Car Hire Heraklion

Heraklion Mini Guide

See one of the largest cities in Greece and ancient ruins on a beautiful island by hiring a car in Heraklion. Heraklion is otherwise referred to as Iraklion and it is the capital of this island which is so popular with tourists. They go there to experience year around sunshine and a temperature that rarely gets too hot or too cold. That means that you can choose to spend your days chilling out by the beach or going to see the various historical artifacts which give Crete pride of place within Mediterranean history.

Among them, Knossos was a Bronze Age site of a Minoan civilisation and the ruins were excavated by a famous archaeologist called Arthur Evans. The name means labyrinth because of their maze like appearance. The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is a good place to find out more about the history of the island and the Palace of Knossos. This could have been built as far back as 2000 BC. Heraklion itself was founded much later in the year 824 AD. The Saracens took over the island from the Byzantine Empire.

You can also see wonderful examples of Venetian architecture such as the Loggia as the city became part of the republic of Venice in the 13th century. Later the influence of Venice on Crete inspired the Cretan renaissance. Today visitors will enjoy walking around Crete and experiencing the wonderful outdoor markets of Heraklion and the ancient buildings including churches and cathedrals.

Despite being a big city, there are a number of very good beaches nearby including Amoudara and Amnissos, both reached in minutes in your Heraklion hire car.

The absolute must see of the city has got to be the Palace of Knossos. There the Minoans worshipped the sacred bull, the sculpture of whose horns form the abiding image of the ruined city. The archaeological museum in the city has the most extensive and amazing collection of artefacts excavated from the palace by the archaeologist Arthur Evans.

Continuing the historical theme take your hire car to the harbour to visit the Venetian Castle of Koules. The Museum of the Occupation of Crete is also a fascinating visit relating to its World War II history.