While there is certainly plenty to keep any visitor occupied if they have found a villa in Crete, there is also boundless opportunity to see other parts of Greece on day trips while on the island. Heraklion, the largest city on the island and the capital, also happens to be a highly important port town and ferry dock that is really well- connected to the rest of the country. So, if you find a vacation rental in Heraklion, you can certainly spend time exploring all the city has to offer (of which there is plenty) but you can also take the opportunity to experience a bit more of Greece while you are at it. Some of the destinations that are connected to Heraklion by boat or ferry include Santorini, Ios Island, Paros, Mykonos, Rhodes, Naxos, Karpathos, Kasos, Sitia, Anafi, Chalki, Diafani, and several daily ferries to Piraeus.
Various tour operators offer different packages to various destinations from Heraklion. These different options vary in numbers of destinations as some will head to one spot and offer intensive tours and a full experience of that place while others will stop at multiple points, giving you a small taste of each one. Obviously, therefore, if you like to take your time the former will make more sense but if you want to get a lot of bang for your buck and make the most of your time then the latter would be more suitable. The different packages offered by tour operators also vary in price, theme, duration, and extras with some costing less than fifty euros and some costing a couple of hundred or more, some focusing on history and others on food or natural beauty, some lasting a couple of hours and some lasting the whole day, and some offering things such as meals included and transfers to and from the ports. Going with a package, no matter what kind, however, means that a lot of the planning will be done for you and is a more stress-free option.
Some of the different packages of this kind that are currently on offer includes Altino Travel’s Day Trip to Agios Nikolaos and Spinalonga Island that lasts eight to nine hours, costs $41.76 per adult, and takes travellers along the Northeast of Crete to the picturesque town of Agios Nikolaos, the pretty little village of Elounda in Mirabello Bay, and then to the gorgeous Spinalonga Island, which is a small uninhabited island that was once a fortress and then a leper colony. There is also Cretan Odyssey’s Full-Day Cruise to Koufonisi Island from Heraklion that costs $57.82 per adult, that lasts ten to eleven hours, and brings you on a traditional wooden boat to the stunning uninhabited Greek islet of Koufonisi where you can swim in the crystal clear waters, relax on the golden sandy shores, and explore ruins from the Minoan civilization and the post-Byzantine era. Or, for an option to a more famous name, there is the Full-Day Santorini Island Trip from Crete by Cretan Holidays. A pricier outing, tickets start at $224.85 per adult, however, this is a brilliant way to see the globally renowned Santorini as well during your time on vacation in Crete in comfort and style. A relaxing cruise that allows you to forgo organising your own cabs or buses on the island when you arrive, this package will see you admire the whitewashed towns perched on cliffs as you sail the caldera, take you on a coach tour to the capital of Thira, and then bring you to Oia and along those clifftops that you had taken in from below earlier.
Those who prefer to have their fate in their own hands and to plan things themselves, meanwhile, or who want to plan such a trip on a bit more of a budget will find that it might be better to simply look up local ferry timetables, get to a destination themselves, and do what they want, when they want, how they want. This is totally doable for many options and destinations that you can reach from Heraklion but it will, of course, involve a lot more planning, arranging transfers, looking up maps, figuring out itineraries, and careful consideration of timetables. Please note that you should always be sure to double-check everything as you do not want to miss the last ferries of the day and then get stranded somewhere else for the night – this is something that can easily happen and often does happen to travellers if you are not careful so be sure to pay attention! However, as long as you are on top of things and you like planning, this is a great way to do things without spending quite so much money and to exactly suit your own needs and tastes, depending on what they may be.
So, whether you like to join a tour and have everything planned out for you by someone else or you prefer to head off on a bit of an adventure of your own, a holiday rental in Heraklion or a villa in Crete means that you have pretty ready access to many other incredible destinations throughout your vacation in Greece. Ideal for intrepid travellers or those who really want to see lots of the country while on holiday in this part of the world, Heraklion is an ideal jumping off point for exploring a good chunk of Greece.