Ierapetra

There is no other European city laying southern than Ierapetra. It is also the only larger city on the south coast of the Greek island Crete. Although the history goes back to 1500 BC you won’t find any archaeological remains left reminding you of this Mediterranean old city. Nevertheless the city is pretty enough to be explored either by foot or...

There is no other European city laying southern than Ierapetra. It is also the only larger city on the south coast of the Greek island Crete. Although the history goes back to 1500 BC you won’t find any archaeological remains left reminding you of this Mediterranean old city. Nevertheless the city is pretty enough to be explored either by foot or on a bike. Worth seeing is the promenade with small tourist shops and restaurants and the Michail Kothri street, main shopping street, that ends in the marina. Main sights, such as the Turkish fountain (without water) and Napoleon’s house (with just one plain A4 paper sign), are easily reachable by foot and it’s even funnier, when you rent a bike with child seats and ride through the tiny and picturesque streets of this town.

Restaurants usually don’t offer children’s playground or much entertainment for them, so if you want to spend some time on the swings, we found two playgrounds. One located in the park on Nick Vasamidi and Eth. Antistaseos street (2 minutes walk from the Turkish fountain) and second one on the square between the two parking areas and Pier beach.

Trips outside

You’ll find advertisements for the Chrisi island ferry almost on every corner. Chrisi lies around 12km south from Ierapetra’s coast and is nicely visible during sunny days. The island is unhabitable but if you are interested in history and Minoan culture, you’ll be able to visit the remains. Only day trips are allowed and camping is prohibited, for that reason be ready for mass tourist flow during Summer season.

How to get there?

Easiest way to get to Ierapetra is either to fly to Crete’s main city, Heraklion or closer airport at Sitia and then rent a car if you travel on your own. Or you can take a ferry again from Heraklion or Sitia, though the car ride from Heraklion’s airport takes around 1 hour.