Hersonissos

Hersonissos Χερσόνησος
View of the city.
Location
Hersonissos
Coordinates	35°19′N 25°23.4′E
Location within the region
Government
Country:	Greece
Region:	Crete
Regional unit:	Heraklion
Mayor:	Zacharias Doxastakis (PASOK)
Population statistics (as of 2011)
Municipality
- Population:	26,717
- Area:	271.6 km2 (105 sq mi)
- Density:	98 /km2 (255 /sq mi)
Municipal unit
- Population:	8,262
Community
- Population:	3,165
Other
Time zone:	EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Elevation (min-max):	0–12 m ­(0–39 ft)

Hersonissos (Greek: Χερσόνησος, pronounced [xerˈsonisos] - Chersónisos), also transliterated as Chersonisos and Hersónisos, is a town and a municipality in the north of Crete, bordering the Mediterranean / Aegean Sea. This community is about 25 kilometers east of Heraklion and west of Agios Nikolaos. What is usually called Hersonissos is in fact its peninsula and harbour. It is part of the Heraklion regional unit. It is situated 25 km from the Heraklion airport and 27 km from the Heraklion port. The seat of the municipality is the village Gournes.

Hersonissos by night.

Municipality

The municipality of Hersonissos was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:

• Episkopi
• Gouves
• Hersonissos
• Malia

Tourism

Hersonissos is oriented towards tourism industry. Hersonissos can be considered as mainly being for families, and is quite useless for teenagers. The nightlife in the city is quite remote, but on the bright side it is a quaint place ideal for relaxation. The sandy beaches are heavenly for children and sunbathers, making the city fun during the day. There is also a lot to do for children. Hersonissos is well known for being very safe during the night & day, it has a reputation of one of the safest places in Crete. In the main street there are many souvenir shops, as well as other shops and restaurants, some of which are near the sea. There is also a small aquarium called Aquaworld Aquarium featuring local sea life and reptiles, most of which are rescued animals and many of which visitors and their children can hold. The Lychnostatis Open Air Museum, with its recreation of a traditional Cretan village, is another interesting place not only for those with children.

People who like to rest and sunbathe on holiday can enjoy Hersonissos, for it has beaches, and excursions to other places on Crete can be made from here as well. Like many communities on Crete, the local economy is not only based on tourism, but also on agriculture. In the autumn, when most of the tourists have left, many people normally employed in the tourism industry earn money with the olive harvest.

Ancient history

Roman fountain in Hersonissos.

At the modern settlement of Hersonissos is the site of the ancient town of Chersonesos, an important seaport from Classical Greece through Byzantine times that served the city of Lyttos. The contemporaneous pleasure port is built over the remains of the Roman port. Some traces of those remains, most of them submerged, are still visible in some places. On the seaside street there is a pyramidal Roman fountain with mosaics of fishing scenes. On the top of the rocky hill behind the port stand the ruins of an early Christian basilica with floor mosaics.

The vicinity of Hersonissos is noted for its prehistoric archaeological finds. On the coast approximately one kilometer to the east of Hersonissos was an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Britomartis.

References

• http://www.go2hersonissos.eu/party/default1.asp
• http://www.hersonissosonline.gr
• http://www.hersonisos.com/
• Robert E. Bell (1989) Place-names in classical mythology: Greece, ABC-CLIO, 350 pages ISBN 0-87436-507-4
• Hersonissos history [1]
• C. Michael Hogan, Knossos fieldnotes, Modern Antiquarian (2007)
• National Statistical Service of Greece