This is the best stop in Crete for those who love history. The Palace of Knossos is just outside the city. The site dates back to the Minoan civilisation, and includes frescoes and baths. Guarding the city’s Venetian port is the 16th-century Koules fortress. The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is worth seeing. You will be offered trips to Santorini, and hear a lot about the connection between the two islands and the lost city of Atlantis. Plato wrote about an advanced civilisation called Atlantis, which was destroyed when the Santorini volcano erupted. Plato’s thoughts have been followed by many other writers, historians and archeologists, who also suggest that Minoan Crete was, in fact, Plato’s Atlantis, which was wiped out when Santorini blew up. Many do not suggest in is Knossos, though there are grounds for a connection, but the lost trading ports which could be under the sea or silted over. It is a similar story to Troy in that respect. Troy was lost, and used to be a port by the sea but is now inland.

Looking at the locally offered attractions and tours is the first thing a movie location scout will do. Here is a collection of locally offered tours to start your research. If we have made a film it will be on our Doris Visits cruise port YOUTUBE channel which is approaching two million views. Any film should be listed here under the port name. Please take a few minutes to watch that to as we often find gems and explain the local buses as well as hit the highlights. 

Check out my cruise and port accurate mystery thrillers in paperback and eBook with some in large print and as audiobooks. They are all set on a cruise and written like movies or TV shows. Well, that is where I spent the last 50 years! 

Local tours (allow time to load) as shown by GET YOUR GUIDE

Always remember a ship tour offers the protection of waiting for the trip to return if it is running late. 

SHIP TOURS help you choose your next ship Aurora Ship Tour Marella Discovery 2 Azura Ship Tour Cunard Queen Victoria Britannia Ship Tour Virgin Scarlet Lady Arcadia Ship Tour Ventura Ship Tour SUITE on P&O Every cruise ship and every fleet listed here 

How do you choose a ship?