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SIGHTS
SIGHTS IN KATO ZAKRO
In Kato Zakros you
can enjoy your swim in the crystal clear blue waters and after
that you can taste local wine or raki, local dishes such as
fresh fish or meat at the taverns or enjoy a drink or a coffee
at the cafeteria on the beach watching the magnificent view.
It is worth mentioning that the owners of the taverns keep their
own gardens with fresh fruit and vegetables and they also have
their own wine and raki.
However, if the sea and the food do not complete your holidays,
it is worth visiting the wonderful sights in Kato Zakros which
have a rich historical interest.
Why visiting Kato Zakros?
• To discover the wild beauty of Crete.
• To find wonderful beaches.
• To meet people that is very hospitable.
• Because you will love it and will visit it again and again!!!
 Gorge of the dead
It is known as one of the most beautiful gorges in Crete. The
entrance is from the lower part of the village of Zakros. It is
4km long, a two hour walk and crossing it is quite easy. On your
way you will come across stone fountains and places to rest. The
gorge is of geological, environmental and archeological interest
because of the caves the ancient Minoan people used as tombs.
This is why professor of archeology Nicolas Platon gave it the
name “Gorge of the Dead”.
The European route E4 ends at the gorge. We suggest you cross it
to enjoy its natural beauty.
The Minoan Palace
You can visit the Minoan Palace and the Town in Kato Zakros,
which is the fourth excavated palace in Crete.
HISTORICAL FLASHBACK
In the area of Kato Zakros, 500m from the beach, the English
seaman Sprite found, in 1852, evidence of the existence of an
ancient town. In the end of the same century the Italian
archeologists Halbherr and Mariani made trial excavations and
found various artifacts. Some of them belonged to the Mycenaean
period of Knossos. In this area, as the excavations have shown,
existed, in the Minoan but also in the Roman era, a big city, as
the ruins of Roman houses in “Kali Strata” certify. Mariani also
observed thermae with underground heating under the floor, known
as “hypocaust”. The prehistorically town of Zakros was the
larger town of Eteocretans, after Praisos. At the nearby hills,
the Deads’ Gorge, where their cemetery was, there are many
graves from the same period. The name of Zakros is Minoan and it
is related with Zakaru, a Minoan nation, which is mentioned in
many Egyptian texts. This Cretan ancient town is probably not
mentioned from the known ancient writers. There is a possibility
that in this area lived those who took care of the famous
sanctum of Dictaius Zeus in Palekastro. He or she, who takes
care of the temple, is called Zakoros, in ancient Greek. Except
from this sanctum, existed in Cape Sidero the famous temple of
Great Mother, as mentioned in the first Eteocretan inscription
of Praisos. So, we may have Zakoros Zak (o)ros Zakros. In
1901, Hogarth made an excavation at the bank of the hill,
northeast of the palace and discovered a part of the ancient
village. He found many great artifacts of the Mycenaean period,
such as copper tools and guns, fasces, chisels, knives and in a
room he found 500 clay stamps, remains of commercial
transactions. He also found two holes full of Mycenaean and
Camarian artifacts and in cavernous graves he found Minoan
artifacts of the first period. From those excavations nothing
has been saved today. The Second World War left here too its
catastrophic mark. The reason for a new excavation was the
finding of a sword from Manolis Fygetakis and Nikos Karantonis,
in the area of the palace. They handed over it to the
archeological service along with a base of a column.
In 1952, Nikolaos Platon began his excavations at the eastern
side of Saint Antonio’s church. Examining the area Platon
observed the surface of the ground and saw big hacked lime
stones, at the west side of Kato Zakros valley. This was a sign
that there was an official building there. This was the
beginning of the discovery (in 1961) of a Minoan palace, the
fourth one after Knossos, Faistos and Malia. The careful
construction of the buildings, the large number of warehouses,
the rich ceramics, the large quantities of raw materials, the
ivory and the copper in the form of “talents”, that were found,
proved that it was a palace. The palace lies at an area up to
8000m2. The palace is extended around a central yard, as the
other Minoan palaces.
