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By plane.....
During summer time the airport of Heraklion (the main city of the island of Crete) is well connected with most of the European countries through daily flights.
The classic way to reach Crete (if direct flights are unavailable) is with a stop-over to the Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (ATH).
The traditional greek airlines Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines have daily flights between Athens and Heraklion (50 minutes) almost every hour, links for making online reservations are available on the "Flights to Crete" page. But please pay attention to Saturdays and Sundays because often the places available on domestic flights in Greece are quite difficult to find.
From Athens there is also a three times a week flight to the city of Sitia (Monday, Thursday and Saturday) which is only at 50 minutes drive from Xerocampos but the flight departs from Athens at about 09.50 am and this means for most people the need to overnight in Athens.
By ferry ....
From the Port of Piraeus (Athens) you will find Minoan Lines, Anek Lines and Superfast Ferries which connect to the ports of Heraklion or Chanià in Crete (9 hours of crossing in both cases). These domestic route tickets can also be booked on the "Ferries Info" page.
In past years there was also the possibility of embarking on the Ro-Pax Prevelis (company Aigaion Pelagos of the Anek group) which operated the Piraeus - Milos - Santorini - Heraklion - Sitia - Kassos - Karpathos - Rhodes route .... a small cruise in the Mediterranean! However, with very slow rhythms .... since the Piraeus/Sitia section alone requires 20 hours of navigation and the Sitia/Rhodes another 11 hours.
For 2020 this service has not yet been confirmed .... the update of the timetable is normally communicated not before the end of March.
Once in Crete .....
For those who want to reach Xerocampos the most suitable arrival on the island is that of Heraklion; once you have landed at Nikos Katsantsakis airport (HER) or disembarked at the port, you will have various travel options.
The cheapest is the public bus (modern and comfortable, equipped with air conditioning and here called "leoforìo") run by Ktel company which you will find in the square in front of the airport or on the avenue in front of the Port and which in 3½ hours will take you to Sitia at a cost of 18 euros per person.
From Sitia you can then take a taxi, which you will find close to the central bus station and which will take you to Xerocampos in 50 minutes (at a cost of about 70 euros).
Another mean of transportation (always from Heraklion airport) is a direct taxi that will take you to Xerocampos in 2½ hours (traffic permitting) at a cost of about 270 euros.
More practical, however, given the Cretan distances, is to rent a car and find it ready and available on your arrival, with great convenience, and with prices as per the tables attached on the "Car rental in Crete" page.
In this case the shortest road is, at the exit from the airport on the left, the New National Road in direction Agios Nikolaos and once there at the first traffic light you have to turn right direction Sitia.
After passing the ring road of Agios Nikolaos on the right you will take the new state road for a stretch of about 10 kilometers up to Istro where you will return to the old coastal state road that will take you to Pahia Ammos; immediately after this village you will have to turn right in the direction of Ierapetra reaching the south coast after 14 kilometers.
To avoid entering the town of Ierapetra, about two hundred meters before the traffic light that signals the beginning of the city, there is a crossroads on the left which takes a small bypass road which leads directly to the south coast road.
Follow this road for about 29 kilometers through various villages such as Koutsounari, Ferma, Agios Panteleimonas (with its beautiful church) and then by the new Makrigialos bypass road you will proceed to the left inland towards Lithines and here after about 5 kilometers, just before Papagiannades, you will find a crossroads that on the right will take you to Etià (known for its Venetian villa and ghost village).
Afterwards you will find Armeni (which you will leave on your right without entering the village), you will pass through Handràs (unmistakable landmark with its wind farm) that you will keep on your left going to the right for another 4 kilometers until you cross the center of Ziros.
After Ziros you will continue straight past the entrance of the military radar base in the direction of Hametoulo (small and semi abandoned traditional village) to reach the last 15 kilometers of splendid and winding panoramic road that completes the journey and leads to the valley and the beaches of Xerocampos.
WARNING! Fill up on petrol in the stretch of the southern coast between Koutsounari and Agios Panteleimonas because you will not meet after other gasoline stations.
In the valley of Xerocampos there are no possibilities for refueling and the nearest petrol station is 10 kilometers away in the village of Zakros.
The shortest way Heraklion Airport - Xerocampos