Museums

Cretaquarium

Hersonissos, Heraklion · Free

Directions

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

Facilities

Ticketed entry

About

One of the largest aquariums in the Mediterranean.

Cretaquarium, also called Thalassocosmos, is one of the largest aquariums in the Mediterranean. It lies on the coast at Gournes, about 15 km east of Heraklion, on the site of a former American air base. It is run by the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research and opened in 2005.

More than 2,000 sea creatures of around 200 species live in tanks that recreate the habitats of the Mediterranean, from rocky shores and sea grass meadows to the deep sea. You can see sharks, rays, octopus, groupers, moray eels and colourful jellyfish, as well as species found in the waters around Crete. Information panels explain the marine life and the work of the research centre.

A visit takes about one and a half to two hours. It is especially good for families and on hot afternoons or windy days when the beach is less inviting. The Dinosauria Park, with life size dinosaur models, is right next door.

Around Hersonissos

Nearest town: Hersonissos, about 13 km by road
Nearest airport: Heraklion airport (HER), about 12 km by road

Heraklion is the heart of Minoan Crete and the island’s busiest region. Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum are the two places almost everyone visits, and they work well together on one day. In the south, the wide Messara plain holds the palace of Phaistos, the Roman ruins of Gortyna and the famous caves above the bay of Matala. More about Heraklion