Departure Airport

Destination or Hotel

List

Departure Date

Duration

Rooms & Guests

Clear search

Heraklion area Holidays

from £ 267 pp

View All Deals

Holidays to the Heraklion area of Crete have something to offer around the clock, starting with early morning sunbathing stints on the beach and ending in dusk-til-dawn clubbing.

Rainbow beaches

The Heraklion area’s bragging rights begin with its beaches. The stretches of sand in this central part of Crete’s north coast are impossible to pigeon hole – they range from the lively 18 to 30s hangouts in Malia to the rugged bays of the deserted island, Dia.

Lively nightlife

The Heraklion area has the first word when it comes to nightlife in Crete. Hersonissos has a stockpile of bars and nightclubs, but even this pales in comparison to what Malia has to offer. Thanks to foam parties, shooter bars and nightclub booze cruises, the after-dark scene in this town can easily turn into after-dawn action.

The Palace of Knossos

While half of the Heraklion area’s visitors come here to live in the moment, the other half come to explore the past. The Palace of Knossos is just a few miles from Heraklion city centre. According to legend, the foundations of this Bronze Age city were filled with an inescapable labyrinth, which was guarded by a vicious Minotaur.

At a glance

Take advantage of happy hour on Malia Beach
Brave the kamikaze slide at Watercity
Explore the Bronze Age ruins at the Palace of Knossos

Destinations in Heraklion Area

Top Destinations

Show More Destinations

Top things to See and Do in Heraklion area

BEACHES
SHOPPING
NIGHTLIFE
FOOD & DRINK

The full spectrum of sands

Heraklion has a comprehensive catalogue of beaches. There are busy bands of sand with the full list of facilities, like Hersonissos Port Beach. There are rugged island bays, like the one on Dia. And there are bar-backed beaches, like Malia Central Beach, which attract the 18 to 30s crowd.
The big beach

Malia tots up 6 kilometres’ worth of beaches. The one that gets the most lip-service, however, is Malia Central Beach. It’s 600 metres long and topped with sunloungers and parasols. Visitors come here for the watersports and the beach bars that line the sand.
The secret beach

St George’s Beach isn’t exactly a secret – if it was, you wouldn’t be able to catch a boat here from Heraklion harbour – but it does fly below the radar of most tourists. This rugged bay is on the uninhabited island of Dia, 12 miles off the mainland. A handful of sunloungers have recently been added to the sand, but apart from these, the trappings of tourism are few and far between.

Bargain Buys

For souvenir shopping that won’t break the bank, head to Eleftheriou Venizelou Street in Hersonissos. The gift shops here sell everything from Crete-branded candles and shot glasses to ceramics and t-shirts, and prices start at just a few euros. For something a bit more traditional, try Heraklion’s open-air market on Odos 1866 Street. It’s open every day except Sunday, and the stalls are stacked with the likes of thyme honey, pumice stones and olive oil.
Mid-Range Buys

Quite a few high street brands put in an appearance in the Heraklion area. On Daidalou Street in Heraklion town, you’ll find stores like Zara and Benetton. On Malia Beach Road, meanwhile, you’ve got shops selling brands like Nike and Puma. Make-your-own t-shirt places are also popular in Malia.
Designer Buys

As a rule, visitors don’t come to the Heraklion area to shop. If you can’t get through your holiday without a shopping splurge, though, you’ll find the shops of several Greek fashion designers in Liberty Square in Heraklion. Alternatively, check out the jewellery shops on Malia Beach Road in Malia and El Venizelou Street in Hersonissos.

Laid-back evenings

There are plenty of restaurants along Hersonissos’ waterfront. If you want a more authentic Greek experience, however, try Koutouloufari village, a couple of kilometres away. Head for A Minoti Street and you can’t go far wrong. Stalis, 4 kilometres east of Malia, is another good choice for traditional tavernas. The restaurants along Beach Road and Grammatikaki Street specialise in classics like stifado and kleftico.
Lively evenings

You can set the midnight oil on fire in Malia. Malia Beach Road is fenced in by bars, karaoke joints, and clubs. Drinks are served in all shapes and sizes – from fish bowls to yard glasses – and the foam parties and bar crawls carry on until sunrise. In Hersonissos, meanwhile, nights begin in the bars of 25 Martious Street and end in the nightclubs of Agias Paraskevis Street.

Onion pie

Different parts of Crete put a different twist on the onion pie. In Heraklion, it’s made by mixing mashed potatoes with onion, before frying the mixture in eggs and flour. In other parts of the island it’s enveloped by a pastry casing, and sometimes looks a bit like quiche.
Kolokithokeftedes

This dish was born of Crete’s love affair with courgettes. It’s made by mashing courgettes, flour, eggs and other vegetables together, shaping them into patties, and frying them. They’re usually served fresh-from-the-pan as part of a warm mezze platter.
Ostrich

You might think ostrich would stick out like a sore thumb on a traditional Greek menu, but over the past decade or so it’s become commonplace on certain Heraklion area menus. It’s all because of the ostrich farm, which has been set up outside Kokini Hani, a few miles from Heraklion. The meat is usually served up as souvalaki or steak.
Paximadia

Paximadia is a traditional Greek bread. It’s pretty hard when it comes out of the oven, and needs to be softened up with a splash of water and olive oil before serving. Its taste comes into its own when it’s topped with tomatoes, oregano, olives and cheese, and served as the bedrock of a Greek salad.
Tsikoudia

If you only learn one Greek word while you’re in Greece, make it ‘yamas’. It means ‘cheers’, and you’ll need to use it every time you’re given a shot of tsikoudia. This clear, grape-based spirit is often served compliments-of-the-house in traditional restaurants.