The palace of Zakros, although it has many similarities with the
other four Minoan palaces, it has some differences from the
others, which are important for the Minoan architecture.
Scratched limestone was used in all the buildings of the palace,
which was brought with ships because it does not exist that kind
of stone in the area of Zakros. The palace had two floors. It
was destroyed suddenly and completely and it was never built
again. It was probably destroyed due to the great earthquake
that struck Santorini in 1450 B.C . . . . The sudden catastrophe
and the fire that followed covered the palace under ruins. So,
it was abandoned and forgotten for centuries, without been
spoiled. That’s the reason why today we have so many valuable
artifacts that are kept in the museums of Sitia, Aghios Nikolaos
and Heraklio in Crete.
Pelekita cave
Few people are aware of a unique and important cave on the cliff
of Tragostalos. Pelekita cave constitutes a part of Cretan
nature with unique beauty, with its huge halls and steep slopes
that create a sense of an amphitheater. It is harmonically
combined with the starkly cliffs of Zakros. The cave took its
name from the hacked stones that were excavated from the old
quarry near the sea.
To reach the cave you need a two-hour walking from Kato Zakros
or 15 minutes if you go by the sea. The total length of the cave
is 300m in a straight line and it covers an area of 4500m2. The
temperature inside the cave is approximately 17°С and the
humidity is between 60% in the summer months and 70% in the
winter months.
Its only residents are the bats and some cave-dweller insects.
The cave is of very important geological interest because of the
stalactites and stalagmites which are connected to the Neolithic
period of Crete.
If you are lovers of hiking, we recommend you to visit the cave.
Of course you must not forget the appropriate shoes and the
special equipment if you want to explore it (ropes, penlight etc).
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SIGHTS OF ZAKROS
The village
Following the road to Kato Zakros you will pass through the
square of Zakros. It is a beautiful village that is worth
visiting. You can walk through the scenic narrow streets and the
neighborhoods, which keep unchangeable their traditional
characteristics of a quiet life in the village.
You should stop for a while there and enjoy a coffee, a raki or
the local refreshments of Zakros at the small coffeehouses.
Also, at the square there is a small market, with three fully
equipped stores, where you can buy anything you need for your
holidays, like fresh traditional bread, honey, fresh eggs, olive
oil from the Agricultural Combination of Zakros, fresh fruit and
vegetables from the locals’ gardens.
At the store of the newly established Women Partnership “Melion”
you can find our traditional and homemade sweets such as
kalitsounia, xerotigana, doughnuts and many others.
A few meters away on the road to Kato Zakros there is “Napoleon”
restaurant with traditional cuisine cooked with extra virgin oil,
fresh meat and vegetables.
On your way to Kato Zakros you will come across a gas station.
However, if your walk in the village is not enough for you,
there are many other places for you to visit and explore in
Zakros.
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Water
source of Mesa Milou (Inner Mill)
On the highest point of the village there is a natural water
source which provides the village with excellent quality
drinking water and water supplies.
Most of the water is pumped from the Mesa Mylou source, which is
a source of contact between karst and schist or an overfilling
source. Its hourly flow is 500 – 700 m3 in annual basis. The
quantity of the water is affected by the rainfalls but even in
drought periods the source has a high flow. As laboratorial
tests have shown the water is first class drinkable. In the ‘50s
the first water system of Zakros was constructed from this
source and in 1987 it was replaced and expanded in order to
service all the nearby villages. Also, from the same source a
percentage of plough land is watered.
Besides that, from that source begins the magnificent ravine
with the age-long platans that lead you to the Deads’ Gorge.
Furthermore you can see restored old traditional houses, a
country church of “Lord Christ” which is one of the oldest in
our area and three restored watermills, which used to function
by the onrush of the waters to grind grain.
