Zominthos was the surprise nominee when minoan palatial centres were inscribed in summer 2025. Greece had hesitated for years on that nomination between a single site (Cnossos) or a group of five, but Zominthos was never discussed I believe. It wasn’t even mentioned in any of my guide books, and for a good reason : it was only opened to visitors since mid of 2025. Thus visiting it became one of our main goals while staying in Heraklion in November 2025.

Zominthos is up in the Psiloris (Ida) mountain, set at 1200 m above see level. From Heraklion, it is a one hour drive on winding, narrow roads that stretch for (only) around 50 kilometres, on the road to the “Zeus cave”. I emailed the Ephorate of Antiquities in Rethymno a week before to confirm the opening days and hours and we eventually visited on a Sunday (open 9 to 15 on that day, closed on Mondays). It is completely fenced and you would see nothing from the outside if you came on a day when it is closed. The only facilities on site are a car park, a ticket booth and toilets.

It is the smallest of the six inscribed areas of the serial property and could be toured in less than 30 minutes. Why then did we enjoy it so much that we stayed there for more than twice that time ? The setting in the mountain is gorgeous, away from any village or main road. You hear nothing but the birds and sheep around. It was a bright day, with mild temperature (25°C) ; even during summer it may never get too hot. Only the central part of the palace has been discovered, but the walls are tall (up to 2 m) and all rooms are accessible so you can roam as you wish (kids told me : this looks much more like a labyrinth than Cnossos – that we had visited the day before). We were the only visitors, still the guardian gave us a warm welcome and a nice brochure. Finally, the visit is free of charge ! No grand building or esplanade here, but plenty of opportunities to look for details : old stairs, doorsteps, oven, etc.

While staying in Heraklion, we additionally (and obviously) visited Cnossos and Phaistos (note that nearby Malia is closed at least till the end of year 2025). Phaistos was voted the best of these three sites by the members of our family. Still the “reconstructions” by Evans in Cnossos help to understand what such palaces may have looked like and could even be seen as the latest step of the site history (a testimony of archaeology at the beginning of 20th century !). Small Zominthos proudly stands next to them on the Unesco list to demonstrate that there were palaces of different sizes, in different settings : not only by the sea but far inland and up mountains as well. This helped provide a unique and inclusive experience to visitors.