Flektro Settlement
During the Dark Period of the post Minoan times in Crete many settlements were built on remote mountainous areas, mainly in eastern Crete. The historians call it dark period because they still don’t know the exact reason for this massive movement of populations. The settlements were built on hard to access, naturally fortified places so as to protect their inhabitants from enemy attacks.
One of the most unknown but impressive settlements of this dark period (1200-800 BC) is Flektro over the village Gonies, province Pediada, in a very sharp peak at the north end of mount Louloudaki. Louloudaki is one of the strangest mountains of Crete with very interesting geomorphology with potholes, caves and impressive rock formations.
Access to the area of the site is only possible from Gonies. From there, a dirt track heads to Agia Marina location, where we meet the chapel of Saint Marina with a small spring. This spring was probably used by the habitants of Flektro. From Agia Marina, the road ascends for several meters until it there is a dead end. From here we have to climb the extremely steep slope up to the location Kisafi with the old stockyards. From Kisafi one can locate the ancient Minoan path that still is visible in many places and leads directly to the summit of Flektro.
Flektro without could be characterized as the Machu Picchu of Crete. It's so impressive that one wonders how the Minoans came up there and how strong was the fear they felt for enemy attacks so as to choose such a rough and eerie place.
Flektro is actually a very small smooth and green plateau between two limestone rocks that act as walls. The north rock peak hosts ruins of square rooms that was probably the acropolis of the small town. The view from Flektro is very impressive and we can overlook the valley of Lagada with Aposelemis lake, the north side of Dikti Range and the Cretan Sea.
Flektro was built on the west side of the canyon Ambelos, the only natural passage from north coast to the fertile plateau of Lassithi and is directly opposite another famous settlemt of the Dark Period, Karfi. Karfi and Flektro could actually control the passage to Lassithi from the north coast and have visual contact.
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