Plateaus, forests & parks

Messara Plain

Phaistos, Heraklion · Free

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

The great fertile plain of southern Crete.

The Messara plain stretches between Psiloritis and the Asterousia mountains in the south of Heraklion. It's the largest plain in Crete and has been the heart of the island's agriculture since Minoan times.

The plain is dotted with olive groves, vineyards and villages. Phaistos, Agia Triada and Gortyn all lie on its edges, and the Messara bay has long beaches.

Around Phaistos

Nearest town: Mires, about 1 km by road
Nearest airport: Heraklion airport (HER), about 55 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