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Water Museum & Old
Watermills
Water Museum
& Old Watermills
Walking from the village square towards the sources of Mesa
Mylou, through the narrow streets of the village, you come
across three renovated traditional watermills and the Water
Museum.
Until the ‘70s, those watermills were working with the waterfall
and were used by the locals for grinding, making olive oil or
for washing their clothes.
The museum is inside the renovated watermill of “Rodanovagellis”.
There you can see old equipment and tools that the locals used
in their everyday life, their household and their outdoor
activities. Furthermore, in the museum there are much
traditional furniture, Cretan woven, photographs and everything
else that is related to our local tradition and culture.
The renovation of the watermills and the museum started in 1999
with the support of Sitia Growth Organization, the Itanos
Municipality and of course the residents of Zakros who donated
many old exhibit for the museum.
The renovated buildings are:
• The old cheese- dairy
• Brillakis Watermill
• Rodanakis ….
• The Watermill – Factory of Rodanakis
• The Watermill – Bakery of Xapapa
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Country churches
From the water source there is a dirt road following the foot of
the mountain that goes to a number of country churches that are
dated from the Turkish domination. It’s a good idea to go on
foot or by bicycle so as to enjoy the landscape..
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EVENTS -
LOCAL FIESTA
The Itanos
municipality organizes every year a variety of events and local
fiestas in coordination with the Cultural Clubs of the area.
There are concerts and theater performances, traditional music
and dancing, folklore art, literature and poetry evenings, where
everyone can learn about our rich local culture. Every year it
is issued a brochure with all the events and fiestas that take
place in the area.
If at this time you are here in our area, you can take a taste
of our local entertainment, like the festivals (panigiria):
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Zakros – Festival
of “Lord Christ”
On 6th August on the celebration of the church of Lord Christ,
which is at the source, the Zakros cultural club organizes a
festival in the center of the village. On the night of the
festival you will enjoy traditional Greek music and dancing, a
delicious traditional meal and plenty of wine and raki!
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Palaikastro –
Festival of “Aghia Triada”
On 15th June every year in the square of the village takes place
a festival with local artists and plenty of food and wine.
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Palaikastro –
Festival of “Virgin Mary”
On 15th August every year takes place the festival of “Virgin
Mary” with live Cretan and Folk music, a lot of dancing and
plenty of local food.
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Karidi – Festival
Every year is organized in Karidi a local festival with Cretan
music and dancing and plenty of food, at the school yard of the
village.
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PLACE
TO VISIT
We recommend you
some beautiful nearby places to visit with Kato Zakros as your
base.
XEROKAMPOS
It is a
beautiful coastal village 19km south of Kato Zakros. A
characteristic of Xerokampos is the quality and variety of its
beaches. It consists of bays and coves that cover an area of 5km
of coast. Almost all the bays have white sandy beaches and clean
and clear blue waters. You can enjoy both your swim at the
isolated and scenic bays that offer you peace and quiet and also
your lunch or dinner at the taverns by the beach.
CHOCHLAKIES GORGE –
KAROUMES BEACH
18km from
Kato Zakros is the village of Chochlakies. You can leave your
car there and then walk through the gorge the signed path
towards Karoumes beach. It is a one-hour walk until you reach
the isolated beach and enjoy your swim. It is a good idea to
wear appropriate shoes and carry with you water or anything else
that you might need as you will not find something on the beach.
PALM GROOVE VAI
40
minutes away from Kato Zakros is the famous palm groove Vai. It
covers an area of 200.000 m2 and its palm trees belong to the
kind of Phoenix Theophrasti. It is protected from the Greek and
European legislation and it belongs to the protected area of the
Natura 2000.
The valley of Vai reaches a beautiful and well-organized beach,
which has a restaurant, a refreshment stand, water sports etc
and where you can enjoy the exotic beauty of the area.
