Heraklion – Chalki
Ferries to Dodecanese Islands
Heraklion – Chalki
Ferries to Dodecanese Islands
The Heraklion Chalki ferry route connects Crete with Dodecanese Islands. Currently there is just the 1 ferry company operating this ferry service, Blue Star Ferries. The crossing operates up to 1 times each week with sailing durations from around 9 hours 35 minutes.
Heraklion Chalki sailing durations and frequency may vary from season to season so we’d advise doing a live check to get the most up to date information.
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The Greek city of Heraklion is the capital and largest city on the island of Crete. A popular visitor attraction near the city is Knossos, which is around 5 km from Heraklion. This important archaeological site was the Palace of King Minos and home to the Minotaur, if legend is to be believed. The palace was built over the remains of a former Neolithic settlement in around 1900 BC.
An important attraction in the city itself is the Archaeological Museum which can be found on one corner of the central Eleftherias Square, in a converted power station. The museum collects and displays many artefacts from Knossos, Archanes, Phaestos, Zakros and many other important archaeological sites on the island. The museum's collection spans several thousand years and includes the Phaestos disc, classic Hellenic and Roman sculptures, frescos, jewellery, wall paintings and pottery.
Visitors to Heraklion can take a ferry from the port, which is important for both passenger services and cargo, to destinations including Santorini, Ios, Paros, Mykonos and Rhodes. There are also daily sailings to the mainland port of Piraeus.
The Greek island of Chalki lies in the Aegean Sea and forms part of the Dodecanese group of islands. It is situated around 6 km to the west of the island of Rhodes and is the smallest inhabited island of the Dodecanese with a surface area of 28 sq. km and a coastline of around 34 km. The island's name is derived from the copper mines that used to exist on the island (Chalkos is Greek for copper). The island's economy was doing well at the end of 19th century, when Chalkites, the island's residents, developed navigation and a lucrative sponge industry. Chalki followed the historic course of Rhodes and was officially united with Greece in 1948. The world's youth nominated the island as the "Island of Peach and Friendship" in 1983.
The port, where the ferries arrive, is called Nimborio and is the only village on the island of any size. The port is shaped like a horseshoe around the bay.
