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Heraklion

Heraklion,
just outside the door

A city most people pass through. We live in it.

The entrance to the mansion from Apokoronou street

The neighbourhood

Efta Baltades

You will not walk past it by chance.
You have to look for it.

Our neighbourhood is among the oldest in the city. It belonged to the zone that grew under Venetian rule, close to the Byzantine fortifications, and in Ottoman times it was known as Balta Tzami.

Apokoronou street is a pedestrian lane two and a half metres wide, with a bending line. It keeps the character it had when the mansion was built.

On foot

Everything is a walk away

From the gate, everything that follows is a walk away. You will not need a car, and you will not need a map for long.

Bembo Fountain
The oldest Venetian fountain in the city, with the Ottoman kiosk beside it.
The Loggia
The Venetian palace that houses the town hall today.
Morosini Fountain
The lions, where all of Heraklion meets.
Heraklion Archaeological Museum
The most important collection of Minoan finds in the world.
The 1866 Market
Spices, cheeses, raki, noise.
The Venetian harbour and the Koules
The fortress at the end of the mole.
The Venetian walls and the tomb of Kazantzakis
For the view, and for the epitaph.
Historical Museum of Crete
With two works by Domenikos Theotokopoulos.
The Morosini Fountain in Lions Square
The arcade of the Venetian Loggia
The Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Koules Fortress in the Venetian harbour
The Venetian Walls
The Historical Museum of Crete
The Venetian harbour at night
The rooftops of the old town
The throne room at the palace of Knossos

Knossos

The palace,
just outside the city

The palace lies just outside the city, a short drive away or a ride on the city bus.

Our advice: go early in the morning or late in the afternoon, and leave the Archaeological Museum for the next day. The finds from the palace are there, and they deserve a visit of their own.

A vineyard in the hills south of Heraklion

The wine

The vineyard

South of the city, at Peza and Archanes, lies one of the most important wine regions in Greece.

Vidiano, Vilana, Liatiko, Kotsifali, Mandilari. Varieties grown nowhere else, at wineries that welcome visitors.

If you would like to know what you will be drinking before you go, our wine bar list is a good place to start.

Sekeria Wine Bar
A sandy beach west of Heraklion in the late afternoon

The sea

The sea

Ammoudara, west of the city, is the nearest organised beach, with tavernas at the water’s edge.

To the east, the beaches towards Hersonissos and Malia. To the south, after a drive across the Messara plain, Matala.

Practical

Getting here
and getting around

We can arrange an airport transfer through a partner service, at a charge. Ask for it when you book.

Apokoronou street is pedestrian only. Private parking is available in the area around the mansion, at 15 € per day.

For the city you will not need a car. For the rest of Crete, you will. Tell us what interests you and we will suggest a route.

How to find us

The seasons

When to come

Spring
The best weather for walking the city, without the crowds.
Summer
Hot in the centre. Our courtyard stays shaded all day.
Autumn
Harvest at Peza, the sea still warm, the city quiet.
Winter
Heraklion goes about its business all year. Museums without queues, tavernas full of locals, and a hammam that finally makes sense.

Stay two
or three nights

Every sight within walking distance of the gate. Breakfast in the courtyard, best rate direct.

Check availability

The mansion has six suites.