Ferry from Ios to Heraklion

Ios Guide

Forming one of the Cyclades group of islands, the Greek island of Ios is located in the Aegean Sea and lies around mid way between the island of Naxos and the island of Santorini. The island's terrain is characterised by hills and cliffs that lead down to the sea on most sides of the island. Located on the north west coast is the island's port which is only a short distance from the village of Chora. The trip between Chora and the port can be made on foot which will take you along a steep donkey path, and takes around 15 minutes. The village is characterised by narrow paths and streets most of which have now been taken over by bars, restaurants, shops and night clubs to cater for tourists.

There are ferries from the island's port to Piraeus and Rafina with a crossing time of between 4 1/2 hours and 8 hours, depending on ferry type, route and destination. During the summer months Ios is also connected by ferry to the other islands of the Cyclades.

Heraklion Guide

Located on the Greek island of Crete, Heraklion is the island's largest city and is one of the main urban centres in Greece. The city can trace its history back to at least the 9th century AD when its development began and then later came under the influence of the Arabs, the Venetians and the Ottomans. Popular sites in the city with tourists include the fortification walls that are essentially the boundary of the old city. These were first built by the Arabs and then reinforced by the Venetians. From the seven bastions, only the Martinengo bastion survives to this day and is where visitors will find the tomb of the renowned writer N. Kazantzakis, overlooking the city. The city was also a venue during the 2004 Olympic Games, and hosted games of the football tournament.

Located in the city's old port, visitors can still see the vaulted tarsanades where ships used to be built and also the 16th century Koule Fortress. From the port, ferries depart to destinations including Santorini, Ios, Paros, Mykonos and Rhodes. There are also ferry services to the Greek mainland port of Piraeus.