Heraklion Town TO Amnissos Heraklion

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Heraklion Town

TransferPlan will transfer you from and to Heraklion town as quickly, safely and comfortably as possible. Heraklion boasts the title of the largest urban entity in Crete and is also the administrative capital of the island. Heraklion has an immense historical and cultural heritage, as in close proximity to the city visitors can find the Palace of Knossos, which has served as the centre of Minoan civilisation. Throughout the city, you can also find a number of constructions dating back to the Venetian occupation such as Koules Fortress in the old port.

Heraklion is home to some world class monuments and cultural landmarks. Among the most outstanding man-made structures is the Heraklion Fortress that contains the 'old town'. Originally built by Arab merchants and later on reinforced by Venetians, the Fortress included seven bastions, of which only the Martinego bastion survives the passing of time. Moreover, visitors will be delighted to find one of the gates to the city, named Chanioporta, which is ornate with the winged lion of Saint Marc. Visitors can also pay pilgrimage to the grave of one of Greece's most important writers and Nobel recipient, N. Kazantzakis. The sight that marks his resting place also offers some mesmerising views of the city.

Throughout the city, one can spot statues and monuments commemorating prolific figures that have been important for Greece's course through history and have contributed to Crete's immense cultural heritage. Some of the names include renaissance painter El Greco, Poet Vicenzo Kornaros and Politician Eleftherios Venizelos.

Moreover, the Archaeological museum should be on the top of every visitor's list; a splendid space that boasts a massive collection of ancient artefacts from all over the island and covers more than 5,500 years of history. Special emphasis is given to the spoils of Minoan civilisation, which has been one of the first to spring in the Southern European cost and was almost entirely wiped out by a volcanic eruption and a subsequent tsunami. The museum is home to the most important collection of surviving Minoan antiquities in the world and awaits its visitors to explore the mysteries of this extinguished civilisation.

Nowadays, Heraklion represents a beacon of Greek modernization and has been subjected to an extensive urban sprawl, that gives it a truly unique character. Despite the expansion of concrete residential blocs and the immense traffic, a short walk through the bustling streets and alleys will travel you through thousand years of history and will reveal to you the hip side of Greece with its rich coffee culture and culinary delights that can be found in every corner.

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Amnissos Heraklion

TransferPlan will transfer you from and to Amnissos as quickly, safely and comfortably as possible. Amnissos is located 9 km east of Heraklion city, close to Amnissos village. Amnissos is a beautiful long sandy beach with clear blue waters, although sometimes it gets windy.

During summertime, this beach gets really crowded as it is well organized, with umbrellas, sunbeds and sports facilities, close to Heraklion and has shallow waters. So, it is preferred by tourists, families and locals. Here you can find a lot of hotels, resorts and rooms to let. The road by the seaside is full of restaurants, taverns, beach bars and coffee shops. The big disadvantage of this lovely beach is that it is next to the airport so especially during summertime it gets really noisy because of the planes. The beach has a “blue flag” meaning that it is really clean and ideal for swimming.

The famous archaeological site of Amnissos is located at Karteros village, at the slopes of the Paleochora hill. It is an ancient city, which according to the historian Stravon was used by King Minos as the port of Knossos and is another great example of Minoan civilization. The current sea level at the area is three meters higher than the bronze-aged sea level. That means that some drowned houses are still visible. The habitation of Amnissos dates back to the Middle Minoan period. In 1932 a Minoan Mansion named “Villa of the Lilies” was discovered. It gets its name due to the lily wall paintings, which was destroyed by fire in the 15th century BC. The villa had paved rooms, a bathroom, stairs, a sanctuary, a kitchen and a storeroom. The beach overlooks the islet of Dia, which was a significant Minoan religious site. Another ancient religious site close to Amnissos beach is the Cave of Eileithyia, where according to the myth, Hera gave birth to Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth. The cave is long and narrow, yet open to the public and its worth a visit.

Amnissos has a lovely beach and it is pretty close to Heraklion. It can be easily used as a base for exploring Crete. The only bad thing is the noise of the aeroplanes which during summertime they are way too many, one every 5min.

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