Four of the island’s six known “palaces” (as dubbed by Arthur Evans) can be found in the nomos of Herakleion: Knossos, Phaistos, Malia and Galatas. Add to these the so-called “summer palaces” of Aghia Triadha and Archanes, and one can see why this area is known as the richest archaeologically in Greece. It doesn’t stop there either. Gortyn, one of the most incredible sites on the island, Kommos, a wonderful port, is situated right on the south coast, alongside a beach bearing the same name. Evans’ interpretation of these sites as “palaces” is almost certainly a misnomer, though there may well have been some sort of “royal” connection, in Minoan times.
Photo (cover): www.cretanbeaches.com