Top 3 ways to experience heraklion’s uniqueness

In Heraklion, you can either ‘go with the flow’ with other tourists, or try to enjoy the city on a much more intimate scale. Of course, you can visit the sights and archaeological destinations one by one, but it's more satisfying to discover the city on a deeper level. After completing your Heraklion airport transfers, try embarking on your exploration based on the following suggestions.

Enjoy a traditional Greek coffee

Throughout Greece you’ll find the ubiquitous kafenion—the country’s version of a coffee shop, and one that most probably precedes all other coffee shops in the world. If you’re used to the fancy, ambient décor of modern cafes, with mood music, fancy concoctions, and succulent pastries, don’t expect that in your typical kafenion. Originally a product of the Ottoman occupation, these cafes, while simple and rustic, continue to endure. Dropping by the closest kafenion is the best way to wind down from your flight and the inevitable Heraklion airport transfers; these little islands of impregnable calm, where you can quietly sip Greek coffee or, depending on the particular kafenion, enjoy a beer or ouzo are delightful in their simplicity. Despite their utter bareness, the kafenion are so undemanding that you can occupy a table and expect to be left completely alone to your thoughts for hours—although chatting with a local is also highly recommended.

Have a pie

Greeks love their pie, and for good reason: the typical fare you’ll see on the street is healthful, tasty, not to mention they can be conveniently enjoyed and eaten on the go. Everywhere you go, you’ll see people walking up and down the street enjoying a quick nibble or sitting on a bench seriously negotiating a succulent-looking pie. From the popular tiropita (cheese pie) to the delicious spanakopita (spinach pie), pie shops in Greece (especially here) ply a bustling trade all day. If you grab one as soon as you arrive on your Heraklion airport transfers you'll be hooked for the duration of the holiday! It is said that Greece is a pie-lover’s paradise, and you won't find it hard to agree.

Watch the setting sun

Make no mistake - the Mediterranean is exceedingly romantic and spiritual, and a sunset here is like none other. After arriving in Heraklion, airport transfers will be but a distant memory once you head to the town centre to enjoy the late afternoon cool and people watch as the sun goes down. The city’s biggest square, the Platia Eleftherias, is an exhilarating place visit: paved in marble and dotted with a number of fountains, it is surrounded with a diverse array of souvenir shops, tavernas, jewellers and boutiques, with the Archaeological Museum at its north end. There is also the Platia Kornarou, with its stunning Venetian fountain and Turkish stone kiosk. Platia Kornarou also offers immediate respite from the hustle and bustle of the nearby open-air market to the square’s north.

Lukas Johannes is a driver for Shuttle Direct. If you’re looking for Heraklion airport transfers, Shuttle Direct provide pre-booked shuttles to major destinations all over Europe. Wherever you travel, Shuttle Direct can make sure that you don’t miss your car on your holiday abroad.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.