The Athens (Piraeus) Heraklion ferry route connects Athens with Crete and is currently operated by 5 ferry companies. Minoan Lines operate their crossing up to 14 times per week, Anek Superfast 1 times per week, Anek Lines 1 times per week, Anek Superfast 10 times per week & the Cyclades Fast Ferries service is available up to 3 times per week.
There are a combined 29 sailings available per week on the Athens (Piraeus) Heraklion crossing between Athens and Crete and with 5 ferry companies on offer it is advisable to compare all to make sure you get the best fare at the time that you want to travel.
| Athens (Piraeus) - Crete (Heraklion) Route summary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Departure Country | Greece | |
| Destination Country | Greece | |
| No. of Operators | 5 | |
| Operators | Anek Lines, Anek Superfast, Blue Star Ferries, Cyclades Fast Ferries & Minoan Lines | |
| Average Price | 301 €* | |
| Average Daily Sailings | 2 | |
| Average Weekly Sailings | 19 | |
| Average Sailing Duration | 9h 18m | |
| Fastest Sailing Duration | 8h 40m | |
| First Ferry | 09:00 | |
| Last Ferry | 21:00 | |
| Distance | 168 nautical miles | |
* Prices subject to change, pricing is taken from last 30 days, last updated 2023-08-01.
The port city of Piraeus in Greece lies on the Saronic Gulf in the Attica region of the country and forms part of the Athens urban area, with the centre of Athens located some 12 km from the port. The centre of Piraeus is generally congested with traffic and tends not to be place where tourists would go. The area has many of the facilities you would expect of a non-tourist town: banks, public buildings, pedestrian areas, shopping streets and the like. The area around Zea Marina and Mikrolimano Harbour are perhaps the most attractive part of Piraeus and have a good selection of restaurants, cafes and bars.
Piraeus is Greece's main port and the largest in Europe and the third largest in the world. Unsurprisingly, it is the hub of Greece's maritime industries and the base for its merchant navy. Having recently undergone a refurbishment, facilities at the port have improved and include ATM's, bureau de change, restaurants, cafes, bars and a number of travel agencies selling ferry tickets. destinations served by the port include the island of Crete, the Cyclades Islands, the Dodecanese Islands, the eastern parts of Greece and parts of the northern and eastern Aegean Sea.
Located on the Greek island of Crete, Heraklion is the island's largest city and is one of the main urban centres in Greece. The city can trace its history back to at least the 9th century AD when its development began and then later came under the influence of the Arabs, the Venetians and the Ottomans. Popular sites in the city with tourists include the fortification walls that are essentially the boundary of the old city. These were first built by the Arabs and then reinforced by the Venetians. From the seven bastions, only the Martinengo bastion survives to this day and is where visitors will find the tomb of the renowned writer N. Kazantzakis, overlooking the city. The city was also a venue during the 2004 Olympic Games, and hosted games of the football tournament.
Located in the city's old port, visitors can still see the vaulted tarsanades where ships used to be built and also the 16th century Koule Fortress. From the port, ferries depart to destinations including Santorini, Ios, Paros, Mykonos and Rhodes. There are also ferry services to the Greek mainland port of Piraeus.
Timetables between 25/09/2023 and 01/10/2023
| Operator | Departure Time | Arrival Time | Duration | Sailing Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minoan Lines | 09:00 | 17:40 | 8 hours 40 minutes | Fri, Sun |
| Cyclades Fast Ferries | 09:00 | 18:00 | 9 hours | Wed, Sat |
| Minoan Lines | 09:00 | 18:50 | 9 hours 50 minutes | Tue |
| Blue Star Ferries | 18:01 | 04:10 | 10 hours 9 minutes | Sat |
| Anek Superfast | 21:00 | 06:15 | 9 hours 15 minutes | Everyday |
| Minoan Lines | 21:00 | 06:30 | 9 hours 30 minutes | Everyday |
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