The very beautiful name of Karteros belongs to a small resort village in Crete. The sights of Karteros are presented in this review. It can be reached very quickly from Heraklion airport, in just 15 minutes.
The place is named after the general – the defender of the island in the 8th century BC. Then Crete was attacked by the Saracens. His army died during the battle, but the name of its leader remained in history. It was a long time ago, but now the village has such a beautiful name.
Coming to Karteros, do not expect that it will be crowded, the infrastructure is sufficient, but not large. Everything you need is available, and tourists live comfortably.
From the village begin routes around the island: buses will take you to Heraklion, places of entertainment and historical monuments. Of course, a holiday in Greece in the summer is the sea and the beach, but now we will talk about the main attractions of the region, for which Crete is famous. A comfortable and relaxing holiday begins in Karteros.
Church of St. Photinia
Greece is a country of religious pilgrimage for many, and during your holiday you can visit the outstanding places of the city.
The Church of St. Photinia is dedicated to the Samaritan Svetlana (Photinia), who drank water from the well of Jesus Christ. Later, she would preach his gospel teachings.
The temple is quite small in size, such are also called home. The roof of an unusual brick – red color is visible from afar, crowned by a cross of a simple shape. Around the church there is a small space – a courtyard, which at the same time serves as an observation deck for parishioners and guests of the village. It offers a great view of the valley below.
Address: Heraklion 715 00, Greece
Cave of Eitithia
Caves in the rocks are very beautiful and mysterious places if a tourist can enter there. In many countries, tours of caves are very popular, because it is very unusual.
Eitithia is a natural hole in the rock, unfortunately, many years ago abandoned without care. The cave is winding, with a very interesting color of stone, is considered a natural and historical monument.
Church of St. John the Baptist and Nikon
Rock and cave temples all over the world are a very beautiful phenomenon, and this church is no exception. It is located near the road, and it is known that the Christians of the island of Crete in places already “inhabited” by pagans. Caves are the perfect place for this.
Locals like to go here, take care of it and take care of it. You can visit not only the service, but also, for example, at the christening. The ceremony takes place several times a day.
The temple is very small, but homely cozy.
Address: Karteros 715 00, Greece
Monohoraco Island
“Place for extreme” – so sometimes called this island. If you want to “dilute” a measured beach holiday, visit Monohoraco, now we will tell you what we are talking about. The place is rocky, the stones on the surface are smooth and slippery. If you do not know this, then during the walk you can move down into the water. Not only tourists love the island, but also animals – sea urticks. So stock up on special shoes.
As the legend goes, this place many centuries ago was a large city, and it was ruled by a rather ambitious king Kourkumelis. He was so confident in his power that he once told everyone around him that even the gods could not defeat his city. Punishment from above was not long in coming, and the whole settlement, together with the inhabitants and rulers, went under water. Above the surface of the sea there was only a small stone hill, which to this day is called the island of Monohoraco.
Heraklion
In Greece, it is the largest city – the port. Very popular as a resort due to its rich history and excellent tourist infrastructure. It was founded in the 9th century by the Saracens, in a word pirates, who brought the loot here. All this lasted 140 years, until the time when the city was captured by the Byzantines. During the year they besieged Heraklion, burned it, and all the riches that survived, they took to their capital, Constantinople, on 300 ships.
Top travel destinations in Heraklion:
- Historical Museum with a collection of documents and finds of Byzantine rule, works by El Greco, icons of Theophanis, Michael Damaskinos, Georgios Klontzas.
- The Archaeological Museum is the largest in the world dedicated to the Minoan art of Crete.
- Palace of Knossos with sanctuaries. They are decorated with images of a ritual double axe, and on its ruins previously found a rare decoration with the image of a bee. She became the mascot of the island.
- Venetian fortress Koules.
- St. Titus Cathedral.
- Church of St. Catherine.
- The cathedral is one of the most important in Greece.
- Fountains of the Byzantine and Venetian eras. Aqueducts and wells were built nearby.
The whole area, like the city, got its name from the hero of the myths of Hercules (Heraclis). Near Heraklion there is also something to visit: the village of Hersonissos with vibrant nightlife, bars and shops. The neighboring town of Milia, on the contrary, is calm and quiet, people come here to relax on the beach and do water sports.
In winter, the resort also lives actively: various concerts and performances are held.
