The two main International airports in Crete are those of Nikos Kazantzakis airport in Heraklion and Ioannis Daskalogiannis airport in Akrotiri, 15 km south-east of Chania town.
Both airports connect Crete with most of the Greek islands throughout the year, with scheduled, non-stop flights.
In summertime there are low-cost scheduled and charter flights connecting Crete with numerous European destinations.
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If you don’t choose a non-stop flight to the above airports you could take a connecting flight from Athens.
The flight from Athens to Heraklion lasts 40 minutes while Athens to Chania takes 35 minutes.
The airport in Chania is a much better option if you are heading for the west of Crete whereas the airport in Heraklion if you are heading east.
They are both civil – military airports, therefore photography is prohibited.
There is a third airport in Sitia on the eastern part of Crete, serving mostly domestic flights.
Links:
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Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport
Chania Ioannis Daskalogiannis International Airport
Heraklion airport
Heraklion Airport,officially known as the Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport, is located about 4 km east of Heraklion city, near the municipality of Nea Alikarnassos.
It is the second busiest airport in Greece serving approximately 5 million passengers each year.
The IATA code which is used to refer to the Heraklion Airport is HER.
All passenger flights are located in one terminal.
The Heraklion Airport serves as a hub for Aegean Airlines, Olympic Airlines, Sky Express and Cyprus Airways.
Additionally to the aforementioned airlines, Heraklion Airport also serves domestic flights to/from several Greek islands.
Chania airport
Chania Airport, officially known as the Chania Ioannis Daskalogiannis International Airport, is the second largest airport in Crete, serving 1,5 passengers each year.
It is located 14 km east of the town of Chania, on the north west of Crete.
The IATA code which is used to refer to the Chania Airport is CHQ.
All passenger flights are located in one terminal.
Chania Airport serves as a hub for Aegean Airlines, Olympic Airlines and Ryanair.
Sitia airport
Sitia town features a small airport, 1,5 km north of its centre, on the eastern part of Crete.
The airport serves mostly domestic flights .
The IATA code which is used to refer to the Sitia Airport is JSH.
All passenger flights are located in one terminal.
Sitia airport serves as a hub for Olympic Airlines, Sky Express and Astra Airlines.
Domestic Flights
Domestic flights to Athens and Thessaloniki by Aegean and Olympic Airlines run throughout the year.
Charter Flights
Most charter flights to/ from European destinations run from late April or early May to the end of October.
Need to stay close to Chania airport?
Have a look at Tersanas Village (6 km from the airport).
From Athens/ Piraeus
The main ports in Crete are located in Souda bay (7km east of Chania), Heraklion city, Rethymno town, Agios Nikolaos and Sitia.
There are daily departures from the port of Piraeus in Athens to Souda port and Heraklion.
Travelling by ferryboat is, in most cases, cheaper than travelling by plane as ferryboats connecting Crete and Piraeus are safe and fast.
Ferryboats to Heraklion port leave from Piraeus at 21:30 by Anek Lines and Minoan Lines.
Ferryboats to Souda in Chania leave from Piraeus at 21:00 by Anek Lines.
The boat trips last about 10 hours.
In summertime are also daily departures from Piraeus to both Souda and Heraklion ports and the fare is reduced compared to night trips.
For more information on how to get to Chania and Heraklion by ferryboat see the links below:
There are also departures from Piraeus to Rethymno port every Monday, Wednesday and Friday leaving at 21:00 and every Sunday at 09:00.
Moreover, Anek and Minoan Lines connect Crete with several other Greek islands such as Santorini and Rhodes as well as Ancona, Trieste and Venice in Italy.
In summertime there are also frequent boat connections between west Crete, the islands of Kithira, Antikithira and Peloponnissos.
For more information visit Lane Sea Lines.
Tel: (+30) 28210 20345
Should you choose to sail to Crete in your own boat, contact the local districts and marinas for details:
Heraklion Central
Tel: +30 2810 244912,
+30 2810 244956
Kaloi Limenes
Tel: +30 28920 42188
Chania Central
Tel: +30 28210 98888,
+30 28210 52777
Paleochora
Tel: +30 28230 41214
Sfakia
Tel: +30 28250 91292
Kastelli
Tel: +30 28220 22024
Rethimno Central
Tel: +30 28310 28971
Fax: +30 28310 55150
Agia Galini
Tel: +30 28310 91206
Sitia
Tel: +30 28430 22310,
+30 28430 27117
Ierapetra
Tel: +30 28420 22294
Agios Nikolaos
Tel: +30 28410 22312,
+30 28410 82733
Marinas
Heraklion- Heraklion Port Authority SA
Phone Center: +30 2810 338110
Fax: +30 2810 226110
Agios Nikolaos
Tel: +30 28410 82384,
+30 28410 82385,
+30 28410 82386
Website
Gouves Heraklio
Tel: +30 28970 41112,
+30 28970 41190
Website