However, if you do not like to be surrounded by crowds of people,
you can enjoy your swim at the nearby beaches of ancient Itanos
or Ermoupoli, where it is quieter.
TOPLOU MONASTERY
Near Vai
and almost 50 minutes away from Kato Zakros is the monastery of
Toplou, which is worth visiting due to its rich historical
interest and architecture.
The Monastery of “Panagia Akrotiriani” is referred for the first
time in documents of the 15th century, but it has probably been
built even earlier. In the monastery are two museums (ecclesiastic
and historical) with many rare religious and historical
heirlooms (book editions, carvings, the Souidas Dictionary etc.)
At the entrance of the temple there is a stone sign from the 2nd
BC century. It is the famous “Magniton Arbitration” that refers
to the differences between the ancient towns of Itanos and
Ierapetra and the relevant decision of the ancient Magniton (9
residents of the ancient Magnesia near Miletus in Mikra Asia).
It is also worth mentioning that in the monastery produce
biological products such as olive oil, wine and raki that come
from the land of the monastery. The abbot Mr. Filotheos
Spanoudakis is always willing to show you around.
SITIA
Sitia is
a beautiful, coastal town that is found roughly 1 hour far from
Kato Zakros. It is worth visiting Sitia and make a walk round
the shops, enjoy your coffee at the harbor, the local ice cream
or visit the Folklore museum, the Fortress of Kazarma and the
Archaeological museum, where you can find many valuable exhibits
from the Palace of Kato Zakros, the ancient town of Itanos and
from other nearby regions.
Sitia was the homeland of Myson, one of the 7 ancient wise-men,
and of Vitsentzos Kornaros, the creator of Erotokritos.
Also, every Tuesday there is a street market, where you can find
many local products such as fruits, vegetables, dairy etc.
“CHRISI” ISLAND
(IERAPETRA)
A little
more far away from Kato Zakros and 8 sea miles south of
Ierapetra is the island of “Chrisi” or “Gaidouronisi”. It is a
small island with an exotic beauty that does not remind you
anything of the Cretan land.
The characteristic of the island is the beautiful beaches which
have only white shells and green-blue clear waters. The bottom
of the sea that surrounds the island is rich in fossils that
have been found on volcanic rocks that are dated 350.000 until
70.000 years before, when the island was sunk in water.
Many of these fossils live also today in the sea around the
island, and that result in a big number of shells on the beaches
of the island.
It is almost an hour drive from Kato Zakros to Ierapetra, taking
the mountainous road from the village Adravasti that passes
through the beautiful villages of Karidi, Voyla and Chandra. The
access to the island is possible only by sea with small boats
from Ierapetra’s harbor I the summer months. It is a one hour
journey and there are daily routes (departure at 10:30 or 12:30
and return at 17:00 or 18:00).
ACTIVITIES IN KATO ZAKROS
If you do not relate
your holidays only with sunbathing and swimming, but you also
wish to explore Kato Zakros through natural routes appropriate
for cycling, or through signed hiking paths where you will enjoy
the untouchable beauty of our land, you have your chance here in
Kato Zakros.
The only thing you need is your good mood and the right footgear
and of course your camera.
Cycling – Mountain Bike
At
Yiannis Retreat Studios we provide you with mountain bikes,
which you can use for free in order to enjoy your ride through
the natural routes that exist.
Riding through the olive trees, the gardens of the locals,
through the Old road from Kato Zakros to “Pano” Zakros, looking
at the magnificent view or following the road to the beach, you
can combine exercise with pleasure.
Hiking
For our
visitors that are lovers of hiking, there are many interesting
and passable paths, signed with red signs.
Except from walking through the European path E4 that goes
through the Dead’s Gorge, there are also very beautiful routes
such as the path to Pelekita, Xerokambos and many others.
We can provide you with a special map of our area with all the
routes, and we can also inform you about anything else you need.
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