Minoan Palace
Or as it is also called the Palace of Knossos. In fact, there are as many as 2 Minoan palaces in Crete. The main one is located near Heraklion – the capital of Crete. And the second is smaller, it is located in Malia, and its excavations began in 1915.
Since Karteros is located very close to Heraklion, all guests of these resorts are especially close to the main attraction of Crete – the Minoan Palace. Its excavations began even earlier in 1878.
The very first palace was built almost 2000 years BC. and it occupied 7500 sq.m. After 200 years, it was destroyed, like other palaces in the region. After several alterations and destructions, history lost it definitively in 1450 BC.
Its space was very well thought out: all sectors, residential and economic, were located around the Central Courtyard. It consisted of religious premises, reception halls, warehouses, theater, ritual rooms.
This is a vivid example of Minoan architecture, and in ancient times there was a city around it.
Official site: http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/eh351.jsp?obj_id=2369
Address: Knossos Palace, Minoiton, Heraklion 71409, Crete, Greece
Aquarium of Crete
The local aquarium must be visited, impressions will remain in both adults and children. Inside there are huge halls with 40 reservoirs of different volumes and thousands of inhabitants of the Mediterranean Sea: jellyfish, seahorses, recreated landscapes of the seabed, species of small fish and large octopuses.
You will see lobsters, huge moray eels and dangerous sharks. It is simply impossible to break away from all aquariums, and local workers select the most suitable epithets for animals: scary, interesting, aggressive and bright.
The room and equipment are modern, the effect of your presence is created: the relief of the seas is reproduced, and the light in the halls seems to carry you under water. And in general, the aquarium is so interesting that you lose track of time.
By the way, the aquarium was built where there used to be a US military base.
Children of all ages will find activities at will, for example, you can control small boats using the remote. It is forbidden to take pictures in an aquarium with a flash so as not to harm its inhabitants.
In the lobby there is a souvenir shop and a café for visitors, and this entertainment is located in the city of Heraklion.
Address: Heraklion 710 03, Greece
Official site: https://www.cretaquarium.gr/
Acqua Plus Water Park
This water park is 5 km from Hersonissos town and 26 km from Heraklion. It is located on a mountain, and when you visit the attractions, you are surrounded by beautiful nature. This is a picturesque park area with dozens of species of plants. In Crete, it is not the only one, but thanks to the position, even the locals call it the Garden of Eden.
It was opened 20 years ago, and during this time it has repeatedly received awards from international tourism organizations.
The administration of the park among the priorities calls the safety of guests, so the equipment is regularly checked and changed. Even if there are controversial situations, they are quickly resolved. Such information comes from guests, the number of positive reviews is huge, and this is a high rating for the place.
Ticket prices vary and depend on the age of the guests, more often children. To buy, you need to present a foreign passport of the child (a Russian birth certificate is not suitable, the Greeks do not understand such a document). Children under 5 years old stay free of charge.
Address: 5th km Hersonissos to Kasteli, 71200, Hersonissos Crete
Official site: https://www.acquaplus.gr/
Water City Water Park
The largest center of water activities on the island. Nearby is the village of Kokkini – Hani, Heraklion – 15 km away. Many people go to Greece with children calmly knowing that crete has such a wonderful place where you can spend the whole day. The water park is loved for its large selection of pools and slides, as well as for the excellent organization of the space.
On an area of 8 hectares there are more than 30 attractions and 10 swimming pools. For the whole day it is difficult to ride on everything, it is a real city in the city.
As befits a country with a hot climate, Greece builds open-air water parks, so it is open only in the holiday season, from May to October. Designers have designed the park in the style of Ancient Greece, it is colorful and cozy. In the water park you can also try yourself on the zipline, “fly” over all the pools, shops and cafes.
On the territory of the food court feed tasty and inexpensive, guests need strength for entertainment. The chef prepares Mediterranean cuisine, grill, snacks and desserts.
Why visit the water park, if there is a sea? Water rides are something else entirely. This is entertainment and adrenaline, a lot of positive emotions. This is a real paradise for water lovers. The wave pool for children and adults is very popular, the waves reach 1 m. The descent into it is gentle, so it is safe for children here. Additionally, the effect of the surf is created, so that you do not need to go to the sea. You can relax lying on the water on the attraction “Lazy River”, its length is about 400 m.
Address: Anopolis, Heraklion, Crete, GREECE
Official site: https://www.watercity.gr/
Attractions Karteros on map
