Heraklion

More in Crete than this-you couldn’t be: Candia (Heraklion or Heraklion in Greek, hence the name of the port) is the regional capital of the island, one of the most populous cities in Greece and the beating heart of Cretan tourist and commercial activity.

However, it is certainly not one of the most pleasant and picturesque places to visit; tourism has grown exponentially in recent decades, and today Candia is not what it once was. It is a very commercial city, where it is difficult to find anything genuine and traditional, from souvenirs to typical cuisine. A busy and not exactly clean city, it is nevertheless home to some absolutely noteworthy attractions, including the archaeological museum with I most important finds from the Minoan era.

Without forgetting that only about 5 km from Heraklion is the palace of Knossos: commissioned and built by Minos, a short distance from Mount Ida of mythological memory, The remains of the palace are a must-see for those in these parts. Most of its frescoes are now preserved at the museum of Heraklion, but the suggestions that the site evokes (suffice it to say that the palace is said to have been designed by none other than Daedalus, and that it was the famous labyrinth in which the Minotaur was imprisoned), are alone worth the trip and the visit.

Candia has a large commercial port and a smaller marina, which has the distinction of being housed within theancient Venetian harbor. A beautiful Venetian fortress, in fact, marks the entrance to the port, and behind the berths are The remains of the arsenal. It is precisely from the fortress that the long arm of the pier that constitutes the structure of the marina departs; inside, three floating docks have in recent years increased I berths for visiting vessels.

Caution when entering: the depth alongside the fort is only 2 meters and less, keep to the left side. The only moorings not accessible to pleasure boats are those along the fort’s quay; they are in fact reserved for fishermen’s boats. At the ends of the floating docks, longer boats (up to 20 meters) can be moored sideways; the harbor, it must be said, is rather small and crowded, along I pontoons galleys it is really almost impossible to moor boats longer than 13-14 meters.

Most of the docks are equipped with drinking water and electricity columns. On the services front, a slipway, a cafeteria, and a couple of restaurants are also worth mentioning. Unfortunately, there is a lack of refueling facilities, which can still be found in town and transported by jerry cans (or you can request delivery to ports by tanker trucks).
Also based within the port is the Heraklion Yacht Club, which is happy to help visitors both to find a berth perhaps left temporarily vacant by some member (in case of a very crowded port) and to give directions for any maintenance and repair services, which are not officially provided by the marina.

Last note: As already mentioned, but worth repeating, Heraklion is not the quietest or most peaceful of towns, and the Heraklion marina is no exception, especially since it is located right almost in the center of town-and this can definitely be a plus when it comes to having to restock the galley, or look for a rental car, or nautical accessories. The city is noisy and busy, even in the harbor area. In addition, planes taking off from the city airport often pass right over the harbor, when they divert The traditional routes because of strong winds.

As far as winds and sea are concerned, the shelter offered by the Heraklion marina is good, again counting that it is an artificial structure and not a naturally sheltered inlet; the same general considerations apply to the entire northern coast of Crete: the meltemi blows hard in summer, mainly from the north; in case of strong winds pay attention to the current definitely present at the entrance to the port.