Distance: 6km (12 km return)

Difficulty: Easy

Amnissos beach is located 8 km east of Heraklion, the capital of Crete. The distance to the international airport is 2-3 km.

The beach in general
Amnissos is an almost 2 km long sand beach and a popular attraction among the inhabitants and tourists in Heraklion.
The sand is bright and fine-grained. In contrast to the neighbouring beach, Karteros, there are hardly no rocks in the sand or along the waterline. The water is clear.
The beach has four sections with sun lounges and sunshades for rent. In addition some archaeological excavations have revealed some Neolithic settlements in the surrounding area and a villa that dates back from 1600 B.C. and whose beautiful frescoes are displayed in the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion. In addition, Amnissos used to be the port of Knossos in the Minoan times and from there sailed the Cretan ships that took part in the Trojan War. The beach overlooks the islet of Dia, which was a significant Minoan religious site. Another ancient religious site close to Amnissos beach is the Cave of Eileithya, where, according to the myth, Hera gave birth to Eileithya, the goddess of childbirth.
You can park right next to the beach.

Child-friendliness
Lovely soft sand and usually lots of room to play. On days with wind from the north, there are often waves, and then you should be extra careful with the small children.

Water sports
During the high season, there is a varied selection of water sports activities. Outside of the high season, there are no water sports activities.

Beach restaurants
There are a few good restaurants by the beach.