Greek Islands Portal

HERAKLION PREFECTURE

HOW TO GET THERE

BY FERRY BOAT: There is a daily service from Piraeus port to Heraklion Crete. Distance 174 nautical miles. Ferries also connect Heraklion with Aegean and Dodecanese islands. There is a ferry service from Thessaloniki to some of Aegean islands and Heraklion, and also a local Heraklion – Santorini service.

BY AIRPLANE: There are daily flights to Heraklion Crete from Athens, Thessaloniki, Rhodes, Volos, Mykonos and Santorini airports. There are also frequent charter flights connecting Heraklion with many European cities.

USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS
Port Authority of Heraklion Crete + 30 2810 244912
Port Authority of Piraeus + 30 210 4226000
Port Authority of Thessaloniki + 30 2310 531504 – 5
International Airport of Heraklion Crete + 30 2810 397800
International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” + 30 210 3530000
Buses Station KTEL Heraklion – Lasithi www.ktelherlas.gr
Venizelion Hospital – Heraklion  www.venizeleio.gr
Tourist Police of Heraklion + 30 2810 283190
Post Office of Heraklion + 30 2810 289995
Post Office- Airport of Heraklion + 30 2810 220294
Archaeological Site of Knossos – Heraklion + 30 2810 231940
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion – Xanthoudidou & Hatzidaki Sts. – Tel: + 30 2810 279000, 2810 279086
Historical Museum of Crete – + 30 2810 283219 – www.historical-museum.gr
Museum N. Kazantzakis – Myrtia, Heraklion -  + 30 2810 741689 – www.kazantzakis-museum.gr

LASITHI PREFECTURE

HOW TO GET THERE

There is a ferry service from Piraeus port to Agios Nikolaos and Sitia. Distances: 200 nautical miles (Agios Nikolaos), 206 nautical miles (Sitia). Both harbors are also connected by ferry boat with several of the islands in Cyclades and Dodecanese.

By Airplane from Athens: The prefecture is served through the airports of Sitia and Heraklion. Sitia has a modern airport capable of taking charter flights and private airplanes. There are connections also with other cities and islands, in Greece

USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS

Port Authoriy of Sitia + 30 28430 22310
Port Authority of Agios Nikolaos + 30 28410 22312
Port Authority of Ierapetra + 30 28420 22294
Port Authority of Piraeus + 30 210 4226000
International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” + 30 210 3530000 – www.aia.gr
Airport of Sitia + 30 28430 24666
Olympic Airways of Sitia + 30 28430 22270, 24666
Post Office ELTA of Sitia + 30 28430 22283
Hospital of Sitia + 30 28430 24311
Hospital of Ierapetra  – 6, Kalimeraki Str., Ierapetra  + 30 28423 40222, + 30 28423 40122, 28420 90222
Hospital of Agios Nikolaos + 30 28410 25221 – 9, 28410 66000, 2841343000, 28413 40900
Buses KTEL Station – Sitia + 30 28430 22272
Buses KTEL Station Agios Nikolaos + 30 28410 32224
Buses KTEL Station Ierapetra + 30 28420 28237
Archaeological Museum of Sitia + 30 28430 23917
Archaeological Museum of Agios Nikolaos + 30 28410 24943
Archaeological Museum of Ierapetra + 30 28420 28721
Folklore Museum of Sitia + 30 28430 22861, 22541
Folklore Museum of Agios Nikolaos + 30 28410 25093

RETHYMNO PREFECTURE

HOW TO GET THERE

There are no direct flights to Rethymno, by air but the town is served through Chania airport. The distance is 68 kilometers, and the passengers travel either by Olympic Airways buses or by KTEL buses.

USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS

Buses Station KTEL Rethymno + 30 28310 22212
Tourist Police of Rethymno + 30 28310 53450
Hospital of Rethymno + 30 28313 42100, 28313 42320 – www.rethymnohospital.gr
Post Office of Rethymno + 30 28310 22303
Telecommunications Center of Rethymno + 30 28310 35000
Archaeological  Museum of Rethymno + 30 28310 54668

CHANIA PREFECTURE

HOW TO GET THERE

BY FERRY BOAT: There are regular ferry services daily from Piraeus port to Souda. Distance 257 nautical miles. There are also ferry services from Piraeus to Kasteli, via Laconia (Monemvasia – Neapolis – Gythio), Kythira.

