Nature

The wetland of Almyros is very close to the town of Agios Nikolaos, making it a real paradise for the area. It is a marshy area of 48 acres that is permanently watered with brackish water from karst springs. The average annual flow rate is about 2000 liters per second.

A few meters after the beautiful Byzantine church of Saint George Hostos at Pirouniana, by village Agia Varvara we meet an unknown waterfall. The fall of Saint George is on the riverside path that leads to the deserted settlement Axenti today and shortly after a well-preserved watermill. The stream at that point creates a small waterfall 4 meters high.

Below the Old National Road is the large sea cave of Kako Oros, a special geological formation relatively unknown to most locals. There is a big hole in the roof of the cave, creating an impressive stone arch and a natural skylight.

The mountain of Samitos is the extension of Mount Kedros to the northeast and is separated from the main volume of Kedros by the river Smilianos. At the top of it is built the chapel of Ascension (altitude 1013 meters), from where the view around the Amari valley is amazing.

One of the most beautiful evergreen shrubs that can be met in Crete and in other regions of Greece are strawberry trees (Arbutus Unedo). The strawberry trees are found in all the prefectures of Crete and not only in the western Crete, as locals believe. Indeed at the westernmost part of the island we meet them quite often, while in the mountainous provinces of Kissamos and Selino they cover entire slopes often forming low impassable woods.

Anemones (Anemone coronaria L) are among the most beautiful flowers that adorn the nature of Crete. They are annual plants that can reach heights up to 45 cm and there is only one flower per person. Their name is taken after the wind (anemos in Greek) as the ancient Greeks believed that the wind made them bloom. The Cretans most of the time call them poppies, however poppies belong to the species Papaver rhoeas L. The anemones of Crete plants are poisonous but are very beautiful flowers.

Atherina beach is located about 70 km southeast of Agios Nikolaos and 34 km east of Ierapetra, shortly before we reach the seaside village of Goudouras. To approach it from the shore, from the main road walk along the narrow and deep dry stream, which drains the Vigla region.

Xotikospilio (i.e. the cave of elfs) is located 70km southwest of Chania, 30km south of Kissamos and 1.5 km northwest of Keramoti village. It is named after the small cave next to it where locals have seen elfs!