Explore: Iraklion
General Info
The main reason for visiting Iraklion is to visit the ancient site of the city of Knossos outside the town. It is not considered a very attractive port of call or a particularly good haven.
Position: 35° 21.10’N, 25° 09.46’E (harbor entrance)
Clearance
This is a Port of Entry. For full details on clearing into or out of Greece see Greece Formalities.
The Port Authority building is located in the old Venetian port, a long walk from the outer quays.
The skipper should visit the Port Captain’s office with the ship’s documents, crew passports and vaccination certificates if coming from abroad, or with the transit log if coming from another Greek port. Yachts clearing into Greece will be issued a transit log by the Port Captain’s office, who will also advise on the procedure if any of the crew needs a visa for Greece. Yachts arriving from some areas, such as Egypt, may also be visited by a quarantine officer.
In April 2013, Cruisers were warned of high clearance charges (100 Euros for a DEKPA instead of 30 Euros) in Sitia, Crete.
The Port Captain’s office is open 24 hours, Tel. 22 9445, Fax 24 4934.
Docking
There is no longer any berthing available in the inner, old Venetian harbor as it is full of local boats.
There is, however, space for yachts on one of the quays in the outer port and yachts tend to be put on the quay under the Port Police building in the SW corner of the outer harbor. It is advisable to call the port authorities on entry to check first.
Note that the quay is high with limited bollards and it can be difficult to get ashore. Most yachts use their dinghies to go ashore via the inner harbor. There are water and electricity available on the quay.
This quay is not really tenable in easterly winds above 15 knots.
There is nowhere to anchor behind the breakwater.
Weather forecast (in English) on VHF Channel 83 at 06:00/10:00/16:00/22:00 UTC.
Last updated: April 2016
