According to ancient legends, it was from here that Daedalus and Icarus took flight to escape King Minos. A small amphitheatre and two statues of these mythical figures overlook the harbour of this hillside village, which has become a charming seaside resort with a large Blue Flag beach.

Good to know: as the village is spread out across the hillside, with the hotels mainly at the top and the cafés and restaurants lined up facing the harbour and along the beach, you can expect to walk down a downhill slope of 50–60 metres on your way to the waterfront. Nothing too steep, but it can be quite tiring on the way back from a hearty meal washed down with plenty of wine and raki!

The village is entirely geared towards seaside holidays but does not appear to suffer from overtourism (except probably in July and August). Its beach is divided in two by the River Platis, which is spanned by a footbridge. It has been awarded Blue Flag status, has facilities for disabled visitors and is lined with tavernas. There are also hotels to the east of the river, but they are more than 1 km away from the harbour and the restaurants in the village centre.

To the east of the village, a good road crosses a small pass and leads to the Messara Plain, making it possible to visit the famous archaeological site of Phaistos and the village of Matala, which still cherishes its memories of the hippie years.

Useful links

Incredible Crete (The official tourism website of Crete) - Wikipedia