The Venetian harbour of Heraklion is at the end of 25th August Street, the pedestrian street leading from the town centre to the Koules fortress. This is the old harbour of Heraklion, now used by fishing boats and yachts, and its history is as ancient as that of the city itself. The new, modern passenger and cargo Heraklion harbour extends to the east of the old harbour.
In the Venetian harbour of Heraklion stands the fortress of Koules. Here begins the long mole of the new harbour – about 2,400 m long – with a lighthouse standing at the end of it. The mole is a favourite spot for a stroll, especially on warm evenings. The people of Heraklion jokingly call the mole "Bypass Avenue", as many of those walking along the long mole are heart bypass patients taking some exercise recommended by their doctor. All along the mole, you will see amateur fishermen waiting patiently for a bite, both day and night.
History of Heraklion Harbour
The natural bay of Heraklion grew into the most important harbour of the Eastern Mediterranean over the centuries.
The first serious attempt to create an organised harbour in the bay of Chandax came in the Arab period (9th-10th c.) Following the restoration of Crete to the Byzantine Empire in 961 AD, Chandax gradually developed into a thriving city, and its harbour was consequently fortified and improved. When the island fell into the hands of the Venetians (1204), Candia (as the Venetians called both the city of Heraklion and the whole island) became "the other Venice of the East". Its harbour was the only one in Greece to engage in the export trade on such a large scale. Especially during the last two centuries of Venetian rule, it was the greatest harbour in the Eastern Mediterranean. Its main exports were wine, olive oil, raisins, cheese, honey, beeswax, silk, cotton and salt, which was a Venetian monopoly.
In the 17th century the harbour acquired its finished form, able to moor 50 galleys. Very few modifications were carried out to the harbour during the Turkish period (17th-19th century).
Unfortunately, the most destructive interventions in the harbour area were perpetrated in the 20th century, in order to turn Heraklion into a modern European city. In an age in which the idea of a "monument" was of no particular value, the introduction of the car into everyday city life led to the opening of the coast road demolishing much of the Venetian harbour installations, Little Koules and the Byzantine Harbour Gate. The coast road certainly serves the needs of the citizens of Heraklion, but unfortunately the city's beauty and history have been sacrificed once more on the altar of development and functionality.
The cache
The cache is a film canister - or something similar - containing a small log, so you need to bring your own pen. Sometimes it may be deep in its hide, so you might need to have a long item with you, longer than a pen, to use as a tool to help it out. Beware of muggles, who are usually all over the place, especially in calm evenings. If you try to find the cache on a sunny summer day, don’t forget your hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and some water to avoid sunstroke.
WARNING: In case of strong winds, when waves override the mole, DO NOT attempt to walk along the mole and reach the cache! It’s extremely dangerous. Seriously! Don’t!
