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Explorer Crete
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| Crete is one of the 13 regions into which Greece is divided. It forms the largest island in Greece and the second largest in the East Mediterranean, with a population of 650,000 (2005). The island has an elongated shape : it spans 260 km from east to west and 60 km at its widest, although the island is narrower at certain points, such as in the region close to Ierapetra , where it reaches a width of only 12 km. Crete covers an area of 8,336 km², with a coastline of 1046 km ; to the north it broaches the Sea of Crete (Greek: Κρητικό Πέλαγος) ; to the south the Libyan Sea ; in the west the Myrtoan Sea, and toward the east the Karpathion Sea. It lies approximately 160 km south of the Greek mainland. |
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| Crete is extremely mountainous, and its character is defined by a high mountain range crossing from West to East, formed by three different groups of mountains. These are: |
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- The White Mountains or Lefka Ori (2,452 m)
- The Idi range (Psiloritis (35.18° N 24.82° E) 2,456 m)
- The Dikti mountains (2,148 m)
- Kedros (1,777 m)
- Thripti (1,489 m)
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| The island of Crete is a periphery of Greece, consisting of four prefectures (Greek: νομοί): |
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| Chania - Chania town - Paleochora –Samaria |
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| Chania is a beautiful city. The most beautiful in Crete, one might even say in the whole of Greece. It is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania Prefecture. It lies along the north coast of the island, about 70 km west of Rethymno and 145 km west of Heraklion. You could say that Chania consists of two towns, the old and the new, which coexist in a harmonious whole. The new town embraces the old and spreads outwards ever wider. Its layout is fairly good near the centre and it’s easy to find your way around. Unfortunately this changes in the suburbs, where it’s easy to get lost. It is commonly observed that its is very easy to find your way into Chania but much harder to get out. Of course, you may not want to leave, as Chania is a city that will enchant you. The heart of Chania is still the old town, with its narrow, labyrinthine alleyways and listed buildings dating from different periods, where you can enjoy romantic strolls. Many of these buildings have been turned into small hotels, restaurants, shops or homes. |
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| Paleochora is a small town in Chania prefecture. Paleochora is located 77 km south of Chania, at the southwest coastline of Crete and it’s built on a small peninsula of 400m width and 700m length. The Libyan Sea wets its coasts of 11km length. It is the capital town of the municipality of Pelekanos, in the province of Selino and its population is 2.213 (2001 census source).
Palaiochora’s economy is based in tourism and in agriculture (mainly tomatoes cultivated in glass-houses and also the production of olive-oil). It is a relaxing holiday place since early 70’s, when it was a famous hippies’ center. Nowadays Paleochora is one of the fastest growing tourist towns Crete. Paleochora has crystal clear waters, well-organized beaches and beautiful isolated little anchorages. Visitors can find many hotels, restaurants, taverns, cafes, bars and nightclubs. Palaiochora has all the facilities such as bank branches, a post office, central telephone office, health centre, doctor offices, dentists, pharmacies, police station, coast guard and customs office and many kind of stores. There are ferry boats, connecting Paleochora with Sougia, Agia Roumeli, Loutro, Chora Sfakion and Gavdos. Paleochora is built on the ruins of the ancient city of Kalamydi. There are also many Byzantine churches in the area. |
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The Samariá Gorge is a national park on the island of Crete, and a major tourist attraction of the island.
It was created by a small river running between the White Mountains and Mt. Volakias. There are a number of other gorges in the White Mountains. While some say that the gorge is 18 km long, this distance refers to the distance between the settlement of Omalos on the northern side of the plateau and the village of Agia Roumeli. In fact, the gorge is 16km long, starting at an altitude of 1,250m at the northern entrance, and ending at the shores of the Libyan Sea in Agia Roumeli. The walk through Samaria National Park is 13 km long, but you have to walk another three km to Agia Roumeli from the park exit, making the hike 16 km. The most famous part of the gorge is the stretch known as the Iron Gates, where the sides of the gorge close in to a width of only four meters and soar up to a height of 500 m.
