Hotels near The Minoan Palace of Knossos, Heraklio

Not worth the effort. The place looks more like a mad architect's dream than authentic ruins - none of the reconstructions are authentic and whatever the guides tell you in the end it always turns out that we in fact have no idea what was what among the ruins. The crowds don't make it any more pleasant and the ticket prices are ridiculous compared to what you get (if you buy tickets via Google Maps, it's cheaper). I was really keen on exploring Minoan architecture but what you see at Knossos is more a product of vivid Victorian imagination than actual Minoan culture.

It is so fascinating. I recommend having a tour guide to get the most of what you see. Also, don't miss the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion. These two places really go together. Many artifacts from Knossos are in the museum.

I have been to both Egypt and Mexico and compared with the sites there Knossos was not as impressive as I had expected. The photo at the head of this insert was the best thing about a site of erected stones.

It is an outside attraction so careful of the sun. The café just inside the entrance has a small shaded upper seating area up steps - this recommended. Can get busy in middle of day with coach arrivals. You can get there from Heraklion on regular local bus from Bus Station A and many other stops to south of town.

We left it until quite late in the afternoon to attend the Palace grounds...this was a good idea for two main reasons - far less of a crowd, actually very few people; it was also the middle of summer so the heat of the day was well past its fiercest. The "redoing" of the paint work and the rebuilding brought the ruins back to some semblance of what it might have been like but I baulk a little at how accurate it all is...also the question of meddling in recreating ruins! Fascinating none the less!

Interesting place, though I read that the renovation has plenty of fantasy in it so it might not have looked exactly like this. I read somewhere that the entrance fee used to be 6 euros few years back...now it is 15.