As some of you may remember, the first image I chose for the opening of Culture Crossroads project was that of a sunrise. Ironically, it was another sunrise, again from Crete, that made me consider taking pictures of things around me.
The year was 2009 and I was only 17 years old, I didn't even know what to do with that Canon Powershot I had. And then it happened - I was presented with this wonderful sunrise:
It was a wonderful image - as one fellow photographer said - you only need to be there and have something that can take images with you.
It is still one of my favourite images, despite the obvious technical deficiencies. But I'm not going to talk about this.
If I have to be honest - I HATE getting up early. So much so, that the only images of sunrises I have in my portfolio are taken either in winter, when the sun rises my later OR when I was really ill (and couldn't sleep) OR when I had to get off the ferry.
That leads to the main topic of this very first post - transportation and mainly, what is the best way to get to Crete.
Since it is an island, you obvously have only two choices - by sea OR by air. In this post I will try to show you that, despite the plane being the quicker choice, you should choose the ship instead.
Why the ferry?
If you are used to the convenience of plane travel, you'd probably think of me as an idiot for proposing you to embark a ship and ride with it for 9 hours at night to get to Crete at sunrise. And that's only because you have never been aboard a Greek vessel. My father loves to say that Greeks are born on ships which is the reason they are so perfect at navigating anything that floats.
In a country consisting of islands only, having a boat is the equivalent of having a car. More often than not you need a ferry to go to school, work or even to the doctor. Sea is integral part of the Greek culture and as a culture trekker (as you are, I'm sure) and not a mere tourist who came for the all-inclusive at the big resorts you just need to get acquainted with that fact. Here is why you need a ferry.
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| While us, mainlanders flock to see the disappearing lights of Athens, locals talk on the phone, saying when they will be back or do some work on electronic devices - to them that ferry is like the bus to us. |
A plane will take you from Athens to Iraklio (the capital of the island where all international flights land) in less than two hours (I think) but you will miss the experience of being on board of a Greek ferry. And yes, you need a big ferryboat to experience it fully - small boats are, well, small.
The ferries that go to Crete though are floating cities. Being aboard is a whole new experience, especially if you, like me, come from the mainland and the closest seashore in your country is roughly 500 kilometers away.
The ferry experience:
Nothing compares to this, trust me. Imagine having to board a ship as if taken out of this movie - Das Tramushiff (in case you don't know it, it's a German series about a cruise ship and the locations it visits). OK, now imagine having to board a ship that is twice as big and luxurious!
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| Another ship at the port of Piraeus - this one is medium to small-sized. |
The first time I had to board a ferry was in 2009 and the funny story of that voyage can be found here: Crete Chasing the Minoans, part 1
Long story short - imagine a ship that is both a cruiser and a cargo one. The garages - several decks of them - are full of trucks and cars which enter the ship and are arranged according to a scheme. A person at the entrance will tell you where and how to park. Only the driver will enter the garage - all passengers have to take out ANY luggage they'd like to take with them on board BEFORE the car is parked there. Why? Because cars are parked very close to one another - around 20 centimeters away from each other - to avoid damage due to rough seas. Then, after the departure, the garage is locked and all cars are chained to the deck floor. Garage opens on the next morning when you have to disembark. Disembarkation is very quick - trucks go out first since they are too big and cars go next. Again, only the driver will go in. All passengers will have to exit the ship the way they entered it - through the passenger entrance.
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| The insides of the ferry - I told you it looks like a hotel or a cruise ship. |
Ferry tickets resemble plane tickets - they have your names on them, your ID number, the dates and the ports from-to you travel and the name of the vessel. That may sound like obvious BUT imagine being at Piraeus where the whole place is just one gigantic port with huge ferries and cruisers all over the place, leaving for destinations across the globe. You can get lost very easily since there are around 20 gates - each gate goes for different destination. At the gate, there are normally around 5 or 6 ships, all leaving for that particular place so you need to know how your vessel is called to get on it.
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| Gate E3 that goes fro Crete - the sign is showing which ships depart at what time for where - with names of the vessel and time of departure. Pic taken from the highway that goes around Piraeus. |
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| Speaking of embarkation of trucks - here we are. This is another ferry, traveling to Crete. This image is from 2009 and is taken from the top deck of our ferry. As you can see, this one looks a bit small. The name of the vessel, Knossos Palace, is written at the sides of it and at the back. Same goes for the port it is registered at. Ships also have numbers, like the registration plates on cars. |
When the ship leaves the shore, the real experience begins. If you choose to sleep in a cabin - which I highly recommend because you have 9 hours ahead of you and that at night so not much to do - you will be lead to the door through the tangled scheme of the deck. Each deck has a scheme, showing you how to navigate but usually you need to get it wrong a few times to get used to it.
