How to Get Here

Takis Shelter is located on the island of Crete, near the town of Ierapetra (pronounced “ee-rah’-peh-truh”).

To reach Ierapetra you will need to:

  • First, travel to Heraklion, Crete, either by plane (40 minutes from Athens) or ferry (8 hours from Athens)

  • Then drive or take the bus to Ierapetra (~1.5 hours from Heraklion).

Heraklion is a large international airport, with many direct charter flights from European cities such as:

Paris, Stockholm, Geneva, Hamburg, Moscow, Prague, Vienna, Rome, Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin, Milan, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Marseille, Brussels, Zurich, London, Dusseldorf, Bristol, Lyon, Manchester, Birmingham, Warsaw, Rotterdam, Frankfurt, Dublin, Cologne, and many more.

Airlines that fly to Heraklion (HER):

Aegean airlines, Olympic airlines, Sky Express, Ellinair, Transavia, Air France, Lufthansa, EasyJet, British Airways, SWISS, Nordwind, Lauda, SmartWings, Austrian, Eurowings, TUIfly, Blue Bird Airways, Condor, SunExpress Deutschland, Ryanair, Finnair, Volotea, Aeroflot, Edelweiss Air, KLM, Jet2, Neos, Eurowings, Iberia, Thomas Cook Airlines, Vueling, and many others.

There is also an airport in Chania (CHQ), but it is a 4 hour drive from Ierapetra.

Before you book your tickets — ask the airline if they transport animals in the flight that you are taking. Not all airlines take animals in all of their flights.

If you are planning to adopt

We recommend using one of these airlines for transporting pets: Aegean, Olympic, Transavia, and Finnair. Be sure to complete the Adoption Application form before you book your travel.

Where to Stay

Crete is a major tourist destination, so you will find many types of accommodations in and around Ierapetra. You can find anything from “rooms to let” starting at €25 per night, to five-star hotels.

Here is a list of the hotels in or near Ierapetra. If you are planning to adopt, be sure to ask if the hotel is pet-friendly!

You can also find accommodations on AirBnB in the vicinity of Ierapetra. Takis Shelter is located in the hillsides above town, approximately five-minute drive by car, so everything is very close.

Visiting the Shelter

Click here to learn more about your visit.

Agia Fotia Beach, Ierapetra

 
 
“Every perfect traveler always creates the country where he travels.”
— Nikos Kazantzakis