Hersonissos
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| Hersonissos |
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| Location | |
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| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Time zone: | EET/EEST (UTC+2/3) |
| Elevation (min-max): | 0 - 12 m (0 - 39 ft) |
| Government | |
| Country: | Greece |
| Prefecture: | Crete |
| Population statistics (as of 2001[1]) | |
| Metropolitan | |
| - Population: | 9,000 |
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Hersonissos (Greek: Λιμένας Χερσονήσου - Liménas Chersonísou) is a town in the north of Crete, on the Mediterranean. This community is about 25 kilometers east of Heraklion and west of Agios Nikolaos. What is usually called Hersonissos is in fact its peninsula and harbour. It is part of the Heraklion Prefecture just 25 klm from the Heraklion airport and 27 klm from the Heraklion port.
Hersonissos is oriented towards tourism industry, and popular with Dutch, British and German nationals. At the end of it there are big hotels and the Star Beach with slides, bars, pools, games, bungie jump, go-karts, like a day time club. There is also a lot to do for children. In the main street there are many souvenir shops, as well as other shops and restaurants, some of which are near the sea. There is also a small aquarium called Aquaworld featuring local sea life and reptiles, which the children can hold. Nightlife is also important, and feature discos, clubs, bars and pubs. One can take a sight-seeing train that runs down the main street along the sea, and provides access to the surroundings of Chersonissos.
People who like to rest and sunbath on holiday can enjoy Hersonissos, for it has beautiful beaches, and excursions to other places on Crete can be made from here as well. Like many communities on Crete, the local economy is not only based on tourism, but also on agriculture. In the fall, when most of the tourists have left, many people normally employed in the tourism industry earn money with the olive harvest.
[edit] Ancient history
At the modern settlement of Hersonissos is the site of an ancient seaport of the same name.[2] The vicinity of Hersonissos is noted for its prehistoric archaeological finds, most notably at the Minoan palace and settlement of Knossos to the east; this site has revealed Neolithic habitation and a flourishing Bronze Age culture.[3] On the coast Approximately one kilometre to the east of Hersonissos was an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Britomartis.[4]
[edit] Line notes
[edit] References
- Robert E. Bell (1989) Place-names in classical mythology: Greece, ABC-CLIO, 350 pages ISBN:0874365074
- Hersonissos history [1]
- C. Michael Hogan, Knossos fieldnotes, The Modern Antiquarian (2007) [2]
- National Statistical Service of Greece
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