Agia Galini, south crete

Agia Galini is a very beautiful old fishing village, built on a steep slope. The picturesque houses and streets have been preserved its charm. The village consists of narrow alleys and stairs, cafes, bars and shops. In the lower part of town is the port and the main square with many restaurants and taverns.
Make a boat trip to Preveli or relax on a fishing-trip!
From the port, a path leads along the cliff and a small palm grove to the beach. An old bridge leading to the second part of the beach, which is often a little quieter.

Preveli, south crete

The beach of Preveli is a palm-lined sandy beach and he is close to the monastery Moni Preveli, whose name has passed to him. Behind the beach is the Megalopotamos, a stream coming from the mountains Kouroupa mountain leads into a small lake.
As on the beach of Vai in the east of Crete is in this gorge the endemic Cretan date palm a natural palm grove.
The monastery consists of two buildings, one of which now applies only to "Rear Monastery, Piso Moni Preveli inhabited. It stands at 170 meters above sea level above the coast of the Libyan Sea.

Phaistos, south crete

Phaistos is the name of a Bronze Age Minoan settlement. It lays on a ridge above the fertile Messara.
At a distance of about two kilometers north west of Phaistos was on a neighboring hill, another smaller Minoan palace. This was named after a nearby Byzantine church of Agia Triada, as the Minoan name is not recorded.
Both palaces were linked by a paved path with each other. The ancient port of the settlement, Kommos, was located about six miles southwest of the palace of Phaistos on the Libyan Sea, north of the present Matala.

Matala, south crete

Matala beach is located on a picturesque bay that opens into the sea to the west and is restricted on the north side by th main attraction, the Matala-rock wall. In this rocky wall there are numerous caves which were built during the Neolithic and inhabited, were later remodeled by the Romans as a grave caves. In the seventies of the 20th Century, many dropouts of the hippie generation rediscovered these cliff dwellings and lived in it.

The beach of Matala was to be the place where the father of the gods Zeus transformed into a bull with the kidnapped Europa, the daughter of King Agenor of Phoenicia, emerged from the sea.

Triopetra, South Crete

Triopetra is one of the most beautiful beaches on Crete's south coast, and even in summer season hardly crowded.
The beach is divided by the famous 3 rocks, of which Triopetra ("Three Stone") takes its name. The two beaches are connected by a footpath.
The better known of the two sections of Triopetra is the western long and wide sandy beach. There are now several blocks behind the Triopetra Beach (all taverns or boarding houses). On the less visited eastern beach is only a small tavern, which is highly recommended.

Spili, Crete

Spili is located on a hill on the southwestern slope of Kedros Mountains and surrounded by greenery. High plane trees provide shade in the village and on the famous Venetian fountain in the center. From whose 25 gargoyles, 19 in the shape of lion heads, flows year-round cool potable water from the springs above the town. The water is widely regarded as especially clean and rich in minerals known and appreciated by locals.
The place name Spili derived from the Greek word for cave Spílio. Spili is the administrative seat of the municipality of Lambi and the bishop's seat with an attached seminary, whose buildings are on the western edge of the village on the road to Rethymnon.

Rethymnon, Crete

Rethymnon is located on the north coast of Crete and is the capital of the district government. It is considered the cultural center of the island, including houses several museums and the Philosophical Faculty of the University of Crete.
The landmark of the town is the fortress from the Venetian period (1211 - 1646), which stands on an exposed rock in the bay. Further inland isthe Venetian old town with narrow streets, myriad of small shops, craft shops, cozy bars and restaurants with varied cuisine.