islets

Chrissi can be considered a paradise for geology enthusiasts. One of the most spectacular geological sights of the island can be seen east of Belerinina beach, where you will meet thousands of fossils, mainly bivalves. The fossils form a so-called thanatocoenosis, that is, dead shells that have been gathered there by the streams and have fossilized over time.

The longest beach at Koufonissi lies in the southeast part of the islet, overlooking Africa! Amazing clean water, rocky seabed ideal for snorkeling, and smooth sand ideal for playing beach tennis. The only problem is the lack of shade.

The desert region bears the place name Elia by a centuries-old olive tree, the only tree in the area and is one of the 4 total olive trees (!) that we meet throughout the island. The existence of this secret desert does not seem in any beach of the island shows how close the island is located to the African climate and continent.

The islet Scoglio de Muflo of the Venetians, which is the island opposite of Mochlos, seems to have been a very important commercial center and port in antiquity till the Byzantine Era. The island, also called Psilos (i.e. Flea) (opposed to a larger island to the west called Psira, i.e. lice) is an archaeological site that still gets excavated.

Koufonissi was an economic and cultural center from the Minoan until the Greco-Roman Times and was claimed by all major cities of the region. As recorded on the inscription of the Magnites currently embeded on the facade of the Toplou monastery church, there was a great dispute between Itanos and Ierapytna about Lefki island. In 132BAD the island was owned by Itanos.

At the middle of the southeast shores of Lefki or Koufonissi island, at 75m altitude, we meet the ruined lighthouse of the island. There was found a temple, which unfortunately has suffered from predatory looting from the authorities (in 1920) in order to build the huge lighthouse, only 5m from the eastern short side of the temple where the entrance would have been, even though another stepped entrance was found on the north side.

At the west part of Chrissi islet you will meet the small lighthouse, powered by photovoltaic panel. The lighthouse is located close to the small chapel of Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas) and the dried lake of the island.

Just opposite the port of Agios Nikolaos is the island of Agii Pantes (All Saints), which takes its name after the homonym chapel. On feastday of the temple (56 days after Easter) townspeople visit the island by boat to join the feast. Next to the church of All Saints we see a domed building that dates back to the Venetian Era.