The ancient historical center of the island of Crete, named after the mythological hero Hercules. According to the "Geography" of the ancient Greek thinker, geographer and historian Strabo, the city already existed in the I century AD and was the seaport of the Minoan city of Knossos. Heraklion was at various times owned by Arabs, Byzantines, Venetians and Turks. In the Middle Ages, there was the largest market for the slave trade in the entire Mediterranean. The island was connected with Greece only at the beginning of the XX century.

The city is located in the western part of Crete. It was built by the Venetians during their rule on the island. Many of the attractions of Rethymno have perfectly survived to the present day, the central place among them is occupied by the Venetian fortress of Fortezza, built at the end of the XVI century. The Archaeological and Historical-Ethnographic Museum, the ancient Rimondi fountain and the Venetian port can be distinguished from the visited and popular places.

A small town in the north of Crete, a well-known and popular tourist destination. The predecessor of modern Agios Nikolaos arose on the site of the ancient Dorian settlement of Lotto, but gradually fell into decline. New inhabitants appeared already in the Middle Ages during the Venetian rule. In 1646, as a result of the war with the Turks, the Venetians burned the settlement. For the third time, Agios Nikolaos was revived in the middle of the XIX century.

The water park is located in Heraklion, its territory covers an area of more than 80 thousand m2. It is the largest water amusement park in Crete. It includes 13 swimming pools and many high-speed slides of different difficulty levels. There are also less extreme attractions in the water park, so every visitor will find something to do. Separate pools and playgrounds with various water games are equipped for children.

An ancient monument of the Minoan civilization that flourished in Crete during the Bronze Age. According to legend, the Palace of Knossos is the legendary labyrinth where the terrible Minotaur lived. The monster was defeated only by the hero Theseus. It was the bizarre architecture of the palace-temple with numerous passages, dead ends, rooms and passages that gave rise to the myth of the Minotaur.

The ancient city is 30 km away. from Heraklion, founded presumably in the XX century BC in the ancient era. The settlement has witnessed many civilizations: Mycenaean, Dorian, Greek. During the reign of the Roman Empire, Gortyna was the capital of the island of Crete and the residence of the governor. The city existed until the IX century AD, in 828 during the Arab conquest of Crete, it was turned into ruins.

An ancient city that went under water around the II century AD as a result of local displacement of the plates of the earth's crust in the area of Eastern Crete. The findings of archaeological excavations indicate that Olus was an independent and developed city, they minted their own coin here and maintained friendly relations with neighboring settlements. Foreigners were allowed to settle in the Ulus, as evidenced by the documents found during the excavations.

One of the largest museums in Greece, where a rich collection of artifacts of the Minoan civilization is collected. The exhibition halls also display exhibits from other periods of the island's history from the Neolithic era to the time of the Roman Empire. There are 20 halls in the museum, arranged in chronological order. New specimens are constantly being found at the excavations, which replenish the museum collections.

A unique architectural monument, which was founded in the V century AD. The church at the monastery dates back to the XVI century. The monastery is located on the slopes of Mount Ida at a 500-meter height. In the XVII century, Turkish invaders looted the premises and expelled the brothers, but later the monks were allowed to return. In 1866, during the Cretan Uprising, the monastery withstood the siege of the 15 thousandth Turkish army.

The Greek Orthodox monastery of the XVII century. The founders of the monastery are the brothers Lawrence and Jeremiah, who came from a respected Venetian family. Construction work continued until the second half of the XIX century, as the monastery was repeatedly attacked by the Turks. As a result of such raids, most of the property was looted and burned. It was only after the Cretan Revolution that the monastery was restored.

A picturesque monastery of the XVI century, built on the mountainside. The monastery is under the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople. In the XVII century, the building was destroyed by the Turkish authorities. In the XX century, the city was once again looted and destroyed by Fascist troops. The monastery was closed in 1970, followed by many years of reconstruction. In 2013, the monastery was opened to the public.

A convent of the XIII century (or X century according to alternative sources). The first written mention of it dates back to the XIV century. A miracle icon of the Theotokos of the Heart (Cardiotissa), or rather a copy of it, is kept in the walls of the monastery. The original was stolen in the XV century, and is currently in Rome. It is believed that a copy of the icon also has miraculous properties and is able to cure diseases.

