Heraklion Crete
Crete, the largest and most populous island in Greece, about 100 km south of the mainland, has 2 cruise ship ports, both on the northern side of the island was our next Port of Call. Our port was going to be in Heraklion, the capital of the island, located just northwest of the ancient Minoan capital of Knossos. The first human inhabitants of Knossos probably came there from Anatolia (Asia Minor) in the 7th millennium BCE and established an agricultural society based on wheat and livestock raising. The central mountain range rises up to 8,000 ft above sea level, most of the 625,000 population lives on the northern side of the island which is a little less than twice the size of the State of Delaware.
Before I start informing you about our visit to the Birthplace of Zeuss, I have to tell you that we had a Meeting of the Minds on the High Seas half way between the Italian Island of Sicily and the Greek Island of Crete. Still dealing with the fall out of the Covid 19 pandemic, one of Regal Princess sister ships, the Diamond Princess was experiencing a shortage of medicines available to treat passengers. So we witnessed a highly unusual, but impressive encounter on the high seas, when our ship, the Regal Princess, marked the occasion with a loud rendition of the Love Boat theme to welcome its needy sister ship and transferred the necessary medicines via a tender boat.
Princess Cruises features a variety of tours in Crete, focusing on the main ports of Heraklion and Chania (Souda), including visits to the ancient Minoan Palace of Knossos, the historic Spinalonga Island, and cultural experiences like the Arolithos Village. Other popular excursions include wine tasting, beach breaks, and jeep safaris in the White Mountains. Faced with the dilemma, we once again decided to let our feet do the walking and taste the local culture rather than be limited by one or two destination tours:
• Knossos Palace & Heraklion
• Best of Crete (Heraklion): Combines a visit to Knossos with what is now the resort town of Aghios Nikolaos. Agios Nikolaos means Saint Nicholas. In the early 1960 after film producers such as Walt Disney, Jules Dassin and famous British producers filmed various movies and TV series there such as He Who Must Die, The Moon-Spinners, and The Lotus Eaters, the town became a hang-out for hippies and famous musicians like Bob Dylan, the Beatles and Rolling Stones. Daphne du Maurier’s short story Not After Midnight was set in and around the town.
Another hippie commune town, especially for back-packing hippies in the early 1960s was the southeastern beach town of Matala, an hour by car thru the mountain range from Heraklion, where Joni Mitchell spent a lot of time and inhaled a lot of musical inspiration.
• Spinalonga Island: Tours to the former leper colony.
• Arolithos Cultural Village: Experience traditional Cretan life, crafts, and food.
• Chania & Botanical Gardens: A moderate activity tour exploring the city and local flora.
• Rethymnon Town & Arkadi Monastery: A mix of Venetian history and religious, cultural, and historic sites.
• Adventure Tours: 4×4 jeep safaris and quad biking adventures in the Chania region.
• Culinary & Beach Breaks: Cretan wine tasting at Agreco Farm and relaxing at Agia Marina beach.
• Active Options: Sea kayaking, hiking in the Gorge of Therissos, and snorkeling.
Zeus’ Birthplace
Ever heard the legend of upper-god Zeus’ escapes from being eaten from his father, Cronus? It all started at Zeus’s birthplace Diktaion Andron: the Birth Cave of Zeus.
According to ancient Greek mythology, Rhea hid her newborn son, Zeus, in this cave to save him from being swallowed by his power-hungry dad, Cronus, who was known to eat his offspring. To trick Cronus, Rhea gave him a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, while little Zeus grew up in secret inside the cave.
The Curetes, armored guardians, clashed their shields to hide baby Zeus’ cries.
We didn’t sleep all to well the night before, so we didn’t feel like doing to much and we didn’t want to make the time to visit Zeus’s cave, a trip that by car takes 1hr30min to the parking lot at the cave, from where it takes another 1km long steep hike to the entrance of the cave, Han did this about 30 years ago on a two week trip to Crete. For 10 Euro he rode the last kilometer uphill on donkey back, before carefully walking down the slippery steps into the cave. It was interesting but not life altering.
Remember this famous movie line? “You’ve got everything except one thing: madness! A man needs a little madness, or else… he never dares cut the rope and be free”. It was Zorba the Greek’s life motivation: the philosophy of embracing life’s wildness, experiencing joy, and breaking free from constraints. A bit in the way TJ and I approach life. So here is a little regret, because this is a tour we could’ve/should’ve taken. The early 1964 movie Zorba the Greek was filmed mostly in the Chania area, with the closing (Sirtaki) dance at Stavros Beach on the Akrotiri Peninsula.
Since you cannot see everything a Port of Call has to offer during one day, my suggestion for Crete would be to rent a car for the day (the roads are good and well marked and drive a quick south to The Palace of Knossos, then east from Heraklion to Aghios Nikolao. Then drop quickly south to the mountains and see Zeus’s Cave at Diction Andron. From there go further to the island’s south shore and drive west to hippie Town Malatas. Have a quick local bite and refreshment and dive Northeast to Chania with a full afternoon visit to this beautiful Venetian City and the adjacent Peninsula. It’s a two hour drive back (85mi) to Heraklion, so give yourself enough time to be back on ship before it lifts anchor.
Chania, beautiful Venetian Harbor
Chania is generally considered better for charming, picturesque holidays with Venetian architecture and proximity to famous beaches, while Heraklion is better as a central hub for history buffs, offering the best access to Knossos and world-class museums, though it’s a busier, more modern working city. Your choice depends on your priority: Chania for romance and scenery, Heraklion for ancient history and convenience. But if you’re a first time visitor and are looking for a quintessential Greek island charm, that is great for wandering and taking it all in, Chania is your preference.
But better yet, finish your cruise in Athens and then take a week or 10 days and fly back to Crete for a better exploration. It’s worth it and it’s cheap.
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