Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The resort runs along the coast: a harbour, a long seafront, hotels, and a strip of bars that gets loud in season. That is the Hersonissos people mean when they use the name as shorthand.
The part people miss
Ten minutes uphill are three old villages that are not that at all.
- Koutouloufari, a lane village of restored stone houses and small tavernas, quiet in the evening and with a view down over the coast.
- Piskopiano, similar in character, with a rural life museum in an old house.
- Old Hersonissos, further back again, the original settlement before the coast was built up.
People who stay in the villages and walk down for the beach get a very different holiday from people who stay on the front, and it is the same place on the map.
Down on the coast
The harbour is the pleasant end: fishing boats, a pedestrian stretch, and the remains of a Roman fish tank cut into the rock by the water, which is the one genuinely old thing on the seafront.
The beaches are a mix of small sandy coves and organised stretches, developed rather than beautiful. This is a coast built for volume.
There is also a cluster of family attractions in the area, which is a real reason people choose it with children, and our Crete nightlife page covers the other reason people choose it.
Where it fits on the island
It is a base rather than a sight. From here:
- Heraklion and Knossos are a short drive west.
- Malia and its Minoan palace are just east.
- Agios Nikolaos and Elounda are further east.
- The Lasithi plateau is the inland day.
Last checked August 2026. Seasonal opening changes - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
Where is Hersonissos?
On the north coast of Crete, roughly 25 kilometres east of Heraklion, between Heraklion and Malia.
Is Hersonissos just a party resort?
The seafront strip is the loud part. Directly above it are Koutouloufari, Piskopiano and Old Hersonissos, which are quiet lane villages with a different character entirely.
What are the hill villages above Hersonissos?
Koutouloufari, Piskopiano and Old Hersonissos, all within about ten minutes uphill from the coast, with stone houses, small tavernas and views over the sea.
Is Hersonissos good for families?
It is one of the more family-oriented bases on the north coast, with a cluster of attractions in the area and a mix of small sandy coves.
What is there to see in Hersonissos itself?
The harbour, the pedestrian seafront, and a Roman fish tank cut into the rock at the water’s edge, which is the oldest thing on the front.
Next
Read things to do in Crete, Malia, or where to stay in Crete.