Some great hotels near Heraklion Airport
Reserve your Heraklion Airport transfer to or from a nearby hotel before flying:
- The Aquila Atlantis is just over 2.5 miles away, meaning Heraklion Airport transfers take minutes. With five stars and scoring 4/5 on TripAdvisor, it has a pool and spectacular harbour views. Definitely one if you’re treating yourself!
- Hotel Karteros is even closer at just 1.5 miles from Heraklion Airport. Family-friendly, the three-star accommodation features a pool and sea views. TripAdvisor reviewers rate it 4/5 or ‘very good’.
- Iraklion Hotel is three miles from the airport – cover them in 10-15 minutes. Centrally located and offering two-star affordability, this clean, comfortable accommodation near the port is rated ‘Very good’ on TripAdvisor.
Transferring from Heraklion to a different airport?
- Chania Airport lies 91 miles west; allow a couple of hours for your Heraklion Airport transfer
Chania is Crete’s only other international travel hub, but AirportCars arrange transfers to and from Santorini Airport, around 90 miles north, and Mykonos and Kos, both roughly 150 miles away.
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Towns to explore near Heraklion Airport
- Heraklion is just a few miles away, making for airport transfers in minutes. Greece’s fifth largest city is a port and Crete’s capital, and it’s home to a famous 1930s archaeological museum featuring a huge selection of Minoan art, and a Venetian port with a sixteenth-century Koules fortress, giving a strong sense of Crete’s past.
- Chania is just under 90 miles west: cover them within two hours by Heraklion Airport transfer. There’s a beautiful lighthouse at the end of the harbour pier, pastel-coloured buildings, cobbled streets and chic tavernas from which to indulge in people-watching.
- Rethymnon is some 50 miles west – allow over an hour for your transfer from Heraklion Airport. This pretty seaside town is the go-to place for classic Cretan food and sun-drenched beaches, while the old town and Venetian harbour are gorgeous. There’s also a nineteenth-century lighthouse, sixteenth-century citadel and folklore museum.
- Agios Nikolaos lies 37 miles east, meaning a 50-minute Heraklion Airport transfer. It has a striking architecture, and plenty of hustle and bustle. Learn about local folklore, visit the natural history museum and take in the ‘bottomless’ Lake Voulisemeni.
- Agioi Deka is located about 30 miles south-west; be there within 40 minutes from Heraklion. A ‘hidden gem’ of a village (its name means Ten Saints), it’s a history-steeped place. With a unique charm and character, its church is worth visiting, as are the local tavernas and shops.
- Malia lies 20 miles east, or a 30-minute Heraklion Airport transfer. A vibrant party town, it’s known for its nightlife and beaches, and has all the amenities you need for your stay. It’s also a good base for exploring and home to a Minoan palace. Feeling adventurous? Try canyoning at Roza Gorge.
Best places to visit from Heraklion Airport
- The Palace of Knossos is a few miles south, meaning a 10-minute Heraklion Airport transfer. The island’s best-known historical site and the epicentre of Minoan Crete, Knossos has an evocative setting and encompasses courtyards, private apartments, baths and frescoes alongside a huge palace.
- Dinosauria Park is near Gournes, nine miles east or 15 minutes from the airport. The park features fossil replicas and animatronic dinosaur models. Learn more in the on-site cinema, and visit the ‘dinosaur hospital’ to see an egg hatching.
- Melidoni Cave is worth the 40-mile, hour-long ride west from the airport. Just over a mile from Melidoni village, this amazing cathedral-like cavern is full of mesmerising stalactites and stalagmites. A site of worship since Neolithic times, there’s some uneven ground, dim lighting and 70 steps descending to the cave.
- Samaria Gorge, lying 112 miles east, is a Heraklion Airport transfer of nearly three hours, but worth it. Europe’s longest gorge has breathtaking views over the Libyan Sea and spectacular scenery. Hike the trail and look out for Cretan badgers and spiny mice.
- CretAquarium is less than 10 miles east, so a 15-minute hop from the airport, and it celebrates Mediterranean ecosystems. Enter a world of 2,000 marine species from sharks to jellyfish in dozens of tanks which recreate the sea bed.
- Lychnostatis Open Air Museum is 17 miles east; 25 minutes by Heraklion Airport transfer. Celebrating Cretan folklore, it incorporates traditional island houses, wine and olive presses, ceramic and weaving workshops, cactus garden and more. Catch a live event at the on-site theatre.
More key information about Heraklion Airport
Passengers with disabilities will encounter stairs near baggage reclaim, and just one loo with wheelchair access. However, further help is available from the information desk, or can be booked by notifying your airline or travel operator in advance. There are also some ramps for wheelchair users, but no lifts in the terminal.
However, the airport does have to comply with EU law on disabled access. Perhaps more than with other airports, make your particular needs known before you fly from Heraklion.
Heraklion Airport
N. Kazantzakis 71601 Heraklion
Crete
Greece
Tel: (+30) 2810 397800
Email: kahktl@otenet.gr
Website: www.heraklionairport.net