Alternatives to Knossos in Heraklion Crete for short stop / Heraklion = ugly place?

[mikeerdas]

Our ship will be making a very short port stop in Heraklion, Crete--(7am to 2pm).

 

I've heard the Palace of Knossos (which I'm guessing is the most popular excursion) is mostly a creative reconstruction of what the Palace might have looked like. So I may give it a miss unless it is in a very atmospheric locale (e.g. the Oracle at Delphi has a spectacularly atmospheric locale aside Mt. Parnassos).

 

What are some interesting alternatives to Knossos I can visit (preferably on my own, but as an excursion would be secondarily ok)?

 

Was watching a Samantha Brown Travel Channel show about Crete; she implied Heraklion itself was a bit ugly, and that Chania was the place to stroll (doesn't help me, because the port stop is Herakion and not Chania). So I'm assuming strolling around the port town itself won't be pleasant.

 

Any good hikes I can get to, alternate archaeological sites, etc?

 

Thanks.

 

Mike

[RHefley228]

Although what you've heard is true (Arthur Evans and his artists were "creative," to be polite about it), Knossos is still the most interesting thing there. There are a couple of museums and an aquarium, but no other archelogical sites that I'm aware of, and we were there for nearly a week.

[mikeerdas]

Although what you've heard is true (Arthur Evans and his artists were "creative," to be polite about it), Knossos is still the most interesting thing there. There are a couple of museums and an aquarium, but no other archelogical sites that I'm aware of, and we were there for nearly a week.

 

Thanks RH. Doing a little more research, the site of Phaestos sounds great. The Lonely Planet Greece guidebook describes it this way:

 

"Of all the Minoan sites, Phaestos has the most awe-inspiring location." The book goes on to say the layout of Phaestos is identical to Knossos.

 

Only problem--it's 63 km from Heraklion. The bus takes 1.5 hrs to get there. Another archaeological site, Gortyna, is on the same bus route. Probably wouldn't have enough time to see these alternate sites via bus, so I may stick with Knossos.

 

The museum in Heraklion is described as being only second in importance to the national museum in Athens. So Knossos + the museum may be my best bets after all.

 

Were you in Heraklion for a week, or various places across Crete? Business trip or pleasure?

 

Mike

[Susan-M]

 

The museum in Heraklion is described as being only second in importance to the national museum in Athens. So Knossos + the museum may be my best bets after all.

 

 

Hi Mike,

We did a combination of Knossos and the museum (on our own). The museum was under construction last October and had a temporary exhibit set up in the basement with a small portion of the museum's artifacts. I think it had been that way for some time and the completion date was (and may still be) a mystery. Still worth going to if you have some spare time. We also walked around the centre of Iraklion for a while: http://www.teicrete.gr/tei/en/gen_plhrof/hrakleio/irakleio_simera.htm

 

If you aren't sure about going to Knossos and are looking for other ideas, there were taxis in the port area (lots of them) who wanted to take people of a sightseeing tour ... I think they wanted 50-60 euros for a few hours. If you got another couple to join you, you could probably have an fairly inexpensive and enjoyable half day of exploring. However, I'm not sure what sites they would take you to, and if it was simply a ride to Knossos and back, with a few highlights pointed out in Iraklion, it's probably not the best value.

[mikeerdas]

Thanks Susan. Hope the construction is complete before I arrive. Wonder how many years its been under construction. I know private home construction seems to take a while in Greece (usually a case of the home owner building a bit at a time as he or she gets money). Didn't realize commercial construction was similarly as slow.

[cruisemom42]

Thanks Susan. Hope the construction is complete before I arrive. Wonder how many years its been under construction. I know private home construction seems to take a while in Greece (usually a case of the home owner building a bit at a time as he or she gets money). Didn't realize commercial construction was similarly as slow.

 

Maybe even slower, particularly if it is a museum or archeological site. The ministry of cultural affairs in Greece is chronically short of cash. Read up on the fantastic archeological site at Akrotiri in Santorini that has been closed for many years now with no date for reopening yet......:mad:

[jms2362]

Although what you've heard is true (Arthur Evans and his artists were "creative," to be polite about it), Knossos is still the most interesting thing there. There are a couple of museums and an aquarium, but no other archelogical sites that I'm aware of, and we were there for nearly a week.

You said you were there a week. I am planning on taking a bus from bus stop A to Knossos. Is there a way to take a bus also to the beach? Is there something of interest to see in Heraklion? I have read it is picturesque and quaint? Am not sure of which beach is the best, any ideas?

[hopingforthebest]

My day touring Palace of Knossos and Heraklion with the Royal Carribean tour was the one day out of my cruise I would give back. If I had it to do again I might have tried walking the Venetian walls, which seem to extend far out into the sea, walking to the food market area as some of my dinner companions had done, trying the beach tour, or even just staying on the ship. The downtown shopping area and museum might not be too bad before 10:30 or 11:00 when all the cruise buses descend on them. One note, Heraklion is not the easiest city to get around and most signs are not in the Roman alphabet as they are in Athens, so I'd get a good map before venturing on my own. You will not be able to get off the ship until at least 7:30 and will need to be back onboard by 1:30.

[mikeerdas]

Hopingforthebest,

 

What is it that you disliked about the Palace of Knossos? And do you not like ruins in general, or was there something specific about Knossos that you found unpleasant?

[harrodsfan]

We visited the museum (the basement version) and it was small but awesome.

Knossos is amazing. The highlight of our trip to Crete.

We also liked the local city museum and walking around the old town.

We were in the town for 5 days and had an awesome time. Much less touristy than Chania.

[mikeerdas]

We visited the museum (the basement version) and it was small but awesome.

Knossos is amazing. The highlight of our trip to Crete.

We also liked the local city museum and walking around the old town.

We were in the town for 5 days and had an awesome time. Much less touristy than Chania.

 

When you say you were there for 5 days, were you on a business trip? Or had you made Heraklion a home base for exploring Crete for 5 days? Or something else?

[RHefley228]

Were you in Heraklion for a week, or various places across Crete? Business trip or pleasure?

 

Visiting a USAF installation while I was in the army in Germany.

[jms2362]

Although what you've heard is true (Arthur Evans and his artists were "creative," to be polite about it), Knossos is still the most interesting thing there. There are a couple of museums and an aquarium, but no other archelogical sites that I'm aware of, and we were there for nearly a week.

HOw do you do it on a bus I heard Bus #2 takes you to Knossos??Can you go to the beach on a bus?

[hopingforthebest]

As compared to other ruins we visited in Rome, Athens, and Ephesus, or even the Native ruins we have visited in the American Southwest, there just isn't a lot to Knossos. It boils down to one vague and rocky building. There are a few repainted columns and frescos, but because they look like they were painted yesterday, you wonder a bit about the meticulousness of the reconstruction. A lot seems open to interpretation. Combine this fact with the few major attractions in Crete, and you end up with hundreds of tourists crowding over a rather small site of somewhat questionable restoration. Even with an excruiciatingly slow and embellished narration by our tour guide, we had seen everything in about 45 minutes. To be fair, if we had seen Knossos first, or at a less crowded time, we might have been more impressed. If you decide to see it, I would definitely try to avoid the cruise tour, which dumps hundreds off at the same time, and then does the same with the shopping district in Heraklion after Knossos.