5
listings found
Categories
Active filters:
Kournas lake
Crete's only natural freshwater body, this is a karstic lake in Apokoronas, Chania. Formed in a doline at the White Mountains' foothills, it is fed by underwater springs. A protected Natura 2000 site, its ecosystem includes native fish like the Sand Smelt and Freshwater Blenny, migratory European Eels, and the Balkan Terrapin. Introduced species like Mosquitofish and Goldfish, along with water abstraction for irrigation and potential pollution from tourism, pose threats to its delicate balance.
Fylaki, Apokoronas
Located in Apokoronas, Chania, at 100m altitude, this is a preserved settlement with roots in antiquity, evidenced by a Late Minoan tholos tomb (1370-1200 BC). The village was mentioned in Venetian records by Barozzi (1577) and Kastrofylakas (1583). Its name is believed to derive from Ottoman-era prisons, and remnants of these buildings still stand. Key sites include the historic 1930s Primary School. The local economy is based on agriculture and livestock farming.
Phylaki tholos tomb
A Late Minoan III (LM IIIA-IIIB) funerary monument in Apokoronas, West Crete, significant for understanding Postpalatial society after Knossos's decline. Excavated by Yiannis Tzedakis, this large tholos tomb features a rare rectangular chamber and a vertical lintel plaque, an architectural trait shared with the Malame tholos. Despite being partly looted, it contained rich grave goods reflecting elite status, including ivory carvings of a footstool and figures with unique almond-shaped eyes, and sixteen antique hard stone seals.
Georgioupoli, Apokoronas
A seaside tourist resort in the Apokoronas region of Chania, Crete, located 40 kilometers from Chania and 20 from Rethymno. The village sits on a plain at the estuaries of the Almyros and Perastikos rivers, with the former creating a notable lake biotope. Historically the site of the Roman city of Amphimalla, with evidence of Minoan habitation, the area also saw Venetian and Ottoman fortifications. Originally called Almyroupoli, it was renamed for Prince George. Today it is known for its long sandy beach, a central square with eucalyptus trees, a small harbor, and the iconic whitewashed chapel of Agios Nikolaos at the end of a long sea pier.
Kournas, Apokoronas
A mountain village in Apokoronas, Chania, at an altitude of 200 meters near Mount Dafnomadara. It served as the headquarters for the revolutionary government during the 1866 Cretan Revolution and the General Assembly in 1897. Landmarks include the Kournas Cave, the Byzantine Chapel of Agia Eirini (1362), and the Church of Agios Georgios from the late 12th century. The village is close to Lake Kournas, Crete's only natural freshwater lake, known in antiquity as Korisia and now a protected Natura 2000 area.