Heraklion International Airport (Nikos Kazantzakis) to Agia Pelagia
Agia Pelagia is about 25 km west of Heraklion Airport. Cheapest is city bus 1 plus the KTEL Agia Pelagia coach (about €3–4.50, few departures); fastest is a taxi or booked car, roughly 30 minutes.
Agia Pelagia is a cove resort on the far side of Heraklion from the airport, a half-hour drive west along the Rethymno road. The bus route works but needs two buses and a careful look at KTEL's timetable, which thins out sharply from 26 October. Taxis and booked cars cost around €35–45 and go straight to hotels spread across several bays.
How far is Agia Pelagia from Heraklion International Airport (Nikos Kazantzakis)?
Agia Pelagia is 25 km (16 miles) from Heraklion International Airport (Nikos Kazantzakis) by road, about 30 min by car outside rush hour. In a straight line it is 19 km. By public transport, City bus 1 + KTEL Heraklion–Agia Pelagia takes about 1h 15m including a change and costs €3.2.
Every way to get there
Our verdict: City bus 1 + KTEL Heraklion–Agia Pelagia is the cheapest way at €3.2 (1h 15m, with a change on the way). A taxi from €35 saves roughly 45 min and takes you to the door. Timetable: Summer: 08:45, 10:30, 12:00, 14:15, 17:30, 19:30, 22:15 · From 26 Oct (Mon–Fri): 08:45, 10:30, 12:00, 14:15, 22:15.
What it costs for your group
The bus / shuttle is charged per person, while a taxi is one price for the whole car — so the more of you there are, the better door-to-door value looks.
| Group | Bus / shuttle (per person) | Taxi (per car) | Best value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo · 1 traveller | €3.2 | €35 | Bus / shuttle |
| Couple · 2 travellers | €6.4 | €35 | Bus / shuttle |
| Family of 4 · 4 travellers | €13 | €35 | Bus / shuttle |
Which option should you choose?
| If your priority is… | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | City bus 1 + KTEL Heraklion–Agia Pelagia | From €3.2, about 1h 15m, with a change on the way. |
| Speed | Heraklion Airport official taxis | 30 min and door-to-door, from €35. |
| A group of 4 | City bus 1 + KTEL Heraklion–Agia Pelagia | Four tickets still come to about €12.8 — less than a car. |
| A late-night arrival | Taxi or pre-booked transfer | City bus 1 + KTEL Heraklion–Agia Pelagia stops overnight — timetable: Summer: 08:45, 10:30, 12:00, 14:15, 17:30, 19:30, 22:15 · From 26 Oct (Mon–Fri): 08:45, 10:30, 12:00, 14:15, 22:15. |
By transport mode
Bus / shuttle
City bus ~€1.20 at a kiosk (more on board); KTEL fare not published, estimated €2–3. Long gaps between coaches.
Where to catch it: City bus 1 outside arrivals to Heraklion; KTEL coach from Bus Station A.
Times: Summer: 08:45, 10:30, 12:00, 14:15, 17:30, 19:30, 22:15 · From 26 Oct (Mon–Fri): 08:45, 10:30, 12:00, 14:15, 22:15
Best for solo & budget travellersTaxi
Estimate based on fixed rates for a similar distance (Hersonissos €35–45); confirm the Agia Pelagia price before departure. Night supplement 01:00–05:00.
Where to catch it: Rank outside arrivals.
Times: 24/7
Best for small groups in a hurryPrivate transfer
Firm price before you fly (~€35 sedan, ~€43 premium for 2026), tolls included; useful on steep hotel access roads.
Where to catch it: Arrivals hall, then straight to the named hotel on its cove.
Times: 24/7
Best for families, groups & late arrivalsAgia Pelagia & Heraklion in photos
Buying tickets in Heraklion
Heraklion is served by KTEL city buses (lines including 6, 11 and 12) from the stop just outside Arrivals to the central bus station, roughly 15-20 minutes. A ticket costs about €1.60 from the kiosk or vending machine at the airport, or around €2.50 if bought from the driver onboard, so buy before boarding to save money. Machines take cash and card; keep small change for onboard purchases. Keep your ticket for inspection during the ride.
Taxi scams & safety in Heraklion
Use the official taxi rank outside the terminal and confirm the fare or that the meter is running before you set off; agree a price in advance for fixed destinations to avoid haggling on arrival. Decline unsolicited offers from drivers approaching inside the hall. Watch for extra luggage charges added at the end. Greece bans private-car ride-hailing, so there is no UberX here; taxi-dispatch apps only summon licensed metered cabs, and metered fares are honest when the meter is used.
