Interests – Things to do near Heraklion

Near Golden Bay Hotel you may visit many exciting sites offering authentic Cretan experiences.

Museums

Visitors wanting to know the history of Crete, the achievements and the way of life of its previous inhabitants, can visit our museums and admire, from close up, the treasures on view.

The visitor can admire a number of finds that come from different periods of time, and different parts of Crete, in the various rooms of the Archaeological Museum , where treasures of the Palace of Knossos hold an important place.

The Historical Museum with its various collections offers to the visitor a trip through time from the first centuries A.D. until nowadays, with emphasis on the dramatic history of the city of Heraklion.

In the Museum for the Battle of Crete and National Resistance the visitor can see relics of the glorious, but heartbreaking, period of Cretan resistance to occupation between 1941and 1945.

In the exhibition room of the church of St. Aikaterini of Sinai one can admire representative art work of the Cretan Renaissance that exudes a certain religious awe to the visitor. Damaskinos holds a special place amongst this very special school of work.

The Heraklion Museum of Visual Arts was established in order to support cultural and artistic activity of all kinds, with particular regard to the advancement and strengthening of the visual arts and the promotion of work by Cretan artists.

Lastly, one can see a totally different exhibition, but equally important and interesting, in the Museum of Natural History where representative samples of the flora and fauna of Crete are exhibited.

(you may find more details in the official web site of Municipality of Heraklion)

Knossos

The centre of Minoan civilisation and capital of Minoan Crete lay 5km south of Heraklion and 16km south-west of Golden Bay Hotel.

Knossos flourished for approximately two thousand years. It had large palace buildings, extensive workshop installations and luxurious rock-cut cave and tholos tombs. As a major centre of trade and the economy, Knossos maintained ties with the majority of cities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Knossos

The Minoan palace is the main site of interest at Knossos, an important city in antiquity, which was inhabited continuously from the Neolithic period until the 5th c. AD. The palace was built on the Kephala hill and had easy access to the sea and the Cretan interior. According to tradition, it was the seat of the wise king Minos. The Palace of Knossos is connected with thrilling legends, such as the myth of the Labyrinth, with the Minotaur, and the story of Daidalos and Ikaros.

The numerous finds from the palace, all of exceptionally high quality art, pottery, vessels, figurines, the archive of Linear B tablets, and the original wall-paintings, are all housed in Heraklion Museum.

(you may find more details in the official web site of Municipality of Heraklion)

Heraklion banner

Cretaquarium

Just 10 mins walking distance from Golden Bay Hotel, Cretaquarium is where your experience exploring the Mediterranean sea world begins!

Come face to face with hundreds of species and thousands of living organisms. Be fascinated by their behavior as they reveal the wide variety of shapes, colors, habits and needs of their own world. Learn about them and reflect on what our common future may be.

Cretaquarium

(you may find more details in the official web site of Cretaquarium)

Watercity Waterpark

Only 5 mins by car/taxi from Golden Bay Hotel, Watercity provides people of all ages with the chance to enjoy their holidays, explore the beautiful park, relax by the pools, spend hours and hours on our exciting and thrilling games and rides, enjoy the sunshine, have a snack or a drink in our many restaurants and bars and shop for souvenirs for their loved ones.

This is the best amusement park on the island, don’t miss it!

Watercity Waterpark

(you may find more details in the official web site of Watercity)