Hersonissos

Hersonissos is the most known seaside resort in Heraklion Prefecture. It is situated 24km away from the Heraklion Airport and 26km away from Heraklion Port. You can reach Heraklion by airplane or boat and then follow the highway that will take you to Hersonissos.

Hersonissos is the ideal place to be in summer if you love nice beaches and wild nightlife. It is one of the busiest and most bustling towns in Crete, offering a large variety of accommodation options that range from pensions and self catering options to five star luxury hotels and all inclusive options.

Hersonissos is the top travel destination in Crete for Scandinavians, Dutch, Germans and British youngsters although you can also find families with small kids, especially in the all inclusive luxury resort hotels in the area.

Hersonissos History

During the antiquity Hersonissos used to be a very important and thriving city and a busy port of the ancient Lyttos, with its own coins and festivals. It featured an imposing temple dedicated to Brytomartis, a deity that was adored in the area. Later, the deity was identified with Goddess Artemis (Diana). The name of the town dated back to the ancient years, as the archaeological findings prove.

During the Roman years, Hersonissos was still an important port, due to its strategic location. Close to the seafront there is a fountain with fishing scenes that comes from the Roman Era. There are also findings from the early and late Byzantine years, as there is a Christian Basilica from the 5th century AD.  

The port of Hersonissos was the base for the fighters of the Greek Revolution against the Turks and later became again a very important trading port in the Mediterranean Sea, known today mostly as a tourist resort.

Attractions and Activities in Hersonissos

Although Hersonissos is referred to as a nightlife paradise, there are numerous attractions in and outside the town. Hersonissos is in close proximity to Heraklion, therefore it is easy to visit the capital city of Crete and its museums or archaeological sites, such as Knossos and Phaistos.

East of the town an open air museum is situated. Lychnostatis is the recreation of a traditional village of Crete, featuring old houses and lush gardens and orchards, as well as a kafeneio (traditional coffee house) where tourists can try some of the infamous products of Crete, raki and teas or beverages.

The most active visitors can benefit from the several outdoor activities that take place in the area; almost seven kilometers outside Hersonissos, there is a full 18-hole golf course, and close by Aqua Splash Water Park, a water playground for adults and kids. Cretan natural environment is ideal for trekking and hiking activities and there are many companies that work with outdoor activity tourism in the region.

Hersonissos is ideally located on the path to numerous picturesque villages in the area, which you can explore with a hire car: Piskopiano, Koutouloufari and Old Hersonissos are the most famous ones, although the surrounding area boasts a number of small and very tranquil villages as well,  Avdou and Kera being some of them.

Hersonissos Nightlife

In Hersonissos everything sums up to this word; the cornerstone of the tourist activity in the area, the reason why so many young people come to this place. Hersonissos features a large amount of bars and clubs that play music and serve cheap drinks all night long.

Clubs with dazzling neon lights promise wild nights and endless fun, playing all kinds of music from Cretan music in urban remixes to popular songs from other places in the world.

High spirits, good mood, a few drinks and dancing is the main theme here. Young people have fun and end up in the hotels early in the morning, therefore it comes as no surprise that Hersonissos is relatively empty in morning hours.

Hersonissos is the place that offers you cordially whatever you might wish for.