small children can relax here.
- Address: Themistokleous 5, Hersonissos 700 14, Crete, Greece.
- Opening hours: the attraction is open from April to October every day from 10: 00 to 19: 00.
- Cost of visit: 8 €.
Likhnostatis Open-air Museum
This is another attraction of Hersonissos, which is definitely worth visiting while relaxing in the resort. The private open-air museum will teach you about the history and culture of Crete and its traditional architecture. Here you will learn a lot of interesting information about the life of rich and poor Greeks, about their crafts, as well as about the flora and fauna of the island. Among the architectural exhibits of the museum are a mill, a church and a school. Installations of wine and oil production are also shown here. It is noteworthy that it is in this gallery that you can see the world’s first jet ski.
The tour of the museum is accompanied by an audio guide in Russian (for a fee), and navigation through the exhibitions is quite convenient. The ticket price includes watching a movie about the island’s life. There is a miniature cafe and souvenir shop on site. It is especially interesting to visit the museum during national holidays, when dances are arranged here and treats are distributed.
- Address: Anichto Mousio Lichnostatis, Hersonissos 700 14, Crete, Greece.
- Opening hours: The attraction is open daily from 09: 00 to 14: 00. Saturday is a day off.
- Admission fee: adults – 7€, children-3 €, audio guide-2 €.
Maze Theme Park
In Hersonissos in Greece, there is a rather unusual place-the Maze theme Park, which will be interesting for both children and adults to visit. The park complex is spread over an area of 1300 m2. The maze is a structure of plank partitions, stretching for a total distance of 1 km. Being in the center and finding a way out is not an easy task, so even adults take at least 30 minutes to figure out the right path. Each visitor uses their own strategy in the maze: some go at random, and others use special towers that offer views of the nearby paths.
Interestingly, all participants who find their way in a certain amount of time will receive a special gift from the park. Every day, employees of the complex change the design of the maze, so you can visit the object several times. In addition to this entertainment, the park offers a lot of other activities: vacationers ride horseback, shoot arrows, play mini golf and even learn pottery. And all lovers of history recover to watch an entertaining film about the Minoan civilization.
- Address: Labyrinth Park, Hersonissos 700 14, Crete, Greece.
- Opening hours: the attraction is open from April to October from 10: 00 to 20: 00.
- Admission fee: adults – 10€, children-6 €.
Beaches
Star Beach (Starbeach)
Star Beach is conveniently located right in front of the water park of the same name. This is the most popular place of the resort, which is a whole entertainment complex with a variety of water attractions, so it is always crowded. The beach is characterized by a sandy surface, clean and warm sea.
The beach is equipped with all amenities, including showers and changing rooms. Each visitor has the opportunity to rent sun beds and umbrellas. There is a bar right on the beach, where you can enjoy pizza or Greek food and drinks. Star Beach is suitable for both passive recreation enthusiasts and water sports seekers.
West beach
Another of the beaches of Hersonissos in Crete is located to the west of the city and is appropriately named West beach. First of all, the place is visited by tourists who like to go snorkeling. In fact, West Beach is not quite a beach: here the territory is covered with concrete slabs, on which a few tourists usually sunbathe.
Naturists Beach
The beach is located near Cape Sarantaris, about 2 km from the port of Hersonissos. The place is suitable for those tourists who prefer to sunbathe without wearing bathing suits. Since the coast is located near the road in a busy part of the city, it is always noisy.
The beach is covered with sand mixed with pebbles. The entrance to the sea is rocky, you will need special shoes. Naturists Beach does not have any infrastructure, so they come here with their own beach accessories. There are no cafes on the coast itself, but the only Saradari restaurant is located a couple of minutes ‘ walk from the beach.
Limanakia
This is the widest and longest coast in Hersonissos, stretching between the city port and Cape Sarantaris. Its length is more than 1.5 km, and its width reaches 50 m. Limanakia consists of several separate beaches located in small coves, which are characterized by a sandy surface and the absence of waves. Some areas are equipped with sun loungers, while others are more like wild beaches. As a rule, there are cafes near the equipped beaches that offer traditional food and drinks.
