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Lendas in Crete
Hotels and apartments
The little fishing village of Lentas lies on the south
coast of Crete, at the foot of a mountain range. Lentas sits on a
promontory, in the shape of a crouching lion, which runs down to a
300 metres long strip of fine shingle that merges into the azure blue
of the Libyan Sea.
According to mythology, one of the lions, which pulled
the goddess Rhea’s chariot was turned into stone here, thus
giving the area its name. Until very recently the village had no electricity
and was reached only by a tiny unpaved road. Today, however, Lentas
is a small holiday resort, which attracts many visitors, drawn by
the natural beauty of the spot.
There are lots of tavernas on the beach, but the village
retains its quiet simple character. This place is ideal for visitors
who want a simple and relaxing seaside holiday. In ancient times,
Lentas was probably the port of the old Roman capital of Crete, Gortys
and which is also well worth a visit. There are old Roman remains
to be seen if you are walking in the area of Lentas, such as the two
ancient pillars of the Temple of Asklepios.
Hotels & apartments in Lendas or Lentas
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| Address in France: 20, Boulevard Joseph Garnier
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| Address in Greece: Astrikas - Chania - Crete |
Samaria gorge. Crete, Greece
Having a total length of sixteen kilometres, this gorge is the largest in Europe and certainly the most famous and visited among the many gorges of Crete.
Until about the middle of the century it was a wild landscape with a totally undisturbed ecosystem and home to a great number of wild birds and mammals as well as to a small population of woodcutters and shepherds who lived in Agia Roumeli or in the village of Samaria inside the gorge.
Today this village has been abandoned, but the steep slopes of the gorge and the thick forests in the surrounding area are still populated with many rare species. These include over fifty species of wild birds - among them, the extremely rare harrier eagle (Gypaetus barbatus) and golden eagle (Aquila Chrysaetos), both threatened with extinction - and about ten species of mammals among which the famous Cretan wild goat otherwise known as kri kri and the Cretan polecat known as zourìdha. As for the flora of the area, it is abundantly rich and includes many wild flowers native to this land.
In 1962, the gorge, together with a small area to the west and east of it, was officially declared a National Park, so that its delicate ecosystem could be protected.
The park extends over an area of 5100 hectares and, unlikeits quiet days in the past, today it is visited by some 300,000 people a year, all of them determined to walk the gorge. Visits are allowed between May and October, but in July and August the tourists are so many that it is impossible to be alone even for a minute. On the other hand, if you can come between May and early June, or between the middle of September and the end of October, you will certainly enjoy it a lot more.
A good time to visit the gorge (in fact, a time before it is officially opened to the public) is the first weekend of April, when a two-day festival is held in Samaria in honour of Osia Maria. The liturgy in the small Byzantine church is chanted by father Giorgis Chiotakis of Sfakia, an amazing priest who likes a good feast as much as anyone else and yet is a truly holy man.
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