The village of Samariá lies just inside the gorge. It was finally abandoned by the last remaining inhabitants in 1962 to make way for the park. The village and the gorge take their names from the village's ancient church, Óssia María ["Saint Mary"].
A "must" for visitors to Crete is to complete the walk down the gorge from the Omalos plateau to Agia Roumeli on the Libyan Sea, at which point tourists sail to the nearby village of Hora Sfakion and catch a coach back to Chania. The walk takes 4-7 hours and can be strenuous, especially at the height of summer.
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| Heraklion - Heraklion town – Hersonissos – Malia - Matala - Knossos |
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Heraklion is the largest city and capital of Crete. It is also the fourth largest city in Greece. Its name is also spelled Herakleion, a transliteration of the ancient Greek and Katharevousa name, Ἡράκλειον, or Iraklio, among other variants. For centuries it was known as Candia, a Venetian adaptation of the earlier Greek name Χάνδαξ or Χάνδακας, which in turn came from the Arabic rabḍ al-ḫandaq. Under the Ottoman Empire, it was called Turkish: Kandiye). In the local vernacular, it is often called Κάστρο (Kástro, "castle") and its inhabitants Καστρινοί (Kastrinoí, "castle dwellers").
Heraklion is the capital of Heraklion Prefecture, with an international airport named after the writer Nikos Kazantzakis. The ruins of Knossos, which were excavated and restored by Arthur Evans, are nearby. |
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Limenas Chersonisou is a town in the north of Crete, on the Mediterranean. This community is about 25 kilometers east of Heraklion and west of Agios Nikolaos. What is usually called Hersonissos is in fact its peninsula and harbour. It is part of the Heraklion Prefecture just 25 klm from the Heraklion airport and 27 klm from the Heraklion port.
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Hersonissos is oriented towards tourism industry, and popular with Dutch, British and German nationals. At the end of it there are big hotels and the Star Beach with slides, bars, pools, games, bungie jump, go-karts, like a day time club. There is also a lot to do for children. In the main street there are many souvenir shops, as well as other shops and restaurants, some of which are near the sea. There is also a small aquarium called Aquaworld featuring local sea life and reptiles, which the children can hold. Nightlife is also important, and feature discos, clubs, bars and pubs. One can take a sight-seeing train that runs down the main street along the sea, and provides access to the surroundings of Chersonissos.
People who like to rest and sunbath on holiday can enjoy Hersonissos, for it has beautiful beaches, and excursions to other places on Crete can be made from here as well. Like many communities on Crete, the local economy is not only based on tourism, but also on agriculture. In the fall, when most of the tourists have left, many people normally employed in the tourism industry earn money with the olive harvest.
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Hersonissos after dark, near the Harbour |
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Mátala is een plaatsje aan de zuidkust van het Griekse eiland Kreta. Het ligt in het departement Iraklion, in de gemeente Timbaki, 75 kilometer ten zuidwesten van de stad Iraklion.
Matala, gelegen aan de baai van Messara, is vooral beroemd vanwege de krijtrotsen waarin in het Neolithicum talrijke holen zijn aangelegd. Tijdens de Minoïsche beschaving was het dorp de haven van het nabijgelegen Festos, tijdens de Romeinse Tijd werd het de haven van Gortys. In deze periode werden de holen gebruikt als graftombes.
Eind jaren zestig werd het tot dan toe rustige vissersplaatsje overspoeld door hippies die in de holen een thuis vonden. Onder hen waren beroemdheden als Joni Mitchell en Cat Stevens. Nadat later een grot instortte, waarbij één persoon om het leven kwam, werden de hippies uit Matala verjaagd en de holen gesloten. Tegenwoordig is Matala vooral een bestemming voor dagtoeristen die de holen willen bezichtigen.
