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Makrigialos in Crete
Hotels and apartments
The little seaside resort of Makrigialos, 25 km east
of the lively town of Ierapetra on the Libyan Sea, is an ideal spot
for a relaxing beach holiday.
The village is named after the long stretch of sandy
beach, which, with its shallow waters, offers safe swimming for children.
Makrigialos has a good choice of tavernas, cafes and bars and the
little harbour with its traditional fishing boats is a favourite meeting
point for locals and visitors.
Enjoy fresh fish and local specialities looking out
over the blue sea, stroll along the small promenade or have a coffee
in one of the Cretan kafenions.
The authentic little villages in the hills behind Makrigialos
are worth a visit and there are regular bus connections to the larger
towns like Ierapetra and Sitia..
Hotels & apartments in Makrigialos
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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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