Heraklion 

Heraklion is the regional capital city of Crete Island and one among the most crowded and living cities of Greece.

However, it's not among the most picturesque places to visit: tourism has in fact increasingly grown over the last decades and today Heraklion is completely different compared to the past. It's a very commercial city, where finding something really traditional and pure is difficult, from souvenirs to typical cuisine. Crowded and not exactly pristine, the city offers some interesting attractions anyway, such as the archaelogical museum which houses some among the most importart Minoan remains.

Just 5 km far from the city, there is Knossos' Palace, built by Minos, just little far from Ida mountain. The remains of the building are a "must-visit" for tourists. Most of its frescoes are in the museum of Heraklion but the site itself is extremely charming and mysterious (the palace is sais to have been built by Daedalus and its famous labytinth seems to have been the Minotaur's refuge).

The city has a big commercial port and a smaller marina, located inside the old Venetian port. A beautiful Venetian fortress marks, in fact, the entrance of the harbour composed by three floating piers and a long dock.

When entering the marina, mind the reduced depth of the bottom (just 2 metres or even less) near the fortress and keep left. The only places not accessible by recreational boats are those ones along the fortress quay, reserved for fishing boats. Longer boats ( up to 20 metres) can moor laterally at the edge of the floating piers. The marina is rather small and crowded and boats whose lengths overpasses 13-14 metres will certainly have some troubles to find a place.

Most of quays are equipped with drinkable water and electricity. The structure also offers a slipoway, a café and some restaurants. There is no gas station but fuel can be found in the city centre and carried by tanks (or you can ask for a delivery in the marina itself).

The harbour also hosts Heraklion Yacht Club whose staff is always available for mooring instructions and every sort of information.

Since it is located in the middle of a very crowded and noisy city, the marina of Heraklion is not a quiet calm place. However, it offers the possibility to rent a car or buy all you need in the surroudings.

Finally, the marina offers a good shelter from all winds, even though meltemi wind often blows, especially from North, in summer and it can be very annoying or even dangerous at the entrance of the harbour