islets

The island of Imeri Gramvousa is located 20km northwest of Kissamos, opposite the imposing Cape of Gramvousa and 2 miles northwest of the famous lagoon of Balos. Gramvousa is famous for its historical Venetian fortress, which still stands at a height of 137m, over the beach. The fort had also been used by pirates.

Dia is an uninhabited island with 5 km maximum length and 3 km maximum width surrounded by small rocky inlets. It is located 6 miles north of Heraklion. It is one of NATURA's protected areas due to its status as a biotope for endemic plants and for plants with low dispersal within the Southern Aegean.

lighthouse at Ambelos

A few residents live on the island throughout the year and the infrastructure for tourists is very basic. According to the census of 2001, Gavdos has 98 permanent residents. The truth is that fewer than 50 live permanently here, but when the census was done, 98 people were on the island. In summer, the total population reaches 3500, most of whom are campers. The port of Gavdos is Karave. It’s capital village is Kastri, while the southernmost inhabited village is Vatsiana with 23 residents. Gavdos is a fishing place, with few but good-hearted people who with patience wait for better days of summer to see their island swarmed with visitors.

Paximadia Islands are two small uninhabited islets off the Gulf of Messara, 12km (7.5 miles) south of Agia Galini. By far they seem like a single island because they are very close. You may also hear locals refer to these as "Elephant", since from afar they remind you of a lying elephant. Their total length is about 3km.

The beauty of the beach and the surrounding region cannot be reflected within the lines of this text. It is not surprising that the Discovery Channel has declared Agiannis as the second best beach in the world after one beach in Hawaii. Indeed, Agiannis is a stunning secluded sandy beach, in a wild African landscape.

The island of Agioi Theodoroi or Thodorou and located just opposite of the beach of Platanias in Chania, just half a mile northern. The history of the island and its ecological importance in preserving the protected species of the Cretan wild goat, make this small dot on the map very important.