Just 5km outside of Iraklion lies Knossos, the island's preeminent ancient site, with its grand, second millennium BC Minoan
palace, where King Minos once kept the legendary Minotaur.
Iraklion(also written as Heraklion), the administrative capital of Crete, is mostly known as the place where cruise ships stop so passengers can make shore excursions to the(overcrowded and underwhelming)
ruins of Knossos.