SIMILAR DESTINATIONS

Our destinations in Heraklion Area

Popular holidays

To top

Our top deals tailored to you, straight to your inbox Sign up for offers

Shop Finder Ask a question? Contact us

We're part of TUI Group - one of the world's leading travel companies. And all of our holidays are designed to help you Discover Your Smile.

Registered address: Wigmore House, Wigmore Lane, Luton, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, LU2 9TN

. .

Holiday Types

Summer Holidays 2020 Summer Holidays 2021 Winter Holidays 2020 Winter Sun Holidays Cheap Holidays Luxury Holidays Family Holidays All inclusive holidays Package Holidays Beach holidays Discount Codes City Breaks Last minute Holidays Villa Holidays Short Breaks Multi-Destination Holidays Escorted Tours Accessible Holidays

Popular Destinations

Algarve holidays Benidorm holidays Canary Islands holidays Crete holidays Cyprus holidays Gran Canaria holidays Ibiza holidays Lanzarote holidays Las Vegas Holidays Majorca holidays Menorca holidays Mexico Holidays New York Holidays Tenerife holidays

Mid/Long haul

Aruba holidays Bali Holidays Vietnam holidays Cape Verde holidays Caribbean Holidays Costa Rica Holidays Cuba Holidays Dubai Holidays Egypt holidays Florida holidays Jamaica Holidays Mauritius holidays Sri Lanka Holidays Thailand holidays Sharm El Sheikh Holidays Los Cabos Holidays

Short Haul

Benidorm Holidays Portugal holidays Spain holidays Turkey Holidays Zante holidays Morocco holidays Croatia holidays Greece holidays Malta holidays Bulgaria holidays Italy holidays Lapland holidays

Flights To

Cheap Flights Tenerife Flights Montego Bay Flights Mauritius Flights Thailand Flights Alicante Flights Lanzarote Flights Ibiza Flights Florida Flights Orlando Flights Spain Flights Cyprus Flights Malta Flights Portugal Flights Turkey Flights Goa Flights Cancun Flights Barbados Flights Popular Flight Routes

Cruise

Puerto Limon Caribbean Cruises Fjords Cruise Italian Cruises Mediterranean Cruises Canary Islands and Atlantic Central America Dubrovnik Barcelona All Inclusive Family Cruises Last Minute Cruises Cruises Cruise Deals Cruises from the UK Croatia Cruises from Southampton Summer Cruises 2020 River Cruise Deals

Hotels

Hotels in Tenerife Hotels in Gran Canaria Hotels in Lanzarote Hotels in Fuerteventura Hotels in Majorca Hotels in Menorca Hotels in Ibiza Hotels in Cancun Hotels in Riviera Maya Hotels in Playacar Hotels in Playa Del Carmen Hotels in Paphos Hotels in Protaras Hotels in Marmaris Hotels in Bodrum Hotels in Alanya Hotels in Kusadasi

Travel Aware - Staying Safe and Healthy Abroad

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and National Travel Health Network and Centre have up-to-date advice on staying safe and healthy abroad.

See gov.uk/travelaware and follow @FCDOtravelGovUK on Twitter and Facebook.com/FCDOtravel - for the latest general FCDO travel advice, including coronavirus travel guidance, security and local laws, and passport and visa information.

See gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice - for FCDO travel advice about individual destinations.

Sign up for FCDO travel advice email alerts, so you automatically receive the latest travel advice updates and travel requirements for the destinations you want to know about.

See Travel Aware page - for travel advice from TUI.

See travelhealthpro.org.uk - for current travel health news.

The advice can change so check regularly for updates.

All the flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Some of the flights on this website are also financially protected by the ATOL scheme, but ATOL protection does not apply to all flights. This website will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each flight before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.caa.co.uk. ATOL protection does not apply to the other holiday and travel services listed on this website.

Heraklion area Holidays

Rainbow beaches

Lively nightlife

The Palace of Knossos

At a glance

Destinations in Heraklion Area

Top Destinations

Top things to See and Do in Heraklion area

The full spectrum of sands

The big beach

The secret beach

Bargain Buys

Mid-Range Buys

Designer Buys

Laid-back evenings

Lively evenings

Onion pie

Kolokithokeftedes

Ostrich

Paximadia

Tsikoudia

SIMILAR DESTINATIONS

Our destinations in Heraklion Area

Agkisaras

Amoudara

Analipsi

Anissaras

Gournes

Gouves

Hersonissos

Kamilari

Kokkini Hani

Koutouloufari

Lyttos Beach

Malia

Piskopiano Village

Stalis

Popular holidays

Travel Aware - Staying Safe and Healthy Abroad