Ferry from Heraklion to Diafani

Heraklion Guide

The Greek city of Heraklion is the capital and largest city on the island of Crete. A popular visitor attraction near the city is Knossos, which is around 5 km from Heraklion. This important archaeological site was the Palace of King Minos and home to the Minotaur, if legend is to be believed. The palace was built over the remains of a former Neolithic settlement in around 1900 BC.

An important attraction in the city itself is the Archaeological Museum which can be found on one corner of the central Eleftherias Square, in a converted power station. The museum collects and displays many artefacts from Knossos, Archanes, Phaestos, Zakros and many other important archaeological sites on the island. The museum's collection spans several thousand years and includes the Phaestos disc, classic Hellenic and Roman sculptures, frescos, jewellery, wall paintings and pottery.

Visitors to Heraklion can take a ferry from the port, which is important for both passenger services and cargo, to destinations including Santorini, Ios, Paros, Mykonos and Rhodes. There are also daily sailings to the mainland port of Piraeus.

Diafani Guide

The Greek town and port of Diafani is located on the island of Karpathos which is located in the southern part of the Dodecanese group of islands, between the islands of Crete and Rhodes. As the second largest of the Dodecanese islands, Karpathos extends to a surface area of around 300 sq. km and its terrain is characterised by mountains, the highest peak being Kali Limni and 1,214 meters above sea level. On the slopes of the mountains are springs, vineyards, forests of Pine, olive trees and many other varieties of fruit trees. A popular tourist site on the island are the rock caves that are home to the Mediterranean seal which can is supposedly the only place they can be found along with Kastelorizo. The island's first inhabitant, according to mythology, was Iapetos, the son of Uranus and Gaea (Sky and Earth).

The island can trace its history back to the Neolithic Age and is closely linked with the history of Rhodes and the other islands of the Dodecanese. The island's character has been strongly influenced by those who have conquered it including the Francs, the Turks and the Italians.