BY AIRPLANE : There are daily flights to Chania from “Eleftherios Venizelos” airport in Athens and from Thessaloniki. The airport of Chania is 15 kilometers from the town. There are also charter flights from many European cities.

USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS

Port Authority of Chania + 30 28210 98888, 28210 93888
Port Authority of Souda + 30 28210 89240
Port Authority of Kasteli + 30 28220 22024
Port Authority of Piraeus + 30 210 4226000
Chania International Airport “I.DASKALOGIANNIS” + 30 28210 83800 , 28210 83805
Olympic Airways Chania + 30 28210 53760
Aegean Airlines – Airport Office + 30 28210 63666
International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” + 30 210 3530000
General Hospital Agios Georgios – Mournies Chania + 30 28210 22000
Crete Naval Hospital – Souda Chania + 30 28210 82000
Archaeological Museum of Chania + 30 28210 90334
Byzantine Museum of Chania + 30 28210 96046
Naval Museum of Chania + 30 28210 91875

An island of contradictions at the crossroads of three continents – Europe, Asia and Africa – CRETE is a distinctive island with a long history, deeply rooted traditions, a rich civilization, varied landscape, wonderful seas, mild climate and long hours of sunshine, modern hotel units and an excellent tourist infrastructure, considerable cultural interest, and opportunities for entertainment and sports.

Crete is the largest island in Greece (8.260 square kilometers with 1.046 kilometers of coastline) and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean, lying in the south Aegean.
Its terrain is mountainous and divided by three ranges: the White Mountains (Lefka Ori or Madares), Ida (or Psiloritis) and Dikti (or Lasithi Mountains).
It has several plateau, caves, gorges and dense woods.
The island produces olives, oil, grapes, citrus fruits, garden products, bananas, avocados, aromatic and medicinal herbs, etc.
It has a mild, healthy climate, with gentle winters and hot summers.

Administratively, Crete is divided into four prefectures: HERAKLION with its capital at the town of the same name, LASSITHI with its capital AGIOS NIKOLAOS, RETHYMNI with its capital RETHYMNO, and CHANIA with its capital of the same name.

Archaeological excavations has confirmed that Crete was inhabited from the 6th millennium BC (Neolithic Period 6000 – 2600 BC). Later, the Minoan civilization emerged and flourished for 1500 years, which are known as the Minoan period (2600 – 1100 BC). The island prospered about 1900 BC, when the first palaces were built at Knossos, Phaestos, Malia, Archanes, Zakros and Kydonia.
The most brilliant era of the Minoan civilization was between 1700 BC and 1450 BC. At the end of this period, about 1450, an eruption of the Thera Volcano caused great damage on Crete. This was followed by the invasion of the Acheans and the capture of Crete by the Dorians.
After 500 BC, Crete went into decline and felt into obscurity during the Classical and Hellenistic periods. In 67 BC it was conquered by the Romans, who remained on the island until AD 330. After this date it was a province of the Byzantine Empire, with the seat at Gortys.

In AD 824 it was captured by the Saracens, who organized it as an independent Arab state with its head-quarters at Chandakas (Heraklion today). It was liberated by the Byzantine general and later emperor, Nikiforos Fokas.
In AD 961 it became a Byzantine province again until 1204, when it was conquered by the Venetians (Venetian Rule: 1205 – 1669). During this period, the economy improved and the arts and letters flourished, as is clear from the creations of the “Cretan School of Painting” (mainly religious painting), from the “Cretan Theater” which flourished during the last two centuries of Venetian Rule and from architecture.

In 1669 Crete felt into the hands of the Turks.
The last city to fall being Chandakas, which offered resistance for 21 entire years. Only Sfakia retained its independence, though paying tribute to the Turks. The Cretans began to wage Guerilla Warfare. Against the Turks from the very first years of Turkish domination and organized many unsuccessful uprisings.

In 1898, after the intervention of the European powers, an autonomous Cretan State was proclaimed, with Prince George as high commissioner. The island was formally united with Greece after the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) and the signature of the treaty of London (17 – 30 May 1913).

On 20 May 1941 the Germans, after occupying mainland Greece, launched a coordinated offensive to capture Crete by air and sea, which lasted until May 28, when the German landing finally took place. This is known as the “Battle of Crete”, one of the most heroic struggles of the Second World War. In it, British, Australian and New Zealand troops fought alongside the Greek soldiers, as did a large part of the non-combatant population.