Beaches of Hersonissos: description, service, reviews

The resorts of Greece, like its ancient sights, are known all over the world. The island of Crete enjoys a special love among travelers, whose culture is as attractive as the beaches of Hersonissos - the unofficially recognized tourist center of the island.

History of Chersonissos

On Earth, many cities, whose age is estimated in millennia, and not centuries or years. Similar ancient settlements are full of Greece. Chersonissos, located in the north of Crete - one of them. Founded 3,500 years ago in the era of the Minoan kingdom, it reached its peak during the reign of the Romans, and then the Byzantines.

Even in ancient times, the inhabitants of the city had to leave it, to found anew in the depths of the island. This was due to the numerous earthquakes and attacks of pirates, which alternately destroyed it.

The new Chersonissos was built 2 km from the coast on Mount Kharakas, which was a natural point of observation of the water surface. The view opening from it allowed to notice in advance the threat coming from the sea in order to hide from the enemy in time.

For a very long time the city remained a small provincial place, where time seemed to stop, until in the 20th century tourist investors paid attention to it. The beaches of Chersonissos, its proximity to the capital of the island of Heraklion and the airport became the reason for starting to build hotels here.

City today

Today this place is well known in the world as a youth tourist center. Those who are attracted by Greece, Chersonissos may be slightly disappointed. Here, unlike mainland tourism, there is an atmosphere of endless fun, club life, discos and youth movements.

For couples with children, the beaches of Chersonissos are available from May to July, as it is at this time that there is relative silence and peace. From July to the end of August, teenagers and students from all over the world come here to hang out and make new friends.

In September, the velvet season begins, which is appreciated by those travelers who do not tolerate the heat and prefer quiet rest with warm weather.

The city's attractions

Unfortunately, in Chersonissos there is almost no ancient architecture. The reason for this is the long Turkish rule, under which the new authorities did not consider it necessary to leave their cultural heritage to local residents. If in the 19th century there still stood the amphitheater, the ancient aqueduct and the remains of the Minoan and Roman buildings, then after the war and liberation from the Turkish yoke, there was almost nothing left of them. The new Greek government allowed even the local population to use the stones left on the site of the old buildings for their own needs.

But outside the city of attractions, though more than enough, as noted by the guests of the island:

• Lichnostatis is an ethnic village in the open air. It is located just half a kilometer from the city and is a working workshop where you can see how objects of everyday life and weapons were made in ancient times. This is one of the few museums where you can touch all the exhibits. Admission for an adult costs 5 €, and a child under 12 years old - 2 €.
• Skotino is a cave consisting of several halls in which stalagmites and stalactites of absolutely unimaginable forms are found. The archeological researches conducted in the middle of the 20th century helped to find out that in the Minoan era it served for the performance of religious rituals, because here were found statuettes from bronze of that era. Not far from it there is a church built right into the rock. It bears the name of the healer Paraskeva.
• Knossos Palace is the most famous landmark of Crete. If you come to his ruins on Tuesday or Thursday, you can not only see everything for free (on other days the cost is 4 €), but also get into the guides of the real archeologists, who will tell both about the history of the palace, and about what They are now working.

These are the main attractions that are most often included in the excursion package, but not for this purpose people from all over the world come here. The main thing that can be interested in travelers Chersonissos (Crete), - beaches that are here for every taste.

Heraklion

Already at the time when the main city of Crete was Knossos, Heraklion was its largest port. He has a sad fate of cities, which have always been considered a welcome prey, so they were raided by pirates and conquerors and ruined.

For example, in the 9th century it passed into the hands of the Arabs and was renamed Khandak, becoming a slave trade and a haven for pirates. In the 10th century, Byzantium, dissatisfied with the fact that robbery was going on next to the Christian world, won the Heraclions from the Arabs, completely looting and destroying it, but after a hundred years the city was again restored in all its former beauty.

On this, his misadventures did not end, so in 1645 he was again conquered by the Turks. This time they did not destroy Christian shrines, so when in the 18th century the city was freed from the yoke again, it remained intact until the Second World War, during which it was bombed and heavily damaged.

Today, two cities are very connected: the capital of Crete, Heraklion, Chersonissos. Both of them are included in the mandatory excursion programs.

