Nature And Outdoors in Heraklion

Heraklion sits exactly in the middle of the island, and that makes it a convenient base: almost everything natural on Crete can be reached from here in a day. Nearest is the Lassithi plateau — 55 kilometres up the hairpins, a field of windmills and the cave where, by the myth, Zeus was born. To the east, beyond Agios Nikolaos, lies Spinalonga: a Venetian fortress on an islet that served as a leper colony until 1957.

The beaches demand road time. The pink sand of Elafonisi in the far west is over 200 kilometres away, a departure before light and a late return; Preveli with its palm canyon is closer, about 130. Shorter routes lead south: Matala with its caves cut into the cliff, and the island of Chrissi with its cedar wood, reached by boat from Ierapetra. Straight opposite the city lies Dia, an uninhabited island an hour away by sea.

Practical notes: Lassithi is 800 metres up and noticeably cooler than the coast, a jacket is needed even in July. The mountain roads are narrow and make people carsick — better to sit in front. Far western trips are sold as a full day; in fact that is twelve hours with an early start. Shoes for stony descents and water of your own are essential.