Cassandra & Mario
Things To Do
Nida Plateau|The Cave of ZEUS
One may visit the Cave of Zeus, also known as Ideon Andron, and Nida Plateau Mythology tells us that ZEUS was born or raised in this cave by the Goddess Rhea, to hide him from his father Kronos , who had eaten all his children. The tales tell that special warriors known as Kourites, danced with shields and metal weapons to protect Ζeus, making a clashing noise so that his father would not hear him cry. Perhaps these were the original Cretans? ZEUS, of course, went on to become one of the most powerful Gods: he was the God of Mt. Olympus, ruler of all the Gods, God of Thunder and God of the Sky. From Anogia it is 25 km further up steep mountain roads. The road ends at Nida Plateau, with one or two small buildings and a little chapel. Behind the church, named the Church of Analipsi, which looks out over the plateau and the mountain range, is a lovely picnic area.
Saint Yakinthosmeaning “Saint of Lovers”
The small and beautiful church of the orthodox Saint of the lovers, Saint Yakinthos is in the middle of a forest with perennial oak trees, young maples and eternal rocks, in an area called Korakopetra. The church of Saint Yakinthos is similar, in architectual design, to a Cretan mitato, as it is a circular, stone building and the Post-Minoan architecture. Saint Yakinthos is celebrated on the 3rd of July. Saint Yakinthos became widely known in Crete in 1998 when the composer and singer “Loudovikos of Anogia”, along with the inhabitants of the mountain village of Anogia, persuaded Anthimos, the Metropolitan Bishop of Rethymnon, to build a small church in honour of Saint Yakinthos. The proposal was accepted by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the church was soon built. Modern Yakintheia – In the 1980s and for the first time, Manos Ηatzidakis and Giorgis Klados decided to organize musical events in the mountains of Anogia to disperse culture.
Sfentoni Cave
Whoever wants to admire nature’s beauty should visit Zoniana and Sfentoni cave. The rocks, which are dominant on the massive mount Psiloritis, are limestones: the existence of which justifies the very large number of caves and cliffs. The cave named “Sfentoni cave” is the only cave where there is infrastructure for receiving and touring visitors. It is situated one km northeast of Zoniana village in the location “Mironos”, on the steep southern slopes of Halepa hill. The cave has a length of 145 m. in a straight line and takes up a surface of over 3,000 m2. Its main development extends to the north and it has been created by the slow corrosion of the calcareous rocks. Opening times: Summer Season: From April 10th to October 31st, from 10:30 to 17:30 throughout the week.
Vossakos Monastery
The church of Holy Cross in Vossako is built in a small plateau between the peaks Koutroulis and Mesokofinas of the Talean Mountains. The monastery can be reached by car via the village Doxaro and the rough landscape is amazing. There is a second road starting from Sisses village. The name Vossako comes from the abbreviation of the greek words vous (buff) and sakos (fold) and means cattle pen, as the plateau probably was used for feeding cattle. The complex of the monastery is arranged in three wings around the main church which is situated on the east side of the central yard. According to various historical sources, the monastery was in continuous use from the early 17th century until 1960, when the last of its monks died. In April 1676, Vossakos became a Patriarchical monastery. The monastery played an important role in the greater area of Mylopotamos and owned many pieces of land as well as establishments in the nearby villages of Sisses, Garazo and Dafnedes.