← Crete Marathon·3 nights

Rethymno and Heraklion: Venetian Streets and Minoan Palaces

A night in Rethymno, then two in Heraklion for the Archaeological Museum and the Palace of Knossos, with a flight home from Heraklion.

Duration3 nights
TransitKTEL intercity coach, about 1 hour to Rethymno then about 1 hour 30 minutes to Heraklion
DepartsChania KTEL bus station

After the Crete Marathon: Rethymno and Heraklion

The Route: Chania → Rethymno → Heraklion → Heraklion Airport Logistics: KTEL coaches along the north coast: Chania to Rethymno in about an hour, then Rethymno to Heraklion in about an hour and a half. The airport is a short taxi ride from Heraklion. Marathon Month: April Duration: 3 nights

Chania ──(1 hr KTEL)──> Rethymno ──(1 hr 30 KTEL)──> Heraklion
                                                          │
                      Heraklion Airport (HER) ◄──(taxi)───┘

The Crete Marathon finishes in Chania's stadium on a Sunday morning in April. This itinerary heads east along the north coast rather than back to the airport you probably arrived at. It finishes in Heraklion, so book the flight home from Heraklion Airport (HER), not Chania.

April in Crete. Daytime temperatures are usually around 20°C, with cooler evenings and some rain, though conditions vary. The island is green in April and the crowds have not yet arrived. Some seasonal hotels and harbourfront restaurants are closed, so check that your chosen places are open. In Heraklion the major sites run their summer hours from April, and the Archaeological Museum is generally open every day in that period, but verify the current schedule before planning a day around it.

Coaches between Chania, Rethymno and Heraklion run through the day. Check the timetable and fares on the KTEL Chania and KTEL Heraklion websites for the date you travel, and buy tickets at the station. Book the Knossos and museum tickets online in advance if you can, since the combined ticket saves time at the gate.

Night one: Rethymno

Rethymno is the gentle stop on the way, and it is 60 km from Chania, so the coach takes about an hour. The old town is Venetian and Ottoman, with a harbour, a lighthouse on a stone mole, and a fortress on the hill above. The streets are flat, narrow and mostly traffic-free, and the stone is uneven underfoot. A short wander covers the centre, from the Rimondi fountain to the harbour.

The Fortezza is a five-minute uphill walk from the harbour. Entry is about €4 (£3.50), and in the winter season it closes in mid-afternoon, so check the hours. Go if the legs are willing and leave it if they are not, because Heraklion has more to see.

Choose a hotel inside the pedestrian streets so the luggage drag is short. Eat by the harbour or in the lanes behind it: fish by weight, slow-cooked lamb, stuffed vegetables and wild greens in season.

Nights two and three: Heraklion

Heraklion is Crete's largest city and not a pretty one. It is loud, and the concrete is mixed in with Venetian walls, a harbour fortress and a museum that holds the island's main collection of Minoan material. The reason to come is that collection, together with the site at Knossos. The centre is flatter than it looks, but plan to take taxis between sights rather than walking the whole city.

The Archaeological Museum

The museum in the centre of the city holds the Phaistos Disc, the Snake Goddess figurines and the reconstructed frescoes from Knossos, spread across 27 rooms. Plan on at least two hours. The galleries are indoors and level, with lifts and benches, which makes this the day-after-marathon sight for the second night. Admission is about €12 (£10), with a combined ticket for Knossos at roughly €20 (£17). Check the current prices and opening hours before you go, as these change.

Knossos

Knossos is 5 km south of the centre. Bus line 2 runs from Eleftheria Square, and a taxi takes about ten minutes. Arthur Evans reconstructed parts of the palace in the early twentieth century, and the restored columns and frescoes are controversial among archaeologists, but they make the layout much easier to follow than bare foundations would. The site is on ground that is mostly level, with some steps and uneven stone, and there is little shade, so take water. Go on the day with the legs in better order, and allow about two hours.

Where to stay and eat

Stay in the centre, close to the museum, so the walks are short. Eat in the streets around the market, where grilled meat, fresh fish and the island's cheeses are easy to find. Dakos, a barley rusk with tomato and cheese, is a Cretan staple, so try it once.

Getting home

Heraklion Airport (HER) is about 5 km from the centre. A taxi takes roughly 15 minutes, and there is also a city bus. Check the airport transfer details with your hotel, and leave a margin on the day. If your flight leaves from Chania instead, take the coach back along the coast, about 2 hours 30 minutes in total.