Welcome to Southern Heraklion, Crete

Southern Heraklion is a peaceful place away from the industrial touristic North. Here you can find quietness and relaxation. A place full of myths and legends and of course a lot of ancient sites.

You can visit many places , wander around and enjoy the beautiful beaches and the sunny weather. You can also taste local traditional dishes and drink the Cretan raki and wine.

Enjoy!

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Apartments

What to enjoy What to admire

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Swimming and sunbathing

One of the most famous beaches of Crete is Matala! Only after a ten-minute drive you find yourself in a unique environment sculptured by humans, the nature and time. Next to it there is Komos , a picturesque beach for those who prefer to enjoy their swimming in more quiet places , and after an adventurous 15-minute walk you get to see Kokkini Ammos, a former nudist golden sand beach where everybody is welcome.

If you like exploration and you are willing to step into an impressive gorge, you will be rewarded with Agiofaraggo. After a 30-minute drive and a 20-minute walk you reach a former place of monasticism, where there is nothing close to civilisation. We urge you to spend the night there just gazing at the starry night sky! Do not forget to take water and food with you!

A beach where the sea is always calm is Kala limania (40 minutes from Sivas). On the west you will find Agia Galini, Agios Pavlos, Triopetra (=the three rocks) and Preveli. A longer drive is needed, but the sight is worth the trouble!

For more information about these places you can visit explorecrete.com and you can see photos in our Gallery section!

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Local feasts & Festivals

During Summer almost all of the villages have their own feasts. You can see how local people celebrate, you can taste local food, watch the famous cretan dances and if you feel you have the rythm in you , you could dance as well! In addition music concerts and other cultural events are organised.

Finally a music festival takes place in Matala every summer since 2011. You can find information here Matala Festival (the page will soon be available in English, too).

Unfortunately some sites with information and the dates of these events are not available in English. If you are interested in any of these feasts and festivals, we will be happy to help you.

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Sports

Are you an athletic type who wishes to keep exercising during your vacation? Then you are in the right place! Swimming, walking, hiking, jogging, cycling, stand up paddling and canoeing (you can rent a canoe at Komos beach), rock climbing (there are official routes in the gorge of Agiofaraggo but you have to bring your own equipment) kite surfing (you have to bring your own equipment) are some of the activities you can do!

*During Summer we advise you to go walking, jogging, hiking and cycling either early in the morning or late in the evening, because of the high temperatures.

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Excursions

Crete is not only famous for its beaches and the sun but also for its traditional villages, historical places, beautiful scenery and the magnificent mythology. You should definitely visit the cities of Rethymnon and Heraklion (one-hour drive each). In Heraklion you can visit Knossos palace, the Cretaquarium and the Archaelogical museum .

10 minutes from Sivas you will find Phaistos palace. A visit to Zaros village is a must. There is a lake there and many restaurants serve fresh trout. From there , for more adventurous people, you can reach the Rouvas Forest-Nida Plateau (three hours hiking). Spili is another beautiful village on your way to Preveli beach. There you could rest and drink water from the village's springs!

The ultimate challenge is to get to the summit of Psiloritis, the highest mountain of Crete.

If time and stamina is not an issue, you could hike the famous Samaria gorge or you could swim at Chrissi island.