Listed 24 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for wider area of: "SFAKIA Village CHANIA" .
AGIOS IOANNIS (Village) SFAKIA
Beyond Aradena the unpaved road continues west towards the small community
of Agios Ioannis. Agios Ioannis is 14km from Hora Sfakion on the Hora Sfakion
- Anopolis - Agios Ioannis road. The village of Agios Ioannis followed the fortune
of Anopolis and Aradena and it was destroyed in 1770 and 1867. From here some
of the families of the fighters managed to escape into the Lefka Ori and to the
safety of the Samaria Gorge. In 1823 thirty-two local rebels blocked the exit
of Agios Ioannis to the Samaria Gorge from the pursuing Egyptian troops which
were co-operating with the Turks. They faced a large army and all thirty-two were
killed, but they gave enough time to the women and children of the villages nearby
to escape to the protection of Samaria.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains image.
It is also possible to climb Mount Pahnes, the highest peak of the
Lefka Ori (2,452m) from here.
ANOPOLI (Village) SFAKIA
From Hora Sfakion an impressive ascent of 12km climbs to the plateau
of Anopolis, which is 600 metres above sea level. There is a bus from Hora Sfakion
late in the afternoon, returning in the morning. The village of Anopolis had many
inhabitants at one time but now the population is only about 800. Their main occupation
is agriculture and goats and sheep are raised on the plateau and the nearby mountains.
Anopolis is a very old place evident from traces of remains from the ancient Greek
eras that have been found. There are remains of cyclopean walls near Agia Ekaterini
Church. Anopolis had many inhabitants and its harbour was located in what is now
Loutro. It flourished mainly in the Roman and the Venetian Periods.
Anopolis was a revolutionary centre against the Venetians and was destroyed in
1365. Anopolis, and the province of Sfakia in general, was the centre of revolutions
against the Turks in Crete and was never inhabited by the Turks, making it the
only free place in Crete during the Turkish occupation. Anopolis is known today
for the hiking paths to the Lefka Ori and the aerial views of the south coast
of Crete from Agia Ekaterini and the site of ancient Anopolis.
This extract is cited Nov 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains imageσ.
ANOPOLIS (Ancient city) SFAKIA
Anopoli is a very old place evident from traces of remains from the ancient Greek eras that have been found. There are remains of cyclopean walls near Agia Aikaterini Church. Anopoli had many inhabitants and its harbour was located in what is now Loutro. It flourished mainly in the Roman and the Venetian Periods.
ARADENA (Settlement) SFAKIA
Aradena is 19km from Hora Sfakion on the Hora Sfakion - Anopolis -
Agios Ioannis road. After Anopolis the road becomes a dirt road, but it is easily
accessible. You will cross the gorge of Aradena over a wooden-planked bridge.
In the area, there is the abandoned village of Aradena, the Byzantine church of
Michael Archangelos, and the Aradena Gorge.
The abandoned village of Aradena is on the other side of the bridge. Aradena is
the site of the ancient Greek city, Aradin. It flourished during Roman, Byzantine
and Venetian times. Its inhabitants were once concerned with shipping, and Aradin
followed the fate of Anopolis and was destroyed in 1770 and in 1867 by the Turks.
The village has been abandoned; however, it is interesting to walk along the narrow
paths among the houses of the old village to see traditional village architecture.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
FRANGOKASTELLO (Castle) SFAKIA
Frangokastello is 14km east of Hora Sfakion, on a large, bare, coastal
plain. The area of Frangokastello has a Venetian fort, a Byzantine church, and
a fine beach.
KOMITADES (Village) SFAKIA
Komitades is on the road east from Hora Sfakion towards Frangokastello.
It is about 4km from Hora Sfakion and 69km from Chania. It has two churches of
interest.
LEFKA ORI (Mountain) CHANIA
These mountains have many gorges and canyons for the nature enthusiast.
Sfakia has the highest peaks of the White Mountains: Pahnes (2450m), Kastro
(2218m), and Troharis (2409m). This wild terrain is one of the most impressive
in Crete.
