Sailing round of the Rodopos peninsula
It is worth making a sailing tour of the Rodopos peninsula, at the east of Kastelli; apart from the exciting landscape, you will see some churches, the constructions of old mines and you will find marvelous beaches.
Sailing round of the Gramvousa peninsula
More exciting is the sailing tour of the western peninsula, the Gramvousa peninsula. You will see the cave of Tersanas, the Balos lagoon and the islets Agria (Wild) Gramvousa, Imeri (Mild) Gramvousa and Pontikonisi.
The two small islets, Agria ("Wild") Gramvousa and Imeri ("Mild") Gramvousa are situated close to the homonymous peninsula, at the very west of the island.
Agria Gramvousa is situated at the North of the peninsula and, as its name states, its coasts are sheer and rocky and the environment wild and may be not so friendly for the visitor.
Imeri Gramvousa (or simply Gramvousa) is an islet with a small port and a beautiful beach. The whole islet is overlooked by the impressive Venetian fort built in the 16 th century and changed various dominants until the end of the World War II.
Within a small bay opposite to Gramvousa there is the Balos lagoon. The beach at the lagoon is sandy with pinkish white sand and thousands of broken and intact seashells, with shallow water, very warm especially in summer. It is considered as one of the best beaches of the Mediterranean Sea, despite the tar problem, the muddy seabed, which may make walking on it a bit disgusting, and the occasionally bad odour of the water.
Menies bay is where the sanctuary of Diktynna is located on the peninsula of Rodopou. A little piece of paradise at the end of a long (17km) bumpy dirt road that still invites you to have a swim even in late January.
The temple of Diktynna was located on the hill to the right (south) of the beach and several objects found there - such as the statue of Diktynna with a hound - are exhibited in the archaeological museum of Chania. |
