Villages & Towns

Moires

Phaistos, Heraklion · Free

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

The market town of the Messara.

Moires is the main market town of the Messara plain, about 55 km south-west of Heraklion. It's busy and practical, with shops, banks and cafes. The Saturday market is the largest in the area, with fresh produce, clothes and household goods.

The town is a good base for exploring Phaistos, Gortyn and the south coast.

Moires is not a tourist town, which is part of its charm. It's a real working town with shops, cafes, bakeries and markets, and it gives a good picture of everyday life in the Messara. The Saturday market is lively and colourful, with farmers selling fruit, vegetables, cheese and honey. Phaistos and Gortyn are each about 15 minutes away.

Phaistos covers the western Messara, the largest plain of Crete, and its coast on the Libyan Sea. Here lie some of the most important Minoan sites, Phaistos and Agia Triada, and the beaches of Matala, Kommos, Kalamaki and the long Messara bay. Inland, towns like Moires and Tymbaki are busy farming centres, while villages such as Zaros, Vori and Kamilari are perfect for a slower pace. The area is warm and sunny, with a long swimming season.

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