Excursions | Kato Zakros

The location of Kato Zakros makes it ideal for trips and excursions to many interesting places in Crete, important archaeological sites and monuments, museums, sites etc. and you can be entertained and have fun as you can not imagine!

Cities - Areas

LASSITHI PLATEAU

Lassithi Plateau is a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains and is known for its picturesque windmills. During 50s and 60s the plateau was one of the first wind farms in Europe. There were thousands of windmills that pumped groundwater, to which irrigated their crops by inhabitants. The 18 villages of the plateau is built at the foot of the surrounding mountains, leaving the plain free for cultivation, and connected by a circular road of length 23km.

AGIOS NIKOLAOS

Agios Nikolaos, with over forty years of experience in tourism, is a international and cosmopolitan resort that welcomes thousands of visitors. The lake is the most important attraction of the city. The legends say that Athena and Artemis bathed in its waters. Joined to the sea by a narrow channel, while the natural surroundings of red rock and trees attracts the visitors.

ELOUNDA

Worldwide famous tourist resort north of Agios Nikolaos, having an indented coastline, shaded beaches, crystal clear sea, peaceful and beautiful environment. The road into Elounda from Agios Nikolaos is approximately 10 km in length and follows the shore as it climbs to the top of a small mountain. The view from the top is incomparable; on a clear day it is possible to see the whole of Mirabello Bay and all the way to the eastern tip of Crete.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

MINOAN PALACE OF KNOSSOS

Knossos is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and is considered Europe's oldest city. The palace of Knossos was undoubtedly the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. It appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and storerooms close to a central square. An approximate graphic view of some aspects of Cretan life in the Bronze Age is provided by restorations of the palace's indoor and outdoor murals, as it is also by the decorative motifs of the pottery and the insignia on the seals and sealings.

MINOAN PALACE OF PHAISTOS

Phaistos was one of the most important centers of Minoan civilization and the greatest rich and powerful city in southern Crete. It is built on a hill on the western edge of the longest and richest plain of Messara. Archeology Phaistos is the second most important city after Minoan Knossos.

MINOAN PALACE OF MALIA

Malia Crete is one of the ancient Minoan palaces which testify to the magnificent civilization which grew up on the island. The site is situated about two miles (3 km) to the east of the modern resort of Malia. It has been excavated mainly by the French School of Archaeology since the early 1920's. Because the site was abandoned at the end of the 2nd millennium BC and no one else every used it, there are no other building or other remains to cause confusion.

SPINALONGA

Spinalonga is an arid and barren rocky islet with an area of 8.5 hectares lying at the mouth of the natural port of Elounda in the Lasithi prefecture of Crete. Due to its strategic location, it was fortified and served a variety of roles and purposes over the centuries. Here, on an island where lepers from Crete and the rest of Greece had been kept in isolation until 1957, a story about love and pain, separation and fear was born.

MUSEUMS

HERAKLION ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is one of the largest and most important museums in Greece, and among the most important museums in Europe. It houses representative artefacts from all the periods of Cretan prehistory and history, covering a chronological span of over 5,500 years from the Neolithic period to Roman times. The singularly important Minoan collection contains unique examples of Minoan art, many of them true masterpieces.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF CRETE

Natural History Museum of Crete has been functioning and operates under the framework of the University of Crete, covering all the activities of a comprehensive, modern museum. Maintains and develops collections, conduct research into the natural environment, contribute to teaching at all levels of education and shows the visitors the specificity of the Crete and Mediterranean.

NIKOS KAZANTZAKIS MUSEUM

The Nikos Kazantzakis Museum pays tribute to the important intellectual, author, thinker, philosopher, politician and traveller Nikos Kazantzakis. The Museum is made up of a cluster of buildings in the central square of the historical village of Varvari, now known as Myrtia. The Museum holds manuscripts and notes by the author; samples of his correspondence with major thinkers, politicians and authors of his time; first editions of his works in Greek and other languages; rare photographic material etc.

CRETAN OPEN-AIR MUSEUM "LYCHNOSTATIS"

The Cretan Open-air Museum "LYCHNOSTATIS" aims to promote the understanding and awareness of the Cretan folk cultural heritage. Its collections relate to the following themes: Cretan Folk Tradition and Ethnology, Cretan Nature and Environment, Cretan Folk Culture. Located in one of the principal tourist areas in Crete, the museum is, apart from a valuable tourist asset, an exemplary self - motivated conduct on tradition, culture and environment of the island.

ENTERTAINMENT

CRETE GOLF CLUB

The Crete Golf Club is a championship golf course - the only 18-hole golf course on the island of Crete and one of the most impressive golf courses of the Mediterranean, which holds a unique challenge and a pleasant experience for both golf players and visitors all year round. The golf course has been built to international PGA standards by architect Bob Hunt, a member of the English PGA. Each hole has been constructed separately and in harmony with the surrounding landscape, providing panoramic views of both the mountains of Crete and the Aegean Sea.

CRETAQUARIUM - THALASSOKOSMOS

This is where your experience exploring the Mediterranean sea world begins. Come face to face with hundreds of species and thousands of living organisms. Be fascinated by their behaviour as they reveal the wide variety of shapes, colors, habits and needs of their own world. Learn about them and reflect on what our common future may be.

LABYRINTH PARK

Enjoy an original, interactive and fun day for all the family! Enter the world of the Labyrinth and ask yourself, "could there possibly be any truth to all this?" Just how much myth and how much reality is hidden behind the greatest tale of heroes ever told! Within the Labyrinth’s 1,200 sq m of frequently altered pathways, with stairways, overhead bridges and towers, the fascinating myth of the Greek Hero Theseus and the devastating, terrifying but tragic Minotaur, is brought to life...

WATERCITY WATER PARK

Watercity waterpark is an exciting amusement park. Known as the most entertaining park of its kind in Europe, the park offers pure amusement to adults and children alike, you will find something to suit everyone here among the 36 different amusements, slides, pools and activities. Watercity covers an area of 80,000 square meters, all dedicated to bringing fun and enjoyment to every visitor. Each game has been built using the best parts and to meet the highest standards of manufacturing.