Things to see and do Iles grecques

Imposing remains of a shipyard built by the Venetians when they dominated the island. The arsenal was built by the water and the bay served as a port. The walls and columns are virtually intact. There are also remains of the th century town. The use of the arsenal ended in 1798, when signing the treaty ending the Republic of Venice.

Built in 1300 by Jean Orsini, it has been restored many times by the Venetians and the Ottomans.

The collections of the Archaeological Museum are on display in a beautiful neoclassical villa in Plaka's central square. The most interesting section concerns the objects discovered on the prehistoric site of Filakopi. You will see in particular beautiful marble statuettes, typical of Cycladic art from the 4th to 2nd millennia BC. The Venus de Milo is represented by a pale copy... the original being in Paris. Failing to see the Venus de Milo, the Lady of Filakopi (1200 BC) is considered the centrepiece of the place.

A walk on the coast will take you to Kokkinos Pirgos beach, which you can also rally by bus or car, but we advise you, at least to go, the walk that will take you up to 1 hour 30.

Looking south of the city, you will see that a mountain range dominated by Mount Yiouchtas is cut out in the shape of a human profile. According to a legend, it is Zeus who, resting there, would have fallen asleep there. With a fauna rich in birds (44 species) and an important, but not yet studied in detail, flora on the mountain grows eleven endemic species, two of which are very rare. Every year, on 6 August, a religious ceremony takes place in the small chapel perched above. You can go there from Heraklion via Archanes.

It's the highest point on the island. Built in 1880 by the French Ottoman Lighthouse Company, it was the second most powerful lighthouse in the world at the time. Located at an altitude of 360 m, its light covered a distance of 42 miles. However, at the slightest fog, the lighthouse became completely ineffective. Recently renovated, it has been fitted with a café and a souvenir shop in an architectural style that can be controversial. Nevertheless, it is very pleasant to have a drink in front of the setting sun in this unique site.

The sandy beach of the city is very popular. Other beaches and coves, not sand but covered with a variety of rocky terraces, are located a few kilometres east to Agia Fotia.