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| Top deck of one of the ferries. Things on the left are lifeboats (don't freak out, just a precaution). To get to this you should use the doors - the one with the yellow rectangle in front of it and follow the scheme. Only top deck has outside access on this ferry, each ferry differs. |
On ferries that got for Crete, reception, restaurants and shops (duty-free by the way) are always at deck 7. Garage decks are usually 2, 3 and 4. In some ferries you even have elevators to navigate between the decks.
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| The wardrobe in the cabin - again from 2009, since then I've gotten used to it and now I just check if they are there. The ladder serves to those who choose to sleep on the upper bed. |
The cabin is usually narrow. I really mean narrow - what is scarce on a ship is space so you'll be squeezed in - two beds on one side, one atop of another and two on the other, a wardrobe full of life jackets (don't freak out, Greek ferries are secure but life jackets are a must). There is a small table, glasses and, of course - a bathroom of your own. The toilet works with vacuum so you should NEVER EVER THROW ANYTHING IN THERE. Serious damage may follow. Windows, if you have one (window cabins are more expensive BUT the view is worth it) cannot open but the air conditioning works 24/7. Don't turn it off, even if you feel cold. Without it, you'll feel stuffy.
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| This is why you need a window - this is taken at disembarkation at Iraklo port. |
You can do almost anything on the ferry - you have WiFi, there is TV and phone connection - the ferry is a traveling cell of phone operators - there are restaurants and you can stay at the upper deck and enjoy the view of the mainland disappearing. I love to do the latter and take pictures of the port :)
Shops and restaurants close at 11 p.m. to let you get some sleep because disembarkation starts at 5.30 or 6.00 a.m. and you don't have much time to fuss. Actually, the distance between Crete and the mainland is not that big BUT as a friend of mine (a Greek who was a sea captain all his life) told me "You will arrive at Iraklio at 3 a.m. - what will you do then?". So ships stay anchored at sea for two or three hours, waiting for the right time to come. Ferries usually travel together - for example, those which all go to Crete may leave Piraeus at different times but at sea will sail so that they see each other and are close enough. This is done because the waterways are marked - like the highways on the mainland AND because the other ferries are the only ones that could help in case of an emergency. (again, don't freak out, this is just a precaution.)
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| Tourists take pics of the huge ferry parking. Locals don't care and the crew of our ferry is on top deck giving advice to their colleagues. |
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| This is how big a ferry can get - use the cars and the person to get the sense of scale of this thing. Usually ferries can carry around 1700 people and around 800 cars. This one can carry around twice that much. Imagine having to paralel park this! |
Getting in and out of ports is a serious business - even if it is a small port - you have to be given a way by the coastguard. A coastguard boat navigated the ship inside the port to its assigned 'parking place'. In big ports, such as Piraeus, things get even more complicated with vessels coming in and out at any time and only one entrance and exit. Ships wait outside the port to be given 'corridor' and escort to the gate. Navigating through all the gates of Pirsaeus takes around 45 minutes. Parking can also be tricky since you have a small space and a big ship. One of the ferries was so big that crew from the surrounding ferries came out on top decks to shout out 'parking advice'. Yet, that enormous ship parked as if it was as small as a Mini Cooper :)
Why are ships so important and why, after all, you should choose a ferry over the convenience of the plane?
Having said all I know about ferries, here are some straightforward reasons why should use the ferry:
- Greeks are a maritime culture - you simply CANNOT feel the culture without ever boarding a Greek ship
I always admire the skill with which they go about their duties and how they manage to navigate the vessel. I come from Bulgaria (and Bulgarians are more of dry land people, not sea people) so to me being aboard is like being part of a ritual.
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| Top deck and another life boat - being aboard is a unique experience! |
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| Again the top deck. |
- Being aboard gives you some time to relax and re-tune for the experience that is to come.
Most people come to Crete to take a rest so those 9 hours aboard are great fro re-programming your clock and relaxing in a totally different atmosphere.
- Crete is a big island and you need a car to go around it.
This, of course applies if you want to take your own car with you - the ferry will cost more but at least you will know what you're driving. Crete is a big island and distances are huge thanks to the five mountains on the island. If you want to see the sights, you will surely need a car. Why not take your own with you?
- Sailing the Mediterranean and arriving on Crete the way the ancients did it - by sea - is unforgettable.
To me, there's no better way to come to Crete because you have the opportunity to arrive with the new day and see the big city of Iraklo (or Chania, or any other big city on the north coast of the island where ferries from the mainland come) awaken for new life. The sights at sunrise is amazing and at some point, you feel part of the culture, not an intruder but just a guest.
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| Sunrise at Iraklio port - why I managed to take this stunning (in my opinion) shot? Because I was fresh off the ferry and had the opportunity to be at the right time at the right place! |