The views of the White Mountains from Apokoronas are especially interesting
during the winter and spring when they are completely covered by snow. They
are truly the White Mountains (Lefka Ori) then. The ravines and gorges through
Samaria, Aradena, Imbros, and Kalikratis are excellent hiking opportunities.
The mountain hike to the refuge and plateau at Niatos 1500 metres above Askifou
may interest the visitor or the refuge above Omalos at Kalergis. The White Mountains
have more than 40 peaks above 2000 metres, offering very good hiking.
From the plateau of Anopolis one has an exceptional view of the south side of
the Lefka Ori. Climbs of the highest peaks of the Lefka Ori, at 2,500 metres,
start from here. The view of the mountains is particularly impressive in the
spring when they are covered in snow. The area is protected from the north winds
and it has very mild weather all winter. This area of the Lefka Ori is also
famous for its rare wild flowers that can be seen in the spring.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
SFAKIA (Village) CHANIA
Hora Sfakion is 72km from Chania on the Chania - Vrises - Hora Sfakion
road, and 63km from Rethimnon on the Rethimnon - Armeni - Agios Vasilios - Rodakino
- Sfakia road. Nowadays, Hora Sfakion is best known as the last stage of the excursion
from the Samaria Gorge. Each year thousands of tourists arrive by boat from Agia
Roumeli and enjoy a meal in one of the many pleasant restaurants before leaving
by bus for Chania, Rethimnon or Iraklion. For those wishing to enjoy southern
Crete longer, there are many hotels in the village.
Hora Sfakion is a small village in a cove between the mountains where the terrain
is wild and harsh with the Lefka Ori towering behind.
After the loss of the Battle of Crete in 1941, 12,000 Allied troops evacuated
the island through Hora Sfakion, after walking from north Crete through the Imbros
Gorge; a plaque on the waterfront commemorates this event.
There are a number of excursions from Hora Sfakion: to Frangokastello, Anopolis
and Aradena. Besides daily boats to Loutro, Agia Roumeli, Sougia, and Paleohora,
there is a boat once a week to Gavdos.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
ARADIN (Ancient city) SFAKIA
(Eth. Aradenios). A city of Crete, formerly called Anopolis. In Kiepert's map
it appears on the SW. coast of the island, near the Phoenix Portus. Remains of
ancient walls are found at the modern Anopolis.
LEFKA ORI (Mountain) CHANIA
Leuci Montes or Albi Montes (ta Leuka ore, Strab. x. p. 479; Ptol.
iii. 17. § 9), the snow-clad summits which form the W. part of the mountain range
of Crete. Strabo (l. c.) asserts that the highest points are not inferior in elevation
to Taygetus, and that the extent of the range is 300 stadia. (Comp. Theophrast.
H. P. iii. 11, iv. 1; Plin. xvi. 33; Callim. Hymn. Dian. 40.) The bold and beautiful
outline of the White Mountains is still called by its ancient title in modern
Greek, ta aspra bouna, or, from the inhabitants, ta Sphakiana bouna. Crete is
the only part of Greece in which the word ore is still in common use, denoting
the loftier parts of any high mountains. Trees grow on all these rocky mountains,
except on quite the extreme summits. The commonest tree is the prinos or ilex.
(Pashley, Trav. vol. i. p. 31, vol. ii. p. 190; Hock, Kreta, vol. i. p. 19.)
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited August 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
ARADIN (Ancient city) SFAKIA
Phoenix: city on the S coast of W Crete, near Loutro, Sphakia district,
9.6 km E of Tarrha and 4.8 km W of Chora Sphakion; it was the port of inland Anopolis
and also of later Aradena. [...] Hierokles (651.1) mentions Phoinike with Aradena,
and the two sites are linked in one see in the early 9th c. Notitiae (8.230; 9.139).
D. J. Blackman, ed.
This extract is from: The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites,
Princeton University Press 1976. Cited Sep 2002 from
Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
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