Ierapetra is the launch pad for boat trips to uninhabited Chrissi Island (also known as Gaïdouronisi or Hrysi Island). It is famous for its golden beaches, clear water shimmering in myriad shades of blue, cedar forest, traces of Minoan ruins, and Belegrina, a beach covered with a mountain of shells. There are usually a couple of morning boat departures that give you 4½ hours on the island. Tickets are sold online and by agents around town. Bring a picnic or buy refreshments on board. One company that will take you there is Cretan Daily Cruises (28420 20008, www.cretandailycruises.com boat trip adult/child €25/12, mid-May–Oct) ); their vessels carry 200-400 passengers.
Chrissi Island
Top choice in Ierapetra
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
29.43 MILES
Tiny Spinalonga Island became a leper colony in 1903 and catapulted into pop-cultural consciousness thanks to Victoria Hislop's 2005 bestselling novel The…
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The fortified hilltop city state of Lato is one of Crete’s best-preserved non-Minoan ancient sites and worth the trip for the rural serenity and stunning…
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This tiny triple-aisled church on the main road shelters Crete's best-preserved Byzantine frescoes. The oldest in the central nave (13th century) depict…
25.13 MILES
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The Late Minoan settlement of Gournia lies 19km southeast of Agios Nikolaos. Comprising a small palace and residential areas, it was built between 1600…
28.19 MILES
Continuing on from the Aposelemis Dam takes you to Kerá, home to one of Crete’s most cherished monasteries, the Panagia Kardiotissa. Its teensy chapel is…
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On the eastern shore of Spinalonga Island, Kolokytha is a small but lovely sandy cove with a view over to Kolokytha Island. Tour boats drop their…
Nearby Ierapetra attractions
9.31 MILES
Overlooking the fishing harbour, the crenellated Venetian fort dates from the 17th century but was built atop an older defensive structure reputedly built…
9.4 MILES
This is where Napoleon Bonaparte is said to have stayed incognito with a local family when his ship anchored in Crete for one night in 1798 en route to…
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Dominating a triangular plaza at the northern edge of the old quarter, this yellow-sandstone mosque was built by the Turks in the late 19th century and…
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Inland from the fortress is the labyrinthine old quarter, where you'll see a Turkish fountain, the restored mosque with its minaret, Napoleon's house and…
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Built in 1856 atop a much older church possibly dating to the Venetian era, this handsome house of worship is dedicated to St George, the patron saint of…
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Ierapetra's pretty town hall is in the city centre next to a small park and near the ferries to Chrissi Island.
11.51 MILES
The village of Koutsounari, some 7km east of Ierapetra, boasts one of the longest beaches in Crete (4.5km). It's great for sunbathing in relative solitude…