Ancient sites in West Crete

Chania town

Crete island is built on layers of civilization one after another. Each of those civilizations has left its remains upon the island. You can discover very small traces of Minoan civilization (as it has flourished in eastern Crete especially in Heraklion). Some Minoan civilization remains can be found in Kanevaro St. in Chania town where you can see the excavations of four Minoan villas. The city of Chania is built upon 5000 years of civilization and there are plenty of archaeological sites to see right in the town center. Although we want to share with you archaeological locations of interest in the area of western Crete, listed below, you may want to continue reading about Chania town Archaeological sites

Falassarna

Situated about 55 km west of Chania, Falassarna is best known for its nice beach and very clean sea. To the north of the beach (about 10 min walking), you can see the remains of an ancient harbor dating back to the Late Minoan period. The settlement was inhabited during the Hellenistic and Roman period and was probably abandoned when the island moved upwards by several meters. The harbor is now almost 8 meters above sea level. Continue reading about ancient Falasarna city

The monastery of Agios Ioannis in Aptera

Situated above the bay of Souda, east of Chania, Aptera used to be one large and very populated (considering the era) city. The view from Aptera is worth the journey: to the north (from the castle) you can see the Souda bay and to the south the White Mountains. Continue reading about ancient Aptera

Stairs leading to the Aesculap temple in Lissos

Lissos is located one hour by foot to the west of Sougia (Village in southwestern Crete), Lissos was an important coastal settlement of the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods. Lissos was famous for its healing spring. There are a number of ruins to be seen, especially the small Asklepios (the Greco-Roman god of healing) temple which was famous throughout the region. You can still see a well preserved mosaic floor in it. The area is full of ruins, many of them hidden by the vegetation. continue reading about Lissos ancient city

Stay in touch

Sign up now and receive exclusive offers and benefits.

We value your privacy. None of the details supplied will be shared with external parties

This property operates under the Greek Tourism Organization license no: 077650227000

Please read our Privacy Policy before you continue using this website.