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Knossos
Opgravingen daar hebben ons veel geleerd over de Minoïsche beschavingIn de negentiende eeuw werd vaak materiaal van een terrein even ten zuiden van de Kretenzische hoofdstad Iraklion gebruikt om huizen te bouwen in die stad. Vermoed werd dat op dat terrein de resten lagen van het kolossale Minoïsche paleis van Knossos. In 1878 vond Minos Kalokerinos het de moeite waard om eens te onderzoeken wat voor gebouw hier nou werkelijk had gestaan, voordat alle sporen door de huizenbouw waren uitgewist. Hij begon met opgravingen bij Knossos. Het werd al snel duidelijk dat hier een Minoïsch paleis had gestaan, waarschijnlijk het paleis van de legendarische koning Minos. Bij de opgravingen werd de westelijke vleugel van het paleis ontdekt. Men vond er veel aardewerk, vazen en kannen.
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| Lasithi - Agios Nicolaos – Lasithiplateau- Ierapetra - Vai |
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Lasithi is the easternmost prefecture on the island of Crete, to the east of the prefecture of Heraklion. Its capital is Agios Nikolaos, the other major towns being Ierapetra, Sitia and Neapoli. The mountains include the Dikte to the west and the Sitia Mountains to the east. The Sea of Crete lies to the north and the Libyan Sea to the south.
To the east of the village of Elounda lies the island of Spinalonga, formerly a Venetian fortress and a leper colony. On the foot of Mount Dikti lies the Lasithi Plateau, famous for its windmills. Vai is well-known for its datepalm forest.
Thanks to stunning beaches and its mild climate year-long, Lasithi attracts many tourists. Mass tourism is served by places like Vai, Agios Nikolaos and the island of Chrissi. More off-beat tourism can be found in villages on the south coast like Myrtos, Makrys Gialos or Makrigialos, Xerokambos and Koutsouras.
The prefecture is home to a number of ancient remains. Vasiliki, Fournu Korfi, Pyrgos, Zakros and Gournia are ruins of Minoan date, Lato and Itanos were Doric towns.
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Lasithi Plateau is a large , scenic plain located in the Lasithi prefecture in eastern Crete, Greece. It is approximately 70 km from Heraklion and lies at an average altitude of 840 m, which makes it one of the few permanently inhabited areas of such altitude around the Mediterranean.Winters can be very harsh and snow on the plain and surrounding mountains often persists until mid spring.
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Agios Nikolaos is the capital of the nomos (province) of Lasithi, and sits partially upon the ruins of the ancient city of Lato pros Kamara. Agios Nikolaos is probably best known as a tourist town that serves as a hub to the twenty or so small villages and farms that make up that part of Lassithi. Tourist attractions include the small lagoon Lake Voulismeni, small beaches in the town, the tiny island Agioi Pantes, the archaeological museum, the local flora exhibition “Iris” and numerous fairs. Tourism is mainly west European with Greek tourism concentrating in mid August. The lagoon features a small park with a trail, traditional fishing boats, ducks, pigeons, an amphitheatre and many cafès.
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Elounda is a small fishing town on the bay of Elounda, on the northern coast of the island.Elounda is also the closest major town to the former leper colony of Spinalonga, located on an island officially named Kalydon located at the entrance of the Bay of Elounda, a lake-like body of water enclosed by mainland Crete and the peninsula of Spinalonga Elounda is widely considered the "most luxurious resort" in Greece, due to the many 5-star hotels located south of town, set in their own grounds.
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Ierapetra. The town of Ierapetra is located on the south coast of Crete, along the beach of Ierapetra Bay. It lies south of Agios Nikolaos and southwest of Sitia and is an important regional centre. With its 15,400 inhabitants (2001) it is the most populous town in the prefecture of Lasithi, and the fourth town of Crete. Ierapetra is popularly known as the southernmost town of Europe, nicknamed "bride of the Libyan Sea" because of its position as only town on the south coast of Crete.
