The Prefecture of Heraklion covers the Central part of Crete, its extent is 2.640 square klm, the coast line 250 km approx, and it counts circa 300.000 permanent residents. It is divided in 7 provinces: Viannou, Kainourghiou, Monofatsiou, Maleviziou, Temenous, Pyrghiotissis, and Pediados. Heraklion is the capital city of the prefecture. Driving from one area to another by car or on motorbike may prove a fascinating experience.
The secondary roads, often difficult dirt tracks leading to remote villages, pass from places of extraordinary beauty and driving or even walking there, is an unforgettable souvenir. The central part of the prefecture’s territory is rather flat, with fertile valleys and plains, the most important being the plain of Messara. At the centre of the western part, the mountain of Idi (Psiloritis for the locals), ending up in the territory of Heraklion prefecture, is a natural border with Rethymnon, although a few of its highest peaks are found in the territory of Heraklion. At the eastern part it is separated from Lasithi by the mountain Dikti, also ending up in Heraklion territory. A rather low mountain chain, the Asteroussia Ori, of a height of approximately 1200 meters are found at the middle of the Southern part. Being less mountainous than the rest of Crete, Heraklion is densely inhabited and the visitor wandering around will find a lot of villages, pretty close to one another.

As it occurs with the rest of the prefectures in Crete, Heraklion has coasts both at the North, in the Aegean Sea and at the South, in the Libyan Sea. Most of the beaches at the North are sandy, some of them well protected from the “meltemia” (northern summer winds), due to the existing bays and small coves. The southern coasts are open to the South, with only one considerable bay, that of Messara. Partly sandy and some of them pebbly, the beaches have crystal clear blue water and very interesting seabed, for the fans of snorkelling and underwater activities. Swimming starts earlier in the South, where the weather is a bit warmer.

The natural environment is milder in Heraklion compared to the mountainous landscape of Chania or Rethymnon. The central inland part of the prefecture is dedicated to agriculture and the visitor will come across extended enough fields with vegetables, olive trees plantation and vineyards. Vegetables are also cultivated during winter in greenhouses situated all around at the plain. However, as the mountains are not absent, there are magnificent places there too, small gorges, caves, narrow roads leading to intact, traditional villages. The territory of the prefecture is crossed, from West to East, by the last part of the European path E4, which passes through the whole of Europe and Greece and ends up at Crete, in the island the path starts from Kissamos (Kastelli) and ends up at Sitia in the Eastern part.

Heraklion is a very wealthy place. Along with the traditional agricultural and cattle breeding activities, which used to be the main occupations of the locals in the past, tourism is today one of the main economic resources. The area attracts a lot of visitors all year round, both Greeks, for business or vacation, and people from abroad, mainly from Europe. The University, the other schools of advanced studies and a good number of research centres are an additional factor of cultural and economic prosperity for the prefecture in general and the city of Heraklion in particular. The history of the area starts as early as the Neolithic times. As excavations in various sites have shown, not only had it flourished during the Minoan period, but, in fact, it was the centre of this great civilisation. During the Venetian domination of the island, it had played a very important role too; the city of Heraklion, Candia as it was called, was a prosperous city, well fortified, the base for the activities of the Venetians in South Mediterranean.

As it happens with the rest of Crete island, Heraklion had been the centre of numerous revolts and revolutions during the Ottoman domination, as the independent character of Cretan people could not stand being under the yoke of any foreigner. During the World War II, following this long tradition, the people had strongly resisted to the German occupation; it is characteristic that the villages of Viannos had been almost totally destroyed and all the male population were arrested and executed by the Germans, in order to make an example of them for the rest of the population.