The small horseshoe harbour at the eastern end of town is the one corner of Hersonissos that still looks like Crete rather than a resort strip. A short stone breakwater shelters the working fishing fleet — perhaps thirty boats in bright reds and blues — and a line of tavernas along the quay serve grilled fish landed that morning. Look for a board-of-the-day rather than a menu.
The harbour is also the departure point for the small boat trips that run out to nearby beaches, to the islet of Dia opposite, and for the cruises to Spinalonga and Agios Nikolaos in the east. From late afternoon the quayside fills with locals out for a stroll; the sunset over the water, with the Lasithi mountains backlit, is the prettiest free thing in town.