Page 268 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Greek Islands

EXPERIENCE MORE THE BATTLE

OF CRETE
After the occupation of
7 which is said to appear golden Greece in World War II,
in the eyes of the virtuous.
Paleóhora From Paleóhora, ferries sail German forces invaded
Crete. Troops were
Παλαιόχωρα the 35 nautical miles to parachuted into the
forested, beach-fringed
Haniá district, where
EXPERIENCE Crete of Haniá g @ 8 on 20 May 1941. The
⌂ 70 km (44 miles) SW
Gávdos island twice weekly.
they seized the airport
Battle of Crete raged
This small port began life as
a Venetian castle in 1279.
for ten days, with high
casualties on both sides.
Today the remains of the fort,
Soúyia
destroyed by pirate attacks in
through the Lefká Ori
1539, stand guard on the little
(White Mountains) to
headland that divides the Σούγια Allied troops retreated
village’s two beaches, both ⌂ 60 km (37 miles) E the south where, with
excellent: to the west, a wide of Haniá g @ the help of locals, many
sandy beach with gently At the mouth of the Agía Iríni of them were eva cuated
shelving sea; to the east, a Gorge, the hamlet of Soúyia from the island.
rocky but sheltered beach. was once isolated from the
Discovered in the 1960s by rest of the world, but is now
the hippie community, the linked with Haniá and the be tween Réthymno (p254)
town became a haven for north coast by a good road. and Haniá (p252). At its base,
back packers and is now Although the village has on top of Profítis Ilías hill, is a
popular with the package accommodation, several shrine to Crete’s national hero,
holiday-maker crowd. tavernas and two bars, it has Elefthérios Venizélos. His
Winding up through the never taken off as a resort, tomb is a place of pil grimage,
Lefká Ori (White Mountains), and retains something of a for it was here that fiercely
a net work of roads passes counter cultural vibe. The independent Cretan rebels
through a stunning landscape beach is sand and pebbles, raised the Greek flag in 1897
of terraced hills and mountain and the water is pristine. to fight against the Ottoman
villages, noted for their Inland, the village church is Empire occupying the island.
Byzantine churches. The built on top of a Byzantine There are several wonderful
closest of these villages is structure, whose mosaic floors monas teries in the north-
Anýdri, 5 km (3 miles) east have been largely removed. eastern hills of the peninsula.
of Paleóhora, with the 14th- Moní Agías Triádas, which has
century double-naved church an impres sive multidomed
of Ágios Geórgios containing 9 church, is 17th century, while
frescoes by Cretan Ioannis Moní Gouvernétou dates back
Pagomenos from 1323. Akrotíri Peninsula to the early Venetian occu-
In summer, a daily boat Χερσόνησος Ακρωτηρίου pation. Nearby, but accessible
service runs to Elafonísi, a ⌂ 17 km (11 miles) E of only on foot, the abandoned
lagoon-like beach of golden Moní Katholikoú is partly
sand and brilliant blue water. Haniá g Soúda @ Haniá carved out of the rock.
Some 5 km (3 miles) north of & Soúda At the neck of the peninsula
Elafonísi (sometimes included Flat by Cretan standards, is the Commonwealth War
in the same tour) stands Moní the Akrotíri Peninsula lies Ceme tery, the burial ground
Chrysoskalítissas (Golden of over 1,500 British,
Step), named for the steps Australian and New Zealand
leading up to its church, one of

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