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The district of Apokoronas in the north-eastern corner of the Chania
prefecture and at the foot of the White Mountains is one of the greenest
regions of Crete and contains some interesting sights, such as Lake
Kournas, the island's only freshwater lake, picturesque villages
and small beach resorts.
Aptera
The ruins of
ancient Aptera are located on a hill above the bay of Souda. Founded
in the 7th century BC, Aptera was one of the largest city states in Crete
and was continuously inhabited until an earthquake destroyed it in the 7th
century AD.
A monastery was established there in the 12th century.
Most of this very large site has not been excavated yet but you can see impressive
Roman cistern, a Greek temple, various other buildings and massive defensive
walls. At the north-western end there is a Turkish fortress with superb views
of Souda bay.
The archaeological site of Aptera is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8 am to 2.30
pm and entrance is free.
Kalives, Almirida and Plaka
Located
on the coast in the Souda bay, Kalives is a large village with a
nice sandy beach and has been attracting more and more tourists in
the last few years. Most of it is fairly low key and you still get
the sense that you are in a Cretan village.
A little further to the east, Almirida has seen a number of tourist developments
as well. Its sandy beach with shallow waters make it a good destinations for
families with small children. Above Almirida, the small village of Plaka offers
stunning views of the Souda bay and the White Mountains.
Georgioupolis and Lake Kournas
The
small village of Georgioupolis, at the eastern end of the district
of Apokoronas, used to be a sleepy little fishing village but its
long (9 km) sandy beach is seeing a massive development in hotels.
Lake Kournas is located 3 km inland from Georgioupolis at the foot
of the mountain and is the only freshwater lake in the whole of
Crete. This makes it a popular "exotic" weekend
destination for the Cretans. The landscape in Kournas, especially if you pick
a grey day, is reminiscent of a mountain lake in the Alps and you loose the
sense of being on Crete. Unusual!
Vamos
Vamos is the capital of the district. In 1995 a group of villagers started
a project to preserve the traditional way of life of Vamos. With funds from
the European Union, they started a project to showcase the crafts and products
of the region and restored old stone buildings using traditional materials
and crafts and turned them into guest houses.
Vrysses
Vrysses (or
Vrisses) is a new village dating back to 1925. It is located on the
road which links the north coast with Sfakia. There is not much to
do in Vrysses but the rivers that flow through its centre make it
a nice place to escape the summer heat, in the shade of the giant
plane trees. Vrysses is also famous for its excellent yoghurt.
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