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Chrissi (Golden) or Gaidhouronisi (Donkey Island) is an uninhabited island some twelve kilometers off the coast of the town of Ierapetra. It is five kilometers long and on average one kilometer wide. The island's average height above sea level is ten meters; Kefala, the highest point of the island, is 31 meters above sea level. The island is renowned for its white beaches, sand dunes and forest of pines and junipers. The western tip of the island has some remains of past settlement: a few Minoan ruins and a 13th century chapel dedicated to Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas). It was inhabited into Byzantine times. The main sources of wealth were fishing, salt export, and the export of porphyra (Tyrian purple), a scarlet dye made from shells. After the Byzantine period the island was abandoned, although later it was used as a hideout.
Nowadays the island is protected as an "area of intense natural beauty". Especially in summer, the island attracts many tourists. As camping is forbidden on the island, only day trips are possible. Ferries leave the quay at Ierapetra daily at 10 A.M. and return at 5 P.M. Visitors are not allowed to roam freely over the island, but only on designated paths and some beaches close to the eastern tip of the island. There is a small tavern at the ferry landing. 700 meters to the east of Chrissi lies the rocky islet of Mikronisi (Small Island).
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The palm beach of Vai is one of the largest attractions of the Mediterranean island of Crete. It features the largest natural palm forest in Europe, made up of palm tree Phoenix Theophrastii.
For tourism Vai was discovered at the end of the 1970s by the last Hippies who fled the hot-spots Matala and Preveli. At the beginning of the 1980s Vai was full of backpacker tourists from the whole world, leading to a mixture of chaotic campground and garbage dump. Vai was enclosed and declared as a protected area. The unique forest recovered, the beach became clean.
The palm beach, which belongs to the Monastery Toplou, is the touristic center of East Crete, with thousands of visitors each year. Vai lies close to Palekastro and Sitia.
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| Rethymno - Rethymnon town – Spili - Preveli - Anogia |
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Rethymno, is a city of approximately 40,000 people, it is the capital of Rethymno Prefecture in the island of Crete. It was built in antiquity, even though it has never been a competitive Minoan center. It was, however, strong enough to mint its own coins and maintain a mild urban growth. One of these coins is today depicted as the crest of the town with two dolphins in a circle. The town still maintains its old aristocratic appearance, with its buildings dating from the 16th century, arched doorways, stone staircases, Byzantine and Hellenic-Roman remains, small Venetian harbor and narrow streets.
Sights :The Venetian Loggia, The Fortezza castle, Rithymna, Rimondi fountain, Neratzes mosque, Kara Mousa Pasa Mosque also a venetian monastery, Folklore & history museum, The Archaeological museum,
The municipal gardens are ideal for those in search of shade and tranquillity.
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Spili
Situated some 30km South of the town of Rethymno, and approximately in the middle of the island of Crete, Spili has everything for the visitor who wants to experience ''natural Crete''. Mount Vorizi which hovers over the town is impressive, but wait until you walk up the side streets of this village to be really impressed. The cobbled streets and flowering shrubs are a photographers dream. In the centre of the village is a Venetian fountain with a long row of 19 stone lions heads splashing welcome cool water into the trough below. Above this starts the climb through the beautifully quaint village streets with their flowered balconies, arches, and cobbles.
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Preveli the famous palm tree forest in Limni, Preveli
PREVELI. Preveli is famous for its palm beach and because of the monastery which was erected at the end of the 16th century. From Agia Galini daily boat trips are leaving from the harbour to go to Prevely. You can reach Prevely also by car, but then you have to walk down the mountain from the parking place near the monastery. Since they made stairs to walk down its save to do so. The view is gorgeous, its a fascinating place, which you really must visit if you have the opportunity. If you want to visit the monastery, please note thet you wear descent clothes.
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