Southern Crete Adventures

Join us for a trip to south Crete. The first stop will be the archaeological site of Gournia. It is the site of a Minoan palace complex . It was first permanently inhabited during the Early Minoan II periods (approx. between 2650-2100 BC) and was occupied until the Late Minoan I period (approx. between 1700-1470 BC). Then we continue your tour to Ierapetra city, where your guests can visit Napoleon’s House, Fortress of Kales and the Mosque with a Minaret. Let your adventure begin by visiting Mythoi village, the spectacular Gorge of Sarakina. According to Greek Mythology, giant Sarantapihos, who was son of Zeus, was thirsty and crouched to drink water from river Krygios or Myrtos. His long beard ripped the mount rock in half and that's how Saracen gorge was created. But the trip will be completed by visiting an amazing traditional restaurant up to the mountains in Agia Paraskevi. Maybe one of the most authentic Cretan restaurants.

1. 1

   Gournia

   30 min

   The archaeological site of Gournia sits on the north coast of the Isthmus of Ierapetra in East Crete. Possessing some 50 well-preserved houses, a system of cobbled streets, a central court, a Minoan palace, and cemetery, Gournia gives the visitor the best picture of what a Late Bronze Age (1500 B.C.) town looked like. Gournia was a regional production center of bronze tools and weapons, domestic objects, and pottery and stone vases, an active trade emporium with overseas connections to other parts of the Aegean and the Near East, and the palatial administrative center for the Mirabello region. Its harbor complex consists of a monumental shipshed, fortification walls with towers, a riverside dam, and a cobbled street running from the coast to Town.

2. 2

   Venetian Fortress Of Kales

   20 min

   The Fortress of Kales Ierapetra is located at the entrance of the city port and it is the only surviving fort in the south urban center in the south coast of Crete. Dating back to the early Venetian 13th-15th century and belongs to the type of rectangular fortifications. During the Turkish occupation, the fortress held extensive repairs, that amended the outside and inside. Today is an archaeological site.

3. 3

   Napoleon's House

   15 min

   It’s a two floor traditional architecture building located in the oldest district of Ierapetra, in Kato Mera. Upon tradition Napoleon Bonaparte stayed in the building during the one-day or a few days stop in Crete during his return from Egypt. The building’s morphology is converging towards its date in late 18th or early 19th century, without excluding the construction of an earlier era.

4. 4

   The Turkish Mosque

   15 min

   Ierapetra’s mosque in Kato Mera area was built according to dates listed in the infrared entrance and the south wall medal, the year of Hegira 1309. (189/892) perhaps the oldest mosque position. It is a building square with a wooden, four-sided roof plan covered with tiles. In its architecture elements that come from neoclassical and eclectic tendencies are distinguished, that arrived in Crete during the last 19th century decades. In the mosque’s northwest corner as it is used, a head uncovered today minaret is discovered. The upper portion crashed in the 1953 earthquake. Ottoman fountain is located in the southwest of the mosque and form with it a remarkable complex of the Ottoman architecture in Crete. The fountain belongs to the fountain category sebil and a constituted expiation before worshipers entry to the mosque.

5. 5

   Sarakina Gorges

   1 hour

   According to Greek mythology, the giant Sarantapihos, who was the son of Zeus, once stopped to drink water from the river Kryos or Myrtos, near Ierapetra. His long beard slashed the mountain in two parts and created the canyon of Sarakina. Sarakina is located very close to the traditional village Mythi and near the seaside settlement of Myrtos, where the river Kryos exits to the sea.

• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.