Crete Airports

Airports in Crete

If you come to Crete for a holiday, it is more than likely that you will arrive by air. Of course, it is also served by ferries, with connections to many of the Greek islands. Crete is the largest of the Greek Islands, and as such has no less than three airports. There will be a fourth in the future, as a new airport will be built at Kastelli, funded on a concession basis for 35 years. It will cost an enormous 1 billion euros and should be ready for tourists arriving in 2015. However, Heraklion Airport will close as the new one opens.

The airport at which you arrive is usually dictated by the area of the island you wish to visit.

Heraklion Airport

Heraklion is situated in the north of the island, and if you are visiting Malia or Agios Nikolaos, among other destinations, you will usually arrive here. The airport is named after Nikos Kazantzakis, the famous author. Alikarnassos (the city centre of Heraklion) is 4kms from the airport. The airport is operational 24 hours of the day and has one runway, it serves Sky Express, Aegean Airways and Olympic Airways, as well as charter flights from other countries, among them the United Kingdom and Germany. Flights from and to the Greek Islands are also catered for here, with connections to Santorini and Rhodes, for example. Flights can also be had to the main Greek airports of Thessaloniki and Athens.

The facilities at Heraklion Airport are excellent, and are as follows:-

1.       There are plenty of ATMs as well as places to exchange foreign currency, handy if you have waited until you get here to get your money changed.

2.       The airport is accessible to everyone, with provision made for those who are less mobile.

3.       It is possible to rent luggage lockers if you need them and you can use them 24 hours a day.

4.       Are you taking your laptop with you? You will be pleased to know that Wi-Fi is available for your use in the airport lounge. If you visit an Everest restaurant you can use Wi-Fi free there.

5.       Information about hotels is available too. Close to the airport (one kilometre) is a hotel in Nea Alikarnassos, if you don’t want too long a journey. Other hotels near the airport are in Halikarnassos and Karteros.

6.       You can find a 24 hour information desk in Arrivals near the baggage reclaim area, which is comforting when you need help if you arrive in the middle of the night.

7.       There are good dining facilities at the airport, with a restaurant and snack bars for your convenience. Shopping too is easy, with a duty free shop and other small retail outlets.

8.      Free parking is available when the airport is open, and there are many other car parks (privately owned) across the airport.

Chania Airport

Chania airport is also on the north coast of Crete, but located further west on the Akrotiri peninsula. It is named after Ioannis Daskalogiannis, who was a native Cretan. He is famous for rebelling against Ottoman rule in the 18^th century.

Like Heraklion, Chania has connections to Thessaloniki and Athens, as well as flights from other parts of Europe during the high season.

Chania also has excellent facilities, including currency exchange, a bank, bars, shops and parent/child facilities.

There is short and long term parking, and road connections (public transport and taxis) to Chania and other places on the island. It is as well to remember that the public bus service between Chania and its airport is limited, so it may be more convenient to get there by taxi. The taxi stand is right outside the airport and it will probably cost you around 20 euros for the fare. Of course, many travellers reach their holiday destinations by shuttle bus, as these are often provided by hotels and travel companies.

If you arrive at the airport by private car, don’t leave it on the approach road or you will more than likely get a parking ticket. You can park in the expensive car park opposite the entrance, but probably the best option is to park in the cheaper car park which is about 100 metres away, and then take advantage of the shuttle bus.

Sitia Airport

This is a small airport serving the east of the island. It has no facilities except free parking. However, it is only 10 minutes from the town of Sitia.