Sand beach

Star Beach is almost the only sandy beach in Hersonissos, as noted in its reviews by its guests. The entrance to it is free, but it is located on the outskirts of the city, and the walk takes about 30 minutes. But the absence of stones that abound in other beaches of Crete, the gentle slope to the sea and the gradual increase in depth make it the most popular with couples with children and the elderly.

The beach is preceded by a large amusement park, where the entrance is also free, but it is forbidden to go with your food. On the territory of the park there are several swimming pools, one of which is a children's one with slides and small attractions. Swimming pools for adults are "decorated" with waterfalls and surrounded by bars.

Sunbathe can be as near swimming pools, renting sun loungers and umbrellas, and descend to one of the sandy beaches. Here everything is thought out so that the guests of the park leave their money as much as possible while they rest in it. Although the dressing rooms, toilets and swimming pools are free, the flavors of delicious dishes that come from the many cafes awaken hunger, so it's simply impossible not to eat on Star Beach's beach grounds. Given that the Greek cuisine is really gorgeous, portions are very large, and the service is excellent, then such spending is unlikely to spoil the mood. The same applies to SPA centers, ATV rental, scooters and diving. Entertainment and attractions are paid, but absolutely affordable.

Nana Beach

This beach is located in a cozy bay, which is comfortable even in windy weather, as it is quite closed. Nana Beach belongs to a hotel with the same name, although rest on it is available to all. The area of the bay is sandy, but the bottom is covered with small pebbles that slip underfoot, so couples with children and elderly people who choose to rest should be careful.

You also need to be prepared for the fact that the water in the bay is always a couple of degrees colder than in other resorts of the island. This is due to the cold springs that strike close to the shore, the water of which mixes with the warm sea and cools it.

On the beach of Nana Beach, there are never many people, which is its undoubted advantage, which is noted by its visitors in their reviews.

Limanakya

The largest in the length of the city is the beach of Limanakya. The length of a mile and a half and a width of 50 m make it the most densely populated season. Especially it is suitable for children. The sandy shore, gentle descent into the sea and real depth, which appears at a considerable distance from the shore, make it the safest in Crete.

Directly to it adjoins a small pier, to which moor fishing boats, supplying daily bazaars, shops and restaurants with fresh fish. This neighborhood does not scare visitors, since the pier itself is quite picturesque, and the place for boats is fenced off from the bathing area.

Beach for nudists

Nudist beach of Hersonissos is suitable for those who like to sunbathe and swim naked, who are not confused by extraneous views. If usually beaches of this type are located in closed bays or behind fences, then in Crete it is in a rather lively and noisy part of the city, open to everyone for a review.

Its shore is sandy and pebbly, in which the pebbles predominate, and the entrance to the sea is rocky, so you should be extremely careful when entering the water. For the convenience of holidaymakers, it, as well as other beaches of the island, is equipped with sun loungers and umbrellas.

City Beach

This part of the coast is not very popular among the guests of the city, as the lack of entertainment and the sand and shingle territory do not add to it the fans, especially as there are beaches of Hersonissos nearby, where everything is necessary for a fun pastime.

Basically, here rest the locals, who have little time to go to the farther side of the coast, but for lazy and uneasy people this beach is quite suitable. There are showers and cabins for changing clothes, sun loungers and umbrellas.

In addition, the city beach of Hersonissos is quiet enough, there are no party-goers, music is not rattling, and the nearby cafes and bars will help to cope with hunger and thirst.

Entertainment

The most popular entertainment in the city are water parks and aquariums. In the latter the children will be particularly interested, since some of the inhabitants are allowed to pet or hold in their hands, and if they come to the discovery, then one can observe how they are fed.

Aquariums on the island are not designed to entertain the public, but to preserve and increase the population of numerous species of fish, turtles and reptiles, whose life is endangered in the natural environment, although paid entrance and donations of guests allow them to carry out scientific work.

Night life

No wonder this town is called a place with one street. Indeed, the whole life here runs on the beaches and the embankment that stretches along the entire coast. The region of youth tourism attracts teenagers and students from Europe. Especially it is popular with the Dutch and English. For young people from the CIS countries, it is only just beginning to become famous, since student tourism is also a new industry for domestic tour operators.

Judging by the reviews, the night life of the city begins with sunset and continues until its sunrise. Discos work until midnight or a little longer, after which young people move to numerous nightclubs.

The coast is no less fun than in the city. There are lights, festivals with songs and dances, night swimming and foam parties with fireworks.