hKazantzakis Heraklion International Airport (airport code HER) is located 5 kilometers east of the city of Heraklion on the Greek Isle of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. The airport is the 2nd busiest in Greece after Athens International Airport with service to 5 million annual passengers using over 50 airlines. The local bus stop is a few minutes' walk from the terminal building. Taxis, hotel shuttles and rental cars are also available. The airport is named for the famed Cretan writer, Nikos Kazantzakis, who wrote Zorba the Greek. The city has several spellings including Heraclion, Irakion and Iraclion, so make sure all baggage tags have airport code HER for verification.