The Venetian fort in the city of Rethymno, one of the most important city attractions. It was built in the XVI century. Fortezza towers over Rethymno, it can be seen from any part of the city. The fortress was constantly changing its appearance, during the numerous wars with the Turks, the outer walls and buildings suffered. The last restoration lasted almost 20 years, as a result, Fortezza acquired the appearance that it had under the Venetians.

The sea fortress in Heraklion, built by the Venetians in the XIV century. Bas–reliefs depicting a lion, the symbol of the Republic of Venice, are embedded in the main walls of the fort. The name "Kules" was given by the Turks, while the creators of the fort themselves used the name "Rokka-al-Mar". Which loosely translated from modern Italian means "fortress on the sea". The Turks built a small mosque on the territory of the fortification, and also completed an embrasure and spaces for the placement of artillery.

A 14th-century Venetian military structure on the territory of the Cretan community of Sfakion, which was built to protect against pirate raids. At that time, the fortress was called "The Castle of St. Nikita", but the name "Frangokastello" was fixed for him, which means "castle of the Franks". The fort has withstood many sieges and assaults, but its walls have survived to this day in relatively good condition.

Spinalonga is a small island in the eastern part of Crete, located opposite the peninsula of the same name. In the XVI century, the Venetians turned this place into an impregnable fortress, which was supposed to protect the settlements from pirates. Such a powerful fort was erected on the ruins of the ancient acropolis that even the Ottoman Empire troops could not take Spinalonga for another 46 years after the capture of Crete.

Freshwater lake, around which the Greek "Saint-Tropez" is located — the city of Agios Nikolaos. The depth of the reservoir reaches 64 meters. According to an ancient legend, the beautiful Aphrodite and the huntress Artemis took baths in the waters of Vulismen. Until the very middle of the XIX century, local residents believed that evil spirits lived in the lake. Vulismeni is connected to the sea by a canal.

Another freshwater lake in Crete, located in a picturesque green valley. The beaches of Kurna are a great alternative to the seaside resorts of Heraklion and Rethymno. A variety of birds, turtles and fish live on the shores and in the depths of the water. The silence and tranquility of the lake are conducive to long boat trips. Once there was a temple of Athena of Corea, but the structure has not reached our days.

A cave system located within the limits of the Everyday Mountain range. According to ancient Greek mythology, here the goddess Rhea hid the newborn Zeus from her husband, the god Kronos. The child was destined to overthrow the power of his father and become the supreme god of the entire Greek pantheon. The cave was named after Zeus for a long time and was sacred to the worshippers of the thunder god.

A fertile plateau in the eastern part of the island, raised 820 meters above sea level. The plateau is known as the "valley of a thousand mills" (with their help, water was extracted for irrigation of agricultural land for a long time). On the territory of the valley there are orchards and large vegetable plantations. The generous lands of the Lassithi plateau began to be cultivated during the Minoan civilization.

A natural attraction of Crete, one of the largest gorges on the Greek islands. The length of the tourist route along the gorge is about 16 km. In ancient times, temples of Artemis and Apollo stood here, as evidenced by the preserved ruins. In the VI century BC, the city of Tara existed in the Samaria Gorge. Since 1962, the territory has been declared a National Park.

A sand spit of rare beauty a few dozen kilometers from the resort of Chania, covered with pink sand. Many tourists consider Elafonisi the most picturesque beach in the entire Mediterranean. The delicate pink color is obtained due to the remnants of corals and small shells covering large areas of the spit. The water in the lagoon is always clean, warm and transparent. The beach is equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable stay.

The beach is located in Messara Bay on the territory of the small town of Matala. It is surrounded by rocks, in which numerous caves have been cut down. It is believed that ancient people originally lived in them. In the early Christian era, followers of Jesus hid from persecution in the caves of Matala. This fact is evidenced by the remains of catacomb temples and burial sites of believers.

The bay is located in the western part of Crete. Here is one of the most popular and picturesque beaches, which is famous for the purest white sand with pink flecks and magnificent turquoise water. Despite a fairly large number of people wishing to swim in the waters of the bay, there is no tourist infrastructure on its shores. In this way, they try to preserve nature in its original form.

The beach on the territory of the Wai National Park. The largest palm forest in Europe, consisting of endemic Theophrastus palms, grows here. It is believed that the plantings appeared thanks to the Phoenician navigators. The beach is very popular with tourists, so a lot of people always sunbathe and swim here at the height of the season. Especially picturesque views of Vai can be seen in the rays of the dawn sun.