Khersónisos
The beaches of Khersonisos run along the north coast of Crete either side of the resort’s port, 28 km east of Heraklion. Khersonisos, officially Limenas Chersonisou, is known for calm seas, which is unusual on this coastline because the prevailing northern winds stir most of it. The quietest water is west of the port, sheltered by Cape Sarandaris, while the busiest sand lies east of it.
Heraklion (HER) is the nearest airport. The coast here covers the full range in a few kilometres: organised town sand with amenities behind it, rocky coves for snorkelling, hotel beaches at Anissaras, and one of the island’s busiest beaches at Star Beach.
Things to do at the Khersonisos beaches
6 things to do sit along this coast, listed below from the sheltered west end to the gorge inland.
- Swim in the coves west of the port. The Sarandaris coves, also called Limanakia, run from Cape Sarandaris to the Khersonisos harbour, 27 km east of Heraklion. Cape Sarandaris blocks the strong north-west winds, so the water in the coves stays calm while the open coast is choppy.
- Dive from the dock at Cape Sarandaris. A concrete dock stands on the rocky western side of the cape, near the chapel of St George Sarandaris, and it is set up for diving in. A staircase leads down to a sunbathing spot with hotel umbrellas, and the seabed below is rocky, which suits swimming and snorkelling.
- Take the main town beach east of the port. The first beach east of the harbour is a long, narrow strip of sand, well organised and close to the town’s shops and cafés. The Khersonisos beaches on this side are the resort’s most frequented.
- Spend a day at Star Beach. Star Beach is the liveliest of the coves that run 2 km east from the port up to Drapanos Cape, and it counts as one of the busiest spots on the island. Further east along the same stretch, small sandy and pebbly coves stay quiet, and some of them run cool because freshwater springs rise in the sea.
- Visit the Lychnostatis Folklore Museum. The museum stands next to the quiet coves east of Star Beach.
- Walk the Aposelemis Gorge. The Aposelemis canyon is the longest geological canyon in the north of the Heraklion prefecture and it ends at the settlement of Agriana, known locally as Adrianna, near Khersonisos. Its vertical walls reach up to 200 m, water appears in parts of it only after heavy rain, and the canyon stays little visited despite being easy to reach.
The beaches of Khersonisos, west to east
The beaches of Khersonisos divide into 3 groups: the hotel beaches west towards Analipsi, the sheltered coves at Cape Sarandaris, and the busy sand east of the port.
- Analipsi is the village 20 km east of Heraklion, named after the Ascension of Christ church and set in a fertile valley of olive groves. The beach here is the longest in the area and notably sandier, and the village is quieter than the resorts around it.
- Anissaras sits 21 km east of Heraklion and west of Cape Sarandaris, a run of small sandy beaches with rocky seabeds in front of large hotels. Umbrellas and sunbeds are laid out for hotel guests, the rocky bottom draws snorkellers, and the waves are regular enough to be a nuisance.
- The Sarandaris coves lie 27 km east of Heraklion, the calmest water of the group, with the diving dock and the St George Sarandaris chapel at the western edge.
- Khersonisos main beach follows 28 km east of Heraklion, immediately east of the port, organised and backed by the town’s amenities.
- The Drapanos coves run from 2 km east of the port up to Drapanos Cape, holding Star Beach and then a series of small sandy and pebbly coves.
- Aposelemis and Gouves are the next beaches west along the coast, with Stalida the next one east.
Where to eat near the Khersonisos beaches
Eating near the Khersonisos beaches splits between the resort front and the 3 traditional villages just inland, Piskopiano, Koutouloufari and Old Hersonissos. The places listed below sit about 2 km back from the sand, in the village cluster above the resort.
- Sofas Taverna serves Greek creative cooking.
- Myrtios Traditional Taverna stands 100 m further on.
- Taverna 1930 sits in the same cluster.
- Kostas Tavern Meze is 1.2 km from the others.
Getting to the Khersonisos beaches
Khersonisos lies 28 km east of Heraklion on the north coast, and its beaches spread west and east from the port. Inland, the village of Kalo Chorio stands 320 m above sea level at the crossroads at km 16.7 of the national road towards Agios Nikolaos.
Heraklion (HER) is the nearest airport to Khersonisos. Hersonissos itself works as a base for the whole stretch, since the beaches west and east of the port are within a couple of kilometres of the centre and the quieter villages sit just above it.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the Khersonisos beaches?
The Khersonisos beaches lie 28 km east of Heraklion on the north coast of Crete, spread either side of the resort’s port. The name is also written Hersonissos, and the town is officially Limenas Chersonisou.
Which Khersonisos beach is the calmest?
The calmest beaches are the coves west of the port, at Cape Sarandaris. The cape blocks the strong north-west winds, which is why the water there stays flat when the rest of the north coast is not.
Which Khersonisos beach is the busiest?
Star Beach, east of the port, is the busiest. It counts among the busiest spots on the whole island, and the long narrow beach immediately east of the harbour fills up too.
Are the Khersonisos beaches sandy?
The beaches are a mix of sand, pebble and rocky seabed. The strip east of the harbour is sand, the coves further east are sandy and pebbly, the hotel beaches at Anissaras have rocky bottoms, and the longest and sandiest of them is the beach near Analipsi.
Can you walk a gorge from Khersonisos?
The Aposelemis Gorge ends at Agriana near Khersonisos. A second route, the Agia Anastasia Gorge, starts at Kenourgio Horio at 160 m and finishes at the coastal village of Gournes, takes about 3 hours to descend, and is named after the cavernous chapel of Saint Anastasia near its entrance.
Which airport is closest to the Khersonisos beaches?
Heraklion (HER) is the closest airport to the Khersonisos beaches. The resort lies 28 km east of Heraklion city.
Location
Khersónisos is located at Khersónisos, in the Heraklion region of Crete. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
