Heraklion is the largest city in Crete and is the capital of Crete as well. Heraklion is also called Iraklio, and for centuries was known as Candia. Heraklion is close to the ruins of the palace of Knossos, which in Minoan times was the largest centre of population on Crete. This Bronze Age palace and human settlement has yielded significant archaeological finds that have given insights to the Minoan civilisation. It is likely that there was a port at Heraklion as long ago as 2000 BC, although no archaeological recovery has been made of the port itself. Best time to visit Heraklion is in the summer. The season extends from April to October when the temperature range is from 25-38 degrees. Climate on Heraklion is typically Mediterranean, with warm, dry summers in the lowlands, and cooler, more rainy days in the mountains. Archanes is o a beautiful town and is a wonderful excursion from Heraklion, with just a 30 minute or less drive. Archanes has been sited as one of Crete’s most valuable archaeological sites.
Heraklion is a modern town and is the administrative, commercial, industrial and agricultural centre of the island.
Here you’ll find side by side the beautiful and the ugly, the old and the new, the apparent architectural chaos and the mixture of buildings from different civilizations which makes the city really interesting and attractive.
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