- Region
- Heraklion
- Distance
- About 9 km east of Heraklion
- Beach
- Soft sand
- Facilities
- Sunbeds in parts, tavernas nearby
The beach
The sand is soft and the water clear; on light-wind days it is calm, though the bay faces north and can get waves. Some sections have sunbeds, umbrellas and showers, and fish tavernas sit along the coast.
Planes on approach to Heraklion airport pass low overhead; some find it fun, others noisy.
Minoan Amnisos
Amnisos was the harbour of Knossos. The ruins of a Minoan villa known as the House of the Lilies lie on Paleochora hill by the beach; its lily frescoes are in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. The cave of Eileithyia, a goddess of childbirth, is a short drive inland.
Dia island, visible offshore, was also an important site in antiquity.
Getting there
Take the old national road east from Heraklion past the airport. City buses run along the coast. Knossos is about a 20-minute drive away, so Amnissos works well as a swim after a morning at the palace.
Questions before you go
How far is Amnissos from Heraklion?
About 9 km east, 15 minutes by car.
Is Amnissos beach noisy?
Planes landing at Heraklion airport pass overhead regularly.
What was ancient Amnisos?
The Minoan harbour of Knossos; the House of the Lilies villa stands near the beach.
