Nature

Koutsouras is located 55km southeast of Agios Nikolaos and 20km east of Ierapetra, on the main road between Ierapetra and Makrigialos. It is a relatively new village, built in a valley with pine trees, greenhouses and olive groves on the southern foothills of Mount Thripti. The village is developed with a police station, pharmacy, clinic, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, etc., but it is still a very quiet place.

The dice snake (scient. Natrix tessellata) is a kind of water snake, which occurs frequently in the permanent wetlands, the sea shores and rock pools of Crete. Many Cretans call it as water snake, but this name actually belongs to the relative species of Natrix natrix, which is absent from the island. Finally there is the suspicion that the dice snake of Crete belongs to a separate species, but it hasn’t been confirmed yet.

Kollita Gorges, i.e. Twin Ravines are located nearby the picturesque village Argyroupolis, about 22km southwest of Rethymnon city. They are named so, as they consist of two parallel canyons that end near Kato Poros settlement. Here we refer to the easternmost gorge of Moundros.

South of the picturesque hamlet of Drymiskos lies a series of consecutive coves forming several beaches along 3 km. The entire region bears the name Drymiskian Beach. The successive beaches separated by rocks and reefs which make snorkeling a real experience. The site remains virtually unknown to most people mainly because the access is difficult.

Istro(n) is located 12km east of Agios Nikolaos and 22km north of Ierapetra, very close to Kalo Chorio. It is a quiet village, situated in a lush valley full with olive groves and springs, which has been developed during the last decades. However, the development was fortunately mild, mainly due to the regional building restrictions because of the archaeological discoveries. The main growth driver of Istron is undoubtedly the emerald beaches which are scattered in three adjacent bays.

The gorge Almyros is located in Linoperamata, close to Heraklion, between Keri and Kastrokefala. Almiros Gorge is the nearest gorge to Heraklion, a natural oasis close to the bustling city, formed between the hills of Keri and Kastrokefala.

The east end of the long Ierapetra beach is called Livadia, and beyond this, is called Peristeras. This is a secluded area with high cliffs surrounding it. The beach is sandy and has several smooth rocks in places. You can reach the easternmost part of Saint Andrew by walking from the road. However, there is a second sandy beach in Peristeras, just behind the rocky end of the long beach, that can be accessed by the road. This is very well protected by prying eyes, but there are many rocks.

The peninsula of Grammeno(s) is located 85km south of Chania and 5km east of Paleochora, on the road connecting Paleochora with Koudoura. Koudoura is a warm area with greenhouses, where most citizens of the area work.