DAILLY PIRATE EXCURSION TO KOUFONISI ISLAND

Depart at Venizeleos statue Heraklion at 07:00 in the morning and depart for our Full day pirate experience.

We will have a stop at St George  Selinary Monastery . We will then go to Makrys Gialos in Ierapetra where we will board to our pirate ship.  Evdokia the pirate ship is 26 meters long and has capacity of 250 passengers. We will have soft playing music in the background and we will be sailing in the turquoise blue waters of the Libyan Sea, and the ship will anchor off the coast, giving you the time to swim in the crystal clear waters

Τhe island of Koufonisi is Wildlife Refuge. Koufonisi island is a habitat of stunning natural beauty, included in the EUROPEAN INITIATIVE NATURA 2000  Because of the preservation of its natural environment, there is not infrastructure on the island.

Koufonisi or Lefki is situated in the Libyan Sea, at the southeastern part of Crete, the island is about 6 kilometers long, 5.5 kilometers wide, and has an area of 4,26 square kilometers.

Koufonisi has 36 stunning beaches, with fine white sand, and emerald waters. Some of them, such as Asproulos, Hiliaderfia, Faros and Anemertia next to the Roman theater, could easily be among the best in Europe. Many years ago, a British yacht anchored in Hiliaderfia for a week, with Prince Charles and Princess Diana onboard.

The pirate ship’s open decks, your children will enjoy the special animation program, and will have the chance to experience a magical pirate adventure, by participating in various games, such as a treasure hunt, water gun fights, face painting, and many more.

The self-service bar of the ship shall remain open throughout the cruise, offering light meals, with salads, wine, As the ship approaches the island, you will have the chance to see the lovely beaches, the caves, and magical bays the seawater formed in its soft rock formations. soft drinks, coffee, ice creams, etc. .

Koufonisi is a habitat for tens of migratory birds. Among the reproductive species, there is the common Gull, various waterfowl, and predators. Other animals include the Aegean lizard, which usually lays under the sun on white rocks.

The island is uninhabited today, but still filled with remnants of past human activity that starts from the Early Minoan times until the post-Byzantine era. The locals like to call Koufonisi as Delos of Crete, due to the significant archaeological monuments found there, including a stone theater, which is the southernmost ancient theater in Europe, with a capacity of 1,000 people, and a settlement, which was looted and destroyed in antiquity, where an impressive villa, with 8 still preserved rooms, and another house with 16 rooms were unearthed. However, the most important monument is the Roman public baths complex, which was used from the 1^st until the 4^th century AD and bore evidence of lavish decoration. The archaeological monuments are currently not visitable.

In antiquity, Koufonisi was an important hub for sponge fishing and porphyry -known gastropod- processing, where ancient Greeks and Byzantines were extracting the wildly popular purple color from. The island had strategic importance due to its position, and was claimed by the inhabitants of Itanos and Ierapetra, only to be conquered by Itanos.

The island’s name “Koufonisi” (trans.: Hollow Island) derives from the caves and caverns formed by the seawater and the rain on its soft rock formations. While you are there, you will have the chance to see the white rocks, against the backdrop of the Libyan Sea’s endless blue, enjoy the tranquility of nature, and swim in the crystal clear waters. The landscape will dazzle you, changing from steep rocky shorelines, to caves with white and yellow rocks, and unearthly dunes.

In the southern part of the island, there is a temple unpreserved for thousands of years until 1920, which is when it was completely destroyed, to give its place to a brand new lighthouse. Large pieces from the devotional statue and many smaller ones from the temple were used in the creation of the lighthouse. In the early Byzantine times, the island was used by monks, who engraved figures of saints and inscriptions in Latin on the walls of caves found on the west coast. Finally, the scenic chapel of Agios Nikolaos, patron of seamen, is located on the north of the island.

Today, the island is a haven for fishermen, away from the strong winds and rough seas of the Libyan Sea. In recent years, the wealth of its history and environment were discovered and studied. This knowledge and the natural beauty of the island are a gift to visitors who must respect and protect it.

Thus, the following are prohibited:

• Any kind of pollution,The collection of rocks, fossils, shells, ancient finds and plants’Catching animals

• Starting a fire, Any activity that will threaten the ecosystem and the archaeological site

• Pirate Ship times

Explore this incredible, untouched paradise with our Tour!

We will will return at  at Makrys Giallos at  17:15 we will depart for HERAKLEION with one stop at Agios Nikolaos for coffee  . Arrive in Herakleion Late in the evening.

INCLUDED

• Vip AIRCONDITIONED COACHES ( According to Covid PROTOCOLS)
• Guide
• Tickets to the PIRATE SHIP
• Taxes

NOT INCLUDED

• TIPS
• Lunch at the self service restaurant

NOTE:  not suitable for people with walking disabilities.

NOTE: SPECIAL PRICES FOR GROUPS ,

PLEASE EMAIL TO RESERVATIONS@LANDMARKS.GR FOR YOUR PRIVATE GROUP