Hi furiends! It's me Luna 🐾 In this article I would like to show you around in the capital of Crete: Heraklion. Beside the fact that this is the biggest city in Crete it's also the 6th biggest city in whole Greece with a population of 211,370 people!
Heraklion was also the Europe's fastest growing tourism destination of 2017 according to Euromonitor with an 11,2% growth in International arrivals.
For me Heraklion and it's parks are like my backyard. In the beginning I had to get used a lot to the hustle and bustle of the city dog life but now I can say I am pretty much adapted (still struggle with some reactivity but it improved a lot)
How to reach Heraklion?
With the ferry:
There are all year round daily ferry trips from Athens to Heraklion (in summer/touristic season also from Greek islands such as Santorini, Anafi, Ios, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Syros, Thira, Tinos)
The big benefit of coming with the ferry is that you can literally walk in 11min to the heart of the city center. I have been on the ferry from Athens already! 😊
Before booking your ferry tickets we recommend you to call and ask specifically about bringing furry furiends on board. Some small ferries might have different rules then the big ones (with kennels) Generally dog's must always be leashed and accompanied onboard but sometimes they ask also to be muzzled in buzzy areas.
With the airplane:
The airport is located 4km from the city center, if you are a fervent hiker the walk is possible to do but most people prefer to take bus or taxi. In the bus only small dogs are allowed inside a bag, taxi drivers might accept you if you guarantee them that the dog will sit on your lap (and not scratch their precious car😁). Right next to the airport are also many rental companies located, since it's pretty busy there I would recommend to book your car beforehand.
How to spend your time in Heraklion:
Shopping!:
There are lots of lovely boutique's with jewelry/clothing but also bigger shops such as Mango, H&M, Bershka, Pandora, Sephora,... In many stores we have seen dogs already since most people don't really mind. If you explain that you travel with your dog and can't let him/her alone in the hotel most staff will understand and let you take the dog inside.
Also a very important thing to notice is that this city has lots of different petshops and vets so if you start your trip here don't forget to stock up on food and medication for your furry furiend since small villages in the mainland might not have the exact product you want. In every super or mini market you can always find some very basic dog biscuits but for specialised food (grain free, allergy, etc.) you need to visit a pet store.
Visiting Restaurants:
Crete (and whole Greece) is known for it's pawtastic mediterranean cuisine. Another benefit is that because of the mild climate it is pawsible to sit outside for most of the year! On every outside terrace dog's are allowed, everytime we bring Luna they welcome us and bring some water and sometimes even a little snack for her. 😄
City walkies:
After a nice walkie in the city center you might want to visit one of the parks in Heraklion. It's a nice place to meet other dog's and their humans, play fetch, do a sniffari or even visit a closeby monument!
The best spot for walkies are the Venetian walls of Heraklion also called the fortifications. The first city walls where build in the middle ages and where build to protect the city Candia nowadays called Heraklion. The walls remain largely intact and are a very popular places for citizens to relax and walk. Click here to check a short video of my walkies to the Northside of the walls.
If you walk to the North sea side the end of the walls is at the beginning of Talos area. Talos is a small shopping center and on the opposite side of the street you can find "Yuri Gagarin Park". Here is an organized off leash field for your dog with some agility obstacles and you can enjoy the beautiful seaside view. If you have a reactive dog keep in mind that in the evening hours it might be extra buzzy.
If you walk the walls more landwards you will meet the "Grave Monument of Kazantzakis". Nikos Kazantzakis was a famous Greek writer some of you might know him from the worldwide known book: "Zorba the Greek". The Grave monument is surrounded by a beautiful garden and the place has a stunning view over the whole city. A perfect place for a pick nick or reading a book! Dog's are welcome in the garden, please respect the place with keeping your dog's on leash and poop in the poo bag.
Our second favorite space for walkies is Koule and the surrounding walking paths next to the sea. The Koule area starts from the Venetian harbour of Heraklion on your walk you will pass by from the beautiful Rocca Mare Fortress which is visitable in the morning hours but unfortunately no dog's are allowed inside.
Luna's final verdict 🐶😜:
All in all Heraklion is a small but wonderful place to explore, because of it's size it's possible to walk to the most important shops/restaurant/monuments/etc.. Dog friendly accommodations are found mostly on platforms such as booking and airbnb.
I hope you have lots of fun sniffari's in the city!
