Located in the southern Greek region of Crete, Heraklion is the primary hub city in the area, consisting of a rather busy ferry port. The Heraklion Port is the main gateway into Crete, with several daily connections operating from Heraklion to a variety of Greece’s phenomenal islands and mainland cities.

Minoan Lines operate routes to Piraeus, Thessaloniki and a wide selection of island crossings, such as Mykonos, Tinos, and Syros. Taking about seven hours to complete the journey to Piraeus, Minoan Lines departs Heraklion at 22:00 and arrives into its destination at about 05:00 the following morning. During the peak summer period, a daytime crossing is also used, leaving at about midday.

The crossing from Heraklion to Thessaloniki occurs twice a week , with several stops along the way, including Santorini, Naxos, and Syros. However, the number of weekly departures and in-between stops change during the year, depending on the season. The entire duration of this crossing is about 23 hours.

ANEK Lines carries passengers to Piraeus on a daily basis, but the duration is a little longer the Minoan Lines route – taking about 8 hours, 30 minutes to complete. ANEK Lines departs Heraklion at 21:00 and greets Piraeus at 05:30 the next day.

Lane Lines operate a crossing between Heraklion and Rodos, stopping at various island ports en route. The connection takes about 13 hours to complete, and the vessel briefly docks at Sitia, Kasos, Karpathos, Diafani and Chalki before reaching Rodos. Most of the ports along the route are small, but do offer basic amenities such as food outlets and restrooms.

Supporting a population of about 120,000 locals, and many more tourists each year, the Heraklion Port is equipped with facilities to satisfy passenger comfort and convenience. Some of these amenities include a left luggage service, information desks, restaurant, cash machines and restrooms with specially fitted disabled toilets.

Tags: Crete, Greece, Heraklion Port, Minoan Lines, Naxos, Piraeus, Santorini, Syros