Here you will find some hot spots that will help you during your stay at Marelia Villas and let you explore the beautiful area arround the villa.
Crete is an island with amazing beaches arround it.
Near Marelia Villas are some exceptional and we would like to recommend you some. Select the name of the beach to get google maps directions.
In front of the village, there is a very long sandy beach, which starts here and extends for several kilometers to the southeast, till Kommos. This long beach hosts several loggerhead sea turtles (Carretta carretta) that lay their eggs in the sand during summer. The seaturtles and the nests are protected by some organizations, such as Archelon. The beach of Kokkinos Pirgos is open to the west winds. It starts on the east from the wire-fence of the military airport of Timbaki and runs to the west, till Agia Galini.
The eastern part of the beach, from the port till the airport, is named Katalyki. Katalyki is a very well organized beach with umbrellas, sunbeds, lifeguard. There is a seaside road running along the coast with many cafes and restaurants, making this popular for a drink. In the east of Katalyki there is a large marsh, which is one of the most important wetlands in Mesara plain, watered by Geropotamos River.
The northern part of Kommos, Potamos or Potamoserma, is a favorite destination for naturists, since the times when hundreds of hippies flooded the area. There are only a few tamarisk trees around, not buildings, because Kommos is a protected archaeological area and building is restricted. Next to the archaeological site, on the south, there is an organized beach with umbrellas, sun beds, toilet, showers, a canteen and a lifeguard. All around there are sand dunes where you can admire the white lilies of sand, which sign the end of the summer. If you want to find a place to stay overnight or to eat, you can walk to the nearby Kalamaki, or drive to Pitsidia and Matala.
The views to Paximadia islets is stunning, especially during sunset. Just opposite the archaeological site, 300m in the sea, you will see a beautiful big rock, which the locals call Volakas. Volakas could not be absent from the Greek myths. Locals say that the stone is the top of the boulder that the blinded Cyclope Polyphemus threw against the ship of Odysseus in order not to escape. This was after Odysseus, with his companions, escaped from Polyphemus’ cave.
This is one of the most popular tourist destinations of Crete and certainly the most famous beach of south Heraklion prefecture. It is famous for the carved caves in the rocks and the hippies of the ‘70s. It is located close to Phaestus, the second largest palace of the Minoan civilization. Matala served as a port of Phaestus, and on the Roman Times, it became a port of Gortyn.
Matala is located at the exit of a small valley, which forms an enclosed bay with nice view to the islands of Paximadia.There is a beautiful sandy beach, 300m long, with fine gravel and crystal clear deep water. Moreover, the seabed is quite rocky in some places (especially in the central part of the bach) and waves are common, due to frequent west winds. Furthermore, there is a huge cave on the north part of the beach, from the top of which some people dive. The beach is very well organized with umbrellas, toilets, showers, lifeguard, first aids, beach volley courts, snack bars, water sports, excursion boats, a camping site, etc. Around Matala you will find many options for accommodation, entertainment and eating. Also, a large part of the beach is covered by tamarisk trees, where you can find shade. In the evenings, the bars on the beach are full with many people, both locals and foreigners. Especially in June, the internationally renowned Matala Festival takes place.
The name of Agia Galini means “Holy Tranquility” or “Holy Serenity” in Greek, implying that this place is very peaceful and the sea is always calm. The excellent pebbly beaches, the picturesque harbor and the traditional village attract thousands of tourists every year. Before the ‘60s and ‘70s, when it met a large tourism development, the village was a small fishing village that actually served the residents of the neighboring Melabes village. But later, in ’60s, Agia Galini became a favorite destination for the liberated flower children, the hippies. Indeed, there are still many fans of the area, who visit the village every year since then.
Today Agia Galini is a modern resort, with a traditional character, which offers all amenities to its visitors. You will have many options for food, entertainment, shops etc. Agia Galini is built on the slopes of a high mountain, near the mouth of the River Platys or Amarianos, which starts from the village Thronos and has water all year round. The houses of the village are overlooking the vast Messara bay and the South Cretan Sea.
To get there you must either cross the gorge, by easy hiking of about 25-50’, or catch a boat from Matala, Agia Galini, Kokkinos Pirgos or Kali Limenes. We definitely recommend the first option, as the route within the vertical walls of the gorge is breathtaking. On the way you will see the large caves were some hermits from Odigitria monastery still live and the chapel of St. Anthony with a small well with brackish water. The beach at the exit of the gorge is stunning, with fine pebbles and clear blue water, which is usually calm. West of the beach a beautiful rocky arch is formed, beneath which you can swim. Vertical cliffs surround the beach. Naturiism should be avoided here, as the wider area is one of the most religious places of Crete.
If you have your sneakers with you, in the afternoon you should climb the cliffs on the east and reach the top. The view from there is fantastic. If you walk southeast you will meet a hidden saltish lake, called Vourvoulitis, surrounded by vertical cliffs. It is an open sinkhole communicating with the open sea by an undersea passage. You can descend to the lake, but it’s extremely dangerous.
For more beaches you can visit https://www.cretanbeaches.com/
Here are some places we recommend you to visit during your stay.
Select the name of the place to get google maps directions.
Phaestus (Phestos, Festos, Φαιστός) was a Minoan city on Crete, the ruins of which are located near Tymbaki. The palace of Phaestus was built on a low of the plain of Messara, with panoramic views to the surrounding area. It is the second largest Minoan palace after Knossos and occupies an area of 1.8 hectares.
