We use cookies
We use cookies to keep the site working, remember your language, and — only with your permission — understand how visitors use the site and measure our advertising. Read our Cookie Policy.
Best months
Spring & autumn
Suits
Families to keen anglers
Difficulty
Easy options up
Top catch
Amberjack · dentex
Typical
Half-day, mornings
From
€120 pp
Licence
Included
FIND YOUR TRIP
Tell us who is coming, and we will point you at the right boat.
You want a relaxed trip that works for kids and first-timers.
You will likely catch: Sargos, bream and pandora
You have fished before and want the rod to bend.
You will likely catch: Amberjack and dentex
You are happy heading out at dawn to troll offshore.
You will likely catch: Bonito and albacore
You care about the experience and the lunch more than the catch count.
You will likely catch: A wooden caïque, and your catch on the table
BOOK A TRIP
Real boats with local operators. Every trip includes the gear, and the operator's licence covers everyone aboard.
Trips are ordered by our recommendation. Ranking is never paid placement.
Board a traditional fishing boat from a Cretan fishing village, learn hands-on fishing techniques from a local fisherman, swim in a sheltered bay, and finish with an onboard meal of your fresh catch. Two daily sessions run from April to November along the Heraklion coastline.
A 6-hour private boat cruise departing at 15:00 from the Heraklion area, stopping at Spinalonga Island and Kolokytha Beach for swimming and snorkeling. The trip includes fishing with crew guidance and a full BBQ dinner with wine or beer served at sunset.
WHEN TO GO
Heraklion fishes all year. Here is how the season actually moves, and what that means for the month you are looking at.
Right now, in August
High summer and the windiest stretch. Early starts for offshore tuna and bonito; the reefs stay reliable all day.
THE CATCH
Ροφός (rofos)
Best: Late spring to summer
Where: Rocky reefs and bottom
Συναγρίδα (synagrida)
Best: Spring to autumn
Where: Reefs and drop-offs
Μαγιάτικο (magiatiko)
Best: May to autumn
Where: Deeper structure
Σαργός (sargos)
Best: All year
Where: Rocky inshore ground
Τσιπούρα (tsipoura)
Best: All year
Where: Inshore reefs
Παλαμίδα (palamida)
Best: Summer to autumn
Where: Open water, trolling
Τόνος (tonos)
Best: Summer
Where: Offshore
Καλαμάρι (kalamari)
Best: Late summer to winter
Where: Reef edges, evenings
Λυθρίνι (lithrini)
Best: Spring
Where: Mixed and reef bottom
PLAN YOUR DAY
Everything worth knowing before you book, in a few seconds of skimming.
The easiest way to land your first Cretan fish, over the reefs in the Gulf of Heraklion.
Lures towed offshore for fast surface fish. Best at first light and at dusk.
Metal lures worked over structure for powerful fish. Active and physical.
On a single breath, with no scuba. Closed for the whole of May while groupers spawn.
Fish the way Cretans have for generations, with a local fisherman. The experience over the catch count.
“A wooden caïque with a local fisherman is the one trip an aggregator cannot put in a catalogue.”
Mornings are calmest. The summer meltemi north wind builds through the afternoon, so boats leave early.
No personal licence needed. The operator holds the licence that covers everyone aboard.
Calm-water bottom fishing suits children and complete beginners.
Cook your catch is common, but it depends on the operator, so check when you book.
Most trips run from the Venetian harbour. On windier days, boats favour sheltered Agia Pelagia.
More often than not, the day ends with your own catch on the table, over a long Cretan lunch.
See the tripsQUESTIONS
No. On a guided trip the operator holds the fishing licence that covers everyone aboard, so you can simply turn up and fish.
Spring and autumn give the calmest seas and the most variety, while summer is peak season for bonito and tuna offshore. The fishing holds up all year, and mornings are usually the calmest time on the water.
Yes. Calm-water bottom fishing in particular suits children and complete first-timers, and crews are used to teaching everything from baiting a hook to landing the catch.
It depends on the season. The reefs hold grouper, dentex, sea bream and pandora through much of the year, while bonito and tuna run offshore in summer. Large tuna are protected and cannot be kept.
Often yes, and many trips will cook your catch on board or at a harbour taverna. This varies from operator to operator, so check when you book. Some species, such as large tuna, are protected from recreational fishing.
Most trips leave from the harbours around Heraklion, including the Venetian harbour, and reach the grounds of the Gulf of Heraklion, Agia Pelagia and the island of Dia within a short run.
