Crete - 12 days adventure in Heraklion, Matala, Hersonissos & Malia

Crete is a destination worth a visit. From amazing beaches of Matala and Hersonissos, to Cretan cuisine and to ancient Faistos civilization , you can see and experience all of these and more when you visit Crete! We explore the highlights in 12 days. Here is a short summary of our Crete trip:

​Another Greek island checked from our list! This is my first time in Crete, but for sure will it not be the last! G(George) spent some years living in Heraklion, we met up with lots and lots of friends! In this trip, we explored Heraklion, Matala, Hersonissos and Malia.

 
​​We spent the first week walking around and exploring Heraklion.  The photos below are around the Rocca a Mare Fortress, also called "Koule" in Greece. Lots of people are walking, running, hanging out and visiting. It has a really nice view of the sea and it's also a really nice walk following the paved pathway. The fortress is also a small walk from the Lions Square. The square is probably the busiest part of the city as both the locals and tourists gather and hangout here, most of the shops, cafes and restaurants are also here. ​

 As you can see, we visited Koule many times with many different people :) You can understand how clear the sunset here can be. Sunsets are always a welcome sight. This is the perfect place just to chill and meet up with people.  Enjoy 360 Photo from Koule in Full screen

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​​​Matala is a short drive from Heraklion. This place is overflowing with people in summer! April is still a bit cold but with the Greek sun and not so many tourists yet, camping is a very good decision! in Greek mythology, this is where a bull guised Zeus swam ashore with Europa on his back.

We brought our camping equipment, it's time for us to put out and use our tent again. It was such a long winter and this is the first time that we used our tent this year! Where best to start camping? In Matala! 
*See how our green palace mixes nicely with the surrounding :) *

Matala Campsite

​This tree welcomes you to Matala. The detailed carving on the trunk of this huge tree is by a local artist called Spyros Stefanakis.

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​Photos doesn't do it justice but here is a taste of a Matala sunset. 

The camping ground is behind the beach. The sea is about 5 minutes walking, the shops/cafes and taverns are about 6-7 minutes walking and of course there is also a supermarket where we buy things to cook! And yes, we always travel with a portable "kitchen" :) We stayed 4 days and 3 nights in Matala.

​Just beside Matala beach, on the left is Red beach. There is a trail around 15-25 minutes and you will be in this hill here you can see the beach. 5-10 minutes more and  you will arrive and can also stay there.

The caves are thought to be first hollowed out to be Roman (Christian) tombs, but in the 60s and 70s, hippies were living there with their chill lifestyle with a breath-taking view of the sea! There are also ancient ruins not so far from the shore should you decide to go snorkeling. Enjoy Matala Bay 360 Photo  Full Screen drone shot.

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On our way back to Heraklion, we made a stop in the Palace of Faistos. This was built around 4000 B.C. , it's amazing to see and also to understand how people on those ages lived! You'll see their courtyards, food storage area,  place of worship, and the royal chambers.

​*Fun fact:  The Faistos Disk was found here. This is believed to be the first EVER printed material. The characters are not hand drawn, they are stamped! The first samples of printed material is 2500 years after this disk. 

​We also visited Hersonissos and Malia, which is about 25 kms and 38 kms from Heraklion.  During day time, you can visit beaches and visit historical places and at night, this area is sprawling with nightclubs, restaurants and entertainment centers.

Hersonissos

Malia

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We then headed to Fodele, a small village around 30 kms west of Heraklion, lucky for us it was their Orange Festival ( Γιορτή του Πορτοκαλιού)! The families in the whole village has their own orange farms and they prepared different food products from oranges; from cookies, to pies, to desserts and we were even able to try Raki made from oranges!

On the left is called AdiKristò , which is meat that is placed around a fire to cook and this is something that they only do in Crete! 

We had a blast in Crete and for sure we will visit again!

Special thanks to our Friend Manos for hosting us in Heraklion, Giorgos from Best of Way Travel for our car in this trip. A big thank you for everyone's warmth and hospitality to us, we really appreciate it <3

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​Until we meet again, lots of love from us. For the rest of you guys, stay tuned!
More adventures are coming soon!