The area
Mirthios
The Municipal District of Myrthios includes settlements Myrthios, Calypso, Kampos, Kokkina Xorafia, Plakias, Phoenix.
Myrthios is 36 km from Rethymno and has beautiful views over the bay of Plakias and the Libyan Sea. It is hometown of the great linguist George Hatzidakis. It is the second largest municipal district with 536 inhabitants according to the census of 2001 and featured as a traditional settlement. According to tradition, the name of the village comes from the word murtia because once in the center of the village there was a huge myrtle which now does not exist. The locals are not all genuine Cretans. Many came mainly from Greece, but there are settlers from Sfakia and other parts of Crete. In the village came and lived also and pirates.
Originally Myrthios was built near the sea, but the frequent pirate raids during the Venetian rule forced the inhabitants to move to higher ground of the hill. The initial existence of the village near the sea revealed by the old aqueduct found there. The basin that stretches across this region is called Gialia from the name gialos. Today near Myrthios in the site "Paligkremnos or Gonates" there are some small caves. The locals used them as shelters during the German rule to protect themselves from bombing.
In the village happens a strange phenomenon, when there is a full moon mostly from early September until late January when the moon is just coming from the east hits a rock and is reflected in all the sea. Especially at the beach called Paligkremnos appear big squids in the sand where the people gather with long sticks. In Myrthios belongs half of the canyon Kotsifou (the other half belongs to Selia). The canyon is just in the west of the mountain Kouroupa and is the continuity of peak Kryoneritis. One of the many water sources of the canyon is called Mary swim. In the site Nioschorio there was a small monastery that was commanded by the Preveli monastery. In the village there is the church of Metamorphosis of Sotira, which was built before 961 in representations of damned and Saint Charalambos with a Venetian bell of 1589. In the place Petres and St. Theodore Roman sherds were found.
Plakias
In the downtown area of ??Yalta and beside the ruins of the Minoan city Lamon, few fishermen built a small settlement. They named it Plakias, because it is the continuity of a submarine plate and it is located in the middle of the southern coast of Crete.
On the slopes of the mountains, overlooking the glittering sea, villages RODAKIKO - SELLIA - MYRTHIOS - MARIOU - ASOMATOS - LEFKOGIA - GIANNIOU - DRYMISKOS - CERAME - AGALIANOS - AGIA PARASKEVI - SAXTOURIA have a reference center the famous tourist resort of Plakias. In geophysical total of GIALIAS, some sites have great natural beauty: Preveli Gorge, where the Great River, in a forest of palm trees emits in a wonderful beach. The canyon Kourtaliotis with beautiful waterfalls, water coming from the bowels of the earth, winter - summer. The gorge of blackbirds, passing on traditional villages of St. Basil. HISTORIC CHURCHES AND MONASTERY: Behind Preveli: An 18th century.
A harmonious architectural ensemble, with rare frescoes and icons, and the miraculous Holy Cross. Kato Moni Preveli: Inside the ruins dominates the Cretan folk architecture. A truly memorable trip to the past. Church of Our Lady in the village Lambini admirably dome and decoration. Christ the Saviour Church in the village Myrthios with Byzantine frescoes.
Church Agios Fotis Sellia village with Byzantine frescoes. Panagia Church in the deserted village Diplohori with Byzantine frescoes from 925 AD Church of Saint George in Malathre. Ruins, with 101 doors and Byzantine frescoes. CHURCH intangible and Saint John, with murals, near the village Gianniou.
For lovers of hiking and cycling: Path: Plakias-Kotsifou Gorge - St Anthony - Good Sikia Time: 1.5 hours or more path length 6430.00 m and is engraved on the existing path. Its starting point is the center of Plakias and the finish is the D / D Good Sykias through the Gorge Kotsifou.
The route is marked as one of the best in Palm City and why it is very quite and green waters. The whole journey takes about 1.5 hours. The net ambulatory path through the gorge is approximately 3 kilometer. If someone does not want to move in mountaineering route has the potential if you walk on the main road.
| Useful telephone numbers | |
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Police of Spili 28320 22026 - 28320 22027 Touristic Police 28310 25247 Fire Department 199 |
Hospital 28310 87100 Doctor 28320 31770 Pharmacy 28320 31666 |