Heraklion
City in Greece
Heraklion is a city in Greece with a population of 145440 in 2021, located 320 km from Athens. Visitors are drawn to the area by sights such as Knossos, Koules Fortress, and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum.
What to see
The city features historical landmarks and cultural exhibits. Key points of interest include the archaeological site of Knossos, the coastal Koules Fortress, and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Additional points of interest in the area include Agios Minas Cathedral, Saint Titus Cathedral, the Fortifications of Heraklion, the Historical Museum of Crete, and Cretaquarium.
When to go
The climate brings warm summers and cooler, wetter winters. July and August are the warmest months with daily highs of 30 °C and lows of 22 °C, along with minimal rain of 2 mm on about 2 days. June and September offer daily highs of 28 °C and 27 °C respectively. January and December are the coolest and wettest months, with daily highs of 14 °C to 16 °C, lows of 10 °C to 11 °C, and rainfall over 120 mm occurring on 14 to 16 days.
Getting there
The nearest airport is Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport, located 4 km from the city in Greece.
Top sights in Heraklion
Weather by month
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 30 °C. The wettest is December, with about 123 mm of rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high, °C | 15 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 24 | 19 | 16 |
| Average low, °C | 10 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 11 |
| Rainfall, mm | 120 | 94 | 66 | 30 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 56 | 98 | 123 |
| Rainy days | 16 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 14 |
Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for Heraklion (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.
Also worth a look
- Agios Minas Cathedral
- Cretaquarium
- Fortifications of Heraklion
- Historical Museum of Crete
- Saint Titus Cathedral