Getting from HER to Agia Pelagia
West, not east
Most of Heraklion's resort traffic heads east towards Hersonissos and Malia. Agia Pelagia goes the other way: it is a small resort on a sheltered cove about 25 km west of the airport, reached by crossing Heraklion and taking the national road towards Rethymno before dropping down to the sea. Around the main bay are smaller coves with hotels of their own (Psaromoura, the Peninsula, Blue Bay, Out of the Blue). A booking aggregator estimates the drive at about 26 minutes; allow more in Heraklion's rush hours, because the route goes through or around the city.
Two buses and a timetable to respect
No bus runs directly from the airport. The public route is city bus line 1 from outside arrivals into Heraklion, then the KTEL Heraklion–Lasithi service from Bus Station A to Agia Pelagia. The city bus costs about €1.20 from a kiosk (more if you buy on board) and runs frequently through the day.
Bus Station A is near the harbour on the east side of the old town, and the Agia Pelagia departures leave from the same complex as the coastal coaches. Give yourself time to find the right bay and buy a ticket; at peak times the ticket hall is busy with people heading east to the resorts, and the Agia Pelagia bus is one of the less frequent services on the board.
The Agia Pelagia coach is the part to plan around. On the summer timetable that runs until 25 October 2026, KTEL lists seven daily departures from Heraklion to the Agia Pelagia beach stop: 08:45, 10:30, 12:00, 14:15, 17:30, 19:30 and 22:15. The same buses serve Kapsis, Blue Bay and the Panorama village stop. The ride itself is short, but if you miss one you may wait two hours or more. We could not find the fare published by KTEL; an aggregator estimates €2–3, so carry a few euros in coins.
The winter timetable from 26 October
From 26 October 2026 KTEL switches to a reduced schedule. Heraklion departures to the A10 Agia Pelagia beach stop drop to 08:45, 10:30, 12:00, 14:15 and 22:15 on weekdays, and 08:45, 10:30, 12:00 and 22:15 at weekends, with an extra 17:30 run to the Seaside stop. That leaves a long afternoon and evening gap. Anyone landing between mid-afternoon and late evening in the off-season should look at a taxi or a booked car rather than waiting at the bus station for the 22:15.
Taxis and booked cars
The official taxi rank is outside arrivals. Crete Direct's 2026 airport guide says airport taxis use fixed rates and gives €15–20 for central Heraklion and €35–45 for Hersonissos, which is a similar distance in the other direction; it does not list Agia Pelagia, so ask the driver for the price before you go, and expect a 25–30% supplement between 01:00 and 05:00.
Pre-booked transfers give a firm number up front. One aggregator quoted a standard sedan at about €35 and a premium sedan at about €43 for a July 2026 arrival, tolls included. Agia Pelagia's hotels are spread over several coves on steep access roads, and a booked driver going to a named hotel saves a hike from the bus stop with luggage.
Late landings
The last coach from Bus Station A is the 22:15, all year. A flight landing much after 21:00 leaves very little margin once you add the city bus, so a taxi or transfer is the practical answer. After midnight, the taxi's night supplement makes a pre-booked transfer, priced the same at any hour, look better.
Small details that help
- Tell the KTEL driver which stop you need (beach, Kapsis, Peninsula, Blue Bay, Seaside); they are separate stops.
- Buy the city bus ticket at the kiosk before boarding to avoid the on-board surcharge.
- If you are hiring a car anyway, collecting it at the airport makes sense: the coves and the road west to Fodele are much easier with your own wheels.
- Coming back, the same KTEL buses run from Agia Pelagia into Heraklion, but leave plenty of time for the city bus out to the airport, which shares the road with rush-hour traffic.
HER to Agia Pelagia — FAQ
How far is Agia Pelagia from Heraklion Airport?
What is the cheapest way to Agia Pelagia?
What is the fastest way?
How much is a taxi from Heraklion Airport to Agia Pelagia?
How often does the Agia Pelagia bus run?
When is the last bus?
What should I do if I land late?
Sources
Fares and times on this page were last held against their official sources on 21 October 2026. Operators change prices without notice — if you spot a difference, the operator’s own page is the authority. How we check fares.
- KTEL Heraklion–Lasithi timetables (coastal line, Agia Pelagia, Analipsi hotel services) · checked 2026-10-21
- Crete Direct — Heraklion Airport guide 2026 (taxi fixed rates, night surcharge, city bus line 1) · checked 2026-10-21
- Greeka — KTEL buses in Heraklion (urban zone fares, on-board surcharge) · checked 2026-10-21
- KTEL Heraklion–Lasithi — Agia Pelagia timetable valid from 2 Jul 2026 · checked 2026-10-21
- KTEL Heraklion–Lasithi — Agia Pelagia timetable valid from 26 Oct 2026 · checked 2026-10-21
- Airport Taxi Transfers — Heraklion Airport to Agia Pelagia quotes · checked 2026-10-21
- Rome2rio — Agia Pelagia bus fare estimate · checked 2026-10-21
