We drove into Old Town Heraklion a couple of times to visit the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, the top museum in the world for Minoan culture and civilization. On our first try, we arrived late in the afternoon only to realize that the museum closes at 3:30 pm on most days. Instead of rushing through the …
Museums in Old Town Heraklion (Kotsanas Museum and Heraklion Archaeological Museum) Read More »
On our first sunny day in Heraklion, we headed to Matala Beach. There are so many beaches to choose from, but we chose Matala for its crescent shaped beach and calm waters in a protected bay. During the high season, this is a very popular beach that gets quite crowded. We didn’t know it at …
Just northwest of Heraklion is the ancient city of Knossos, the epicenter for administration, trade and culture of the Minoan civilization for several hundred years in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC, during the Bronze Age. The name Knossos might sound familiar because in Greek mythology, the Palace of Knossos was where King Minos …
After four nights in Chania, we drove about three hours east along the Sea of Crete back to Heraklion, our port of entry from the mainland. Heraklion is the largest city and main port of Crete. We planned to spend five nights here exploring the city and its surrounding area. Our Airbnb was located in …
Chania was built on the ruins of the ancient city of Kydonia. According to legend, Kydonia was founded by Kydonas, the son of Hermes and Akakalida (daughter of King Minos). Archaeologists can trace Kydonia’s earliest beginnings to ancient Minoan times, as early as 3650 BC. Ancient Kydonia flourished for over two thousand years when it …
We saw photos and were curious to visit a geological phenomenon called Komolithi. It appears to be a pale volcano-like structure with trees and shrubs growing at the top, surrounded by a grassy field. It looks other-worldly and totally out of place on the island of Crete, especially because of the contrast between the lifeless …
Olive trees are an inextricable part of Greek culture, tradition and mythology. The Ancient Greeks believed that olive branches represented abundance and peace. Athenians believed the olive tree to be a gift from the patron goddess of Athens, Athena. Olive branch garlands were worn by brides in Ancient Greece. A crown of olive branches was …
St. John the Hermit is well known throughout Greece as a devout Christian ascetic with the ability to perform miracles and who lived in complete solitude in a cave in Crete. I hadn’t heard of St. John before and we are not Christian but I do love learning about religion from the perspectives of anthropology, …
It was forecast to be a rainy day so we planned to spend time indoors at the Archaeological Museum of Chania. The museum is completely new and modern. It was recently opened in 2022 at its current location in Chalepa, after being relocated from its original location in the Monastery of Agios Fragkiskos, the largest …
On our first sunny day in Crete, we leaped at the chance to visit our first Cretan beach. From our research, we knew that Agii Apostoli beach fulfilled all of our Top 3 priorities. First, it has a sandy beach suitable for playing. Second, the water is gentle and warm. Third, it was not too …
