Hersonissos

Hersonissos is a large resort municipality on Crete's northern coast, about 25 kilometres east of Heraklion. Its 2021 population was recorded at 27,220 across the wider municipality, with roughly 7,300 living in the core municipal unit, making it one of the busiest tourism centres on the island. The modern municipality was formed in 2011 by merging the former districts of Episkopi, Gouves, Hersonissos, and Malia, with its administrative seat at the village of Gournes.

Long before mass tourism arrived, the coast here was home to the ancient port of Chersonesos, which served the inland city of Lyttos and later grew important enough to become a Christian bishopric under Roman rule. Little of that ancient town remains visible today, but its name survives in the modern resort that has grown up along the same stretch of coastline.

Hersonissos today is known more for its lively waterfront, water parks, and Crete's only golf course than for maritime tradition, and its harbour offers limited shelter for visiting boats. Even so, it is worth a visit if you're chartering a gulet in Greece and want a taste of the island's busiest nightlife scene before returning to calmer anchorages along the coast.