Beaches near Creta Maris
In the photo of Hersonissos, you can see many miniature beaches huddled on a small strip of land. This is the coast near the Creta Maris Hotel, where there are several swimming areas with sun beds and umbrellas, but there are also wild islands. The beach is covered with small pebbles, but in the water at the bottom there are quite large stones, so coral slippers do not hurt here. The area is characterized by shallow water, so many families with young children have a rest here. There are no cafes or restaurants on the beach itself, but if you go out on the road to the east of the hotel, you will find several good establishments.
Beach near the port
On the western side of the port of Hersonissos, you can see another beach. The coastline here is very narrow, but quite long. The place is very popular, so it is always crowded with vacationers. The surface is mostly made of sand, with small stones in some places. The coast is equipped with umbrellas and sun beds, which are closely pressed together, which can cause some discomfort. There are numerous cafes and bars along the shore: some of them are located right on the beach, others-across the street. There are also a couple of hotels and a supermarket on the opposite street.
Accomodation
Hersonissos in Crete in Greece is ready to offer more than 150 accommodation options at a wide variety of prices. If you are primarily interested in a beach holiday, then when choosing a hotel, it is important to pay attention to the distance of the object from the coast. In addition, it is worth considering that the city center itself is located at least 3 km from the coast, and we are interested in the coastal area-Hersonissos Limenas. Among the resort’s hotels, you can find both budget options and expensive hotels.
So, at the height of the season, on average, renting a double room in a 3* establishment will cost 40-60 € per day. The cheapest option in this segment will cost 23 €. There are more than 20 five-star hotels in and around the resort, with an average cost of 150-200 euros for two people per night. Thrifty tourists always have the opportunity to stay in private apartments. The price for booking a room in such establishments starts from € 19 and ranges from € 30 per night.
If you are looking for affordable seaside accommodation options, we advise you to pay attention to the following hotels.
- Albatros Spa & Resort Hotel * * * * * is a five-star seaside hotel with its own spa, fitness center and swimming pool. In summer, you can check in here together for 83 € per day.
- Mari-Kristin Hotel**** — the property is located within walking distance from the beach, has its own swimming pool and restaurant. In high season, room rates are 63 € per night.
- Just 150 metres from the beach, Acropolis Apartments*** offers a private pool and free parking. Rent a room during the summer months costs 45 € per night.
Weather and climate
The best time to visit Hersonissos in Greece is from June to September. Although the air temperature warms up to 24 °C in May, the sea remains cool (20 °C). In June, you can find the most comfortable weather conditions, when the day is warm, but not yet hot, and the water temperature rises to 23-24 °C.
The high season in the resort falls on July, August and September, which are considered the sunniest and hottest months. At this time, the air temperature does not fall below 28 °C, and the sea pleases with comfortable water for swimming (25-26 °C). Swimming in Hersonissos is quite possible in October, because the water in the sea has not yet had time to cool down and is kept at around 23 °C. In winter, there is no point in visiting the site, as not only its beaches are closed, but also most of the attractions.
How to get
If you liked the photos of Hersonissos in Crete and are thinking about a trip to the resort, then it will be useful for you to know how to get there. The nearest airport is Heraklion Airport, 23 km away. To get from the air harbor to Hersonissos, you can take a bus or order a taxi.
By bus
In the first case, when you leave the airport, you will need to find a bus stop and buy a ticket for the Heraklion – Hersonissos route. The fare will be € 3.30, and the journey will take about 45 minutes. Buses run daily approximately once an hour from 06: 00 to 23: 00, on Sundays-from 06: 30 to 21: 45.
By taxi
A more convenient and faster way to get to the resort is to order a transfer or taxi. Such a trip will cost at least € 38 and take about 25 minutes. If you have up to 7 passengers, then it makes sense to order a minibus: in this case, you will pay about 60 €for travel. A taxi service is available around the clock. Here, perhaps, are all the main ways to get to the city of Hersonissos (Crete) in Greece.
Resorts of Crete – the best time and place to relax
