Getting from Santorini to Heraklion

If you are heading to Heraklion from Santorini you are making one of the classic moves in Greek island travel, south from the Cyclades to the largest island in Greece. Heraklion is Crete's capital and main port, a working city with a Venetian harbour, a fortress that dominates the waterfront and one of the finest archaeological museums in the world. The Palace of Knossos is 5 kilometres from the city centre and however many photographs you have seen of it, standing in front of the throne room still stops you in your tracks. Heraklion is not a city people tend to linger in for its own sake but it is the gateway to central and eastern Crete and rewards at least a night before you head deeper into the island.

Take the ferry

The Santorini to Heraklion ferry is one of the most enjoyable short crossings in the Aegean and well worth taking if time allows. Seajets, Fast Ferries and Blue Star Ferries all serve the route year-round, with up to 3 daily crossings in the summer months and weekly sailings in the off-season. The fastest Seajets high-speed catamarans cover the 63 nautical miles in around 1 hour 35 minutes. Blue Star conventional ferries take around 3 hours but are more stable, more spacious and considerably more comfortable in rough weather. The stretch between Santorini and Crete can be choppy when the Meltemi winds are blowing in July and August, so if you are prone to seasickness take the Blue Star and choose a seat midship. Book ahead in summer as this route fills up.

What about flying?

Both Santorini and Heraklion have airports. Flying via Athens adds considerable time and complexity compared to the direct ferry for this particular route. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights and almost all island to island travel goes through Athens, which would make the total journey time longer than the ferry for most travellers.

Your best option

Take the ferry. It is one of the few routes in Greece where the ferry is clearly the better option over flying, both in terms of time and experience. The high-speed crossing in under 2 hours is hard to beat and you arrive directly into Heraklion harbour rather than at an airport on the edge of town.