Places of Interest - Greece

Plakias and Preveli:

Plakias lies on the south coast of Crete, about thirty kilometers south of the city of Rethymno, on the Libyan Sea. It’s a former fishing village, which since the eighties of the twentieth century mainly focuses on tourism. The beach of Plakias runs from the village about 1300 meters east. At the end of the beach is an approximately 300 meters long and 40 meters high very steep and slippery rock wall. A mooring for ships was made in the mountain wall and during WW2 the German occupiers extended the tunnel and cut a second berth where the water was deep enough to supply submarines. The village was "found" by adventurous backpackers and from then on it went fast. The boulevard is full of hotels, restaurants, cafe's shops and you can rent a boat, dive or hike in the mountains. 

At about 15 km from Plakias lies the little town of Preveli with its famous monastery and palm beach. The monastery is situated in a desolate location far above the Libyan Sea and played an important role during the Turkish occupation in the 19th century and the German occupation in WW2. The rebellion against the Turks was so intense that they put the monastery on fire and destroyed all the crops around it. Several English, Australian and Greek allies were able to flee Crete with help of the monks, after German troops had invaded the island. The monks had to pay a heavy price for this; the Nazis plundered the monastery. The beach of Preveli can be reached via a path that descends from a parking lot just before the monastery. The palm grove was destroyed by fire in August 2010 but is now fully mature again. It is one of the most photographed and popular beaches in Crete.

Hora Sfakion:

Chora Sfakion is the most important place of the mountainous fusion community and the Sfakia region.The harbor town lies at the foot of the Lefka Ori (White Mountains), at the Libyan Sea. Some 350 people live permanently in the small coastal area of Hora Sfakion, where in summers it sometimes looks like rush-hour. Hordes with tourists come here from the boat from the popular "Samaria Gorge" and go here by bus back to their destination in Crete. In the evening you will have the place practically for yourself; big chance you only meet some other hikers who use the city as a starting point for mountain walks through the Lefka Ori and the many gorges in the area. Sfakion is situated in the middle of various pebbly beaches, such as Sweetwater Beach, Ilingas at the foot of the gorge of the same name, the village beach Vrisi Beach (Sun Beach), Amoudi and Filaki.  

The inhabitants mainly focus on tourism, fishing, growing olives and the production of olive oil, herding sheep and goats and making cheese. Chora Sfakion is the only place in all of Greece that has never been occupied by a hostile power. The inhabitants of this region, the Sfakiots, are known for their honor, the urge for independence and even cruelty, which was already apparent when the Venetians wanted to incorporate the village. This reputation would grow after the revolt against the Turks when their leader was drenched alive. The Turks would never really get the region under control. The town also played an important role in WW2 when thousands of Allied soldiers (British, Australian and New Zealanders) were evacuated from Egypt to this small harbor. On the edge of the harbor is a monument that commemorates this event. The evacuation took place between May 28 and June 1, 1941 and about 17,000 soldiers were evacuated. The village was then bombed by the Germans, and many buildings were destroyed. This rebellious lifestyle is transferred from child to child in the form of stories and folk songs.

“Imbros” gorge:

At about 15 km from Hora Sfakion and 23 km from Vrysos in the north lies the beginning of the “Imbros” Gorge, the little brother of the popular “Samaria” Gorge. This is 8 km long and starts at the village of Imbros and ends at the coast at about 5 km east of Hora Sfakion in the village of Komidates. It was this gorge that allowed most of the Allies to escape during the Battle of Crete between 28 and 31 May 1941 to Hora Sfakion to be transferred to safe places. You can take the bus towards Hania and get off at the village of Imbros. Walk back a bit and there on the left starts the hiking trail (entrance 2 euros). When you do the trip, you will come across a stopping point in the middle. Here are some gun barrels that have remained behind. The entire gorge is 8 km long. 

Other attractions:

You can make a hike/walk in the extremely popular "Samaria Gorge" on the southwest side of the island. It’s possible to make this trip in a very long, heavy (pricey 50 euro) but impressive trip from Plakias. Also the city "Rethymnon" on the north coast is a sight with its old big fort.

The oldest signs of civilization on Crete date from about 6500 BC when people from Asia Minor went to the island. This period is known as the Neolithic and came to an end around 3000 BC. About 3300 BC developed the Minoan civilization (3300 - 1450 BC) on the island. It was the first great civilization of the area around the Aegean Sea. This period “produced” good sailors, traders and farmers. Because they had virtually the entire eastern Mediterranean under control and had virtually no enemies, they could develop into a very high civilization. Knossos was probably an important ceremonial and political center. The fertile soil of Crete, which supplied oil, grain and wine, also caused great prosperity. The ruins of the palaces can be found on different parts of the island. This Minoan civilization came around 1200 BC to an end probably caused by a volcanic eruption. In this event one even sees the reason for the legend of Atlantis. When the economy did not go well anymore, Crete was conquered by the Mycenaeans from the Greek area. The Minoan culture therefore remained intact. Around 1100 BC. there was a lot of unrest and uncertainty, which caused a migration wave to Cyprus. Around 1000 BC. the warlike Doric peoples traveled from the Greek mainland to Crete. The island was spared from wars against the Persians and also Alexander the Great left Crete to his own devices. 

In the year 67 BC Crete was occupied by the Romans, the first foreign occupying power. The Romans provided peace and rehabilitation of the island and the construction of roads, aqueducts and temples. Crete re-emerged under Roman rule and several cities experienced great economic growth until it was again hit by a severe earthquake. In the 9th century, the Arabs conquered Crete. For about a century and a half they had the power on Crete, until the Byzantines conquered the island with as many as 3000 ships. Many inhabitants of Constantinople came to live in Crete. In 1210, Crete eventually came into Venetian hands that gave a lot of land to soldiers. Large forts were also built to defend the island. In the principle this led to many uprisings, but because of fear of the larger enemy, the Ottomans, both peoples grew closer together. Many Cretans learned Italian and went to Venice to work or study. From around 1454 and for two centuries Crete had a huge cultural bloom, it was the time of the Cretan Renaissance. In 1645 the Ottoman Turks invaded Crete, which was the beginning of a long-lasting oppression of the local population by the Turks. The islanders were in constant conflict with the Turks and the resistance was intense. In 1898 the then great powers (England, France, Russia and Italy) forced the Ottoman Empire to leave the island - it became a British protectorate. On 10 August 1913, Crete was finally included in the Kingdom of Greece after the Greek victory in the Balkan Wars. In May 1941, German parachutists landed in the west of Crete in an attempt to take over the island. The battle would last for 10 days and many Germans would loose their lives. Several resistance organizations fought with British aid in the following years, further against the German occupation. This occupation was cruel; villages were burned down and civilians executed. After the war there was poverty, but Crete is today one of the most prosperous areas of Greece, partly due to tourism and agriculture.