The city was already inhabited since 6000BC and prospered concurrently with the city of Knossos, till the 1st century BC. Phaestus is famous for the Minoan palace, which is a visitable archaeological site and receives thousands of visitors every year. It was built in about 2000BC, according to the legend, by Minos, the king of Knossos. The palace’s king was the brother of Minos, the mythical Rhadamanthys, who was the econd son of Zeus and Europe and was known for his faireness. Indeed, he is considered the writer of the Cretan Code, the first standards of Justice, which was later adopted by the Spartans. Due to his fairness, after his death, he was assigned as a judge in Hades (like his brother Minos). The palace was destroyed in about 1700BC by an earthquake, but was restored immediately. Then Phaestus declined and the neighboring settlement of Agia Triada flourished, the archaeological site of which you can visit today. Phaestus remained the most important religious center of southern Crete. After the destruction of 1450 BC (possibly due to an earthquake), Phaestus recovered and minted its own currency. This new bloom lasted till the first century BC, when it was destroyed by the neighboring Gortyn, which in the Roman Times became the new capital of Crete.
The buildings a visitor sees today in Phaestus date back in 1700-4150BC and, unlike Knossos, have not been restored with cement. The excavations started in 1900 by the Italian Archaeological School under the guidance of Federico Halbherr and Luigi Pernier, while in 1950-71 they were carried out by Doro Levi.
At the banks of the river Geropotamos, at position Agia Triada, the Minoans built a small palace that was excavated by the Italian Archaeological School at Athens in 1902-1914. This Royal Villa was built in the 16th century B.C. (New Palace period) and was probably used as a summer villa for the king of Phaestus or as permanent residence after the destruction of Phaestus palace in 1450BC.
The site has a constant religious presence since the 8th century BC till today. There is evidence that in the Geometric period (8th century B.C.) the site had religious function. In the Hellenistic period (4th-3rd centuries B.C.) the sanctuary of Zeus Velchanos was founded and much later, during the Venetian occupation, the area of the courtyard was occupied by the church of St. George Galatas (14th century AD) that we see today. The Villa at Aghia Triada consists of two wings which form an L-shaped structure enclosing a court. Although it does not have the dimensions of the palaces at Knossos and Phaestus, it presents all the typical features of Minoan palatial architecture. It has halls with polythyra (pier-and-door partitions), light-wells, shrines, storerooms, repositories, workshops, staircases, porticoes, courtyards, terraces and balconies, streets and courtyards paved with flagstones. Numerous finds were uncovered in the villa during the excavations and have been exhibited at the Archaeological museum of Heraklion.
The archaeological site of Kommos is located on the beach of Kommos, 4km west of Phaestus, at the area of the villagePitsidia and close to Matala beach. Kommos (or Komos) was a small Minoan town founded in 2000 BC and served the port needs of Phaestus, with which it was linked by road. Kommos was probably destroyed by an earthquake in 1700 BC, but survived up to the Hellenistic period.
The excavations in the period 1976-1996 by the archaeologists Joseph Shaw and Maria Koutroubaki unearthed several Minoan houses, public buildings, warehouses, well maintained facilities of olive presses, a large courtyard and the first known shipyards in Crete.
Moreover, a Greek sanctuary (dating from 1100 BC-300 AD), altars and banquet room were found. According to a version of Homer, Kommos was the place where Menelaus shipwrecked on his return from Troy. Perhaps in favor of that event, the locals introduced the worship of Menelaus in that sanctuary.
The Monastery of Panagia Kalyviani is located next to Mires and Kalyvia villages. It is a relatively new monastery which was built on the ruins of an older one.
The present church was built in 1873 on the ruins of an older monastery, where the icon of Panagia (Virgin Mary) was found during the same year. The complex of Kalyviani still hosts the old church, and the new temple built in 1924, where the old icon is stored. The new church is three-aisled with its aisles dedicated to the Nativity, the Annunciation and the Assumption of Virgin Mary (celebr. 15 August). Moreover, there is a small church of Saint Haralambos, who was a monk a monk in the monastery, and celebrates on August 23.
Kalyviani is a typical example of a foundation that offers help and charity to poor and needy people. In 1956, the bishop Timothy Papoutsakis created a Christian Foundation based in the monastery. He built an orphanage, hospice, housekeeping school for girls, elementary school, kindergarten, summer camps, workshops of weaving, knitting and making vestments, etc.
The artificial lake of Zaros or Votomos located on the southern slopes of Psiloritis, just 1km north of Zaros. The area was a small wetland before 1987, which was shaped in the crater of Votomos spring. It took its current form in 1987, when the Forest Service created an artificial lake where the spring water is stored.
The name Votomos is known to most Cretans after the local bottling company for one of the most famous firms of bottled water in Greece. The water comes from the 3 springs of Mati, some of the many springs of the region. “Zaros” in Greek means a place with a lot of water.
Around the lake there are several restaurants and cafes, where visitors can relax and taste trout and salmon, which are bred in tanks near the lake. The lake is also surrounded by a playground, several benches and tables, where you can picnic. A stroll around the lake is very short.
Finally, the lake is the starting point of the path that leads, through the gorge of Rouvas, to the majestic wood of Rouvas, 5km northern (2:30 hours trekking)
Here are some recommendations for places you can eat tasty food.
Press the name for Google Maps Navigation
Alatsi Mediterranean Cuisine(Gold Award 2022)
Kokkinos Pirgos
Matala
Website: https://scala-fish-bar-restaurant.gr/
Agia Galini
Matala
Kamilari
Kalamaki
Zaros
Armenoi
