Koules Fortress
Koules Fortress is a sea fort in Heraklion that was commissioned by the Republic of Venice and designed by Michele Sanmicheli. Built in 1523, this archaeological site in Greece is one of the 75 most looked-up sights in the country on English Wikipedia.
Planning a visit
The warmest months are July and August, with daily highs of 30 °C and about 2 mm of rain. June and September are also warm, with highs of 28 °C and 27 °C. In the spring, April has highs of 20 °C and May has highs of 24 °C. During the autumn, October has highs of 24 °C. The wettest months are December and January, with rainfall around 120 mm and daily highs between 14 °C and 16 °C. February has highs of 15 °C and 94 mm of rain.
The fort is 4 km from Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport and 319 km from Athens. It is located near the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, 0.6 km away, and Knossos, 5.7 km away. Other nearby locations include Malia, which is 32.7 km away, Mount Ida, 35.7 km away, and Phaistos, 43.9 km away. The site is open daily from 08:00 to 20:00, though hours are limited during the off season. Admission costs €4 for full price and €2 for concessions.
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 this spot (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.
