Viannos

Arvi monastery is built near the gorge of Arvi, in an elevated area with panoramic sea views. Today it is abandoned and only remnants of monks’cells reveal its past.

The monastery of Agia Moni (Holy Monastery) is located about 60km east of Heraklion and 38km west of Ierapetra, near Kavoussi Gorge. It can be accessed via a short road that starts from Ano Viannos and passes through a verdant landscape.

The church of St. George is located at village Ano Symi. The church with the beautiful frescoes of the painter Manuel Fokas (1453) was originally single-nave and later was added a lateral narthex.

Next to Faflagos beach there was the monastery of Agios Prokopios, which was once destroyed by the Arabs. Thus, the monks decided to leave the shore and build (in 855) a new monastery dedicated to Virgin Mary, at a very well hidden place, not visible from the sea. The church of the monastery of Panagia Keralimeniotissa (i.e. Virgin Mary – The Lady of the Ports), as it is called, still stands imperious at the same point near the exit of Xerofarago Gorge.

The Venetian church of Agios Dimitrios is located Kastri settlement and was the main church of the homonymous monastery. Today the cells and the other buildings of the monastery are deserted. The church is single-nave, vaulted and two entrances (south and west). The name Galaktoktistos means built with milk and is taken after the legend according to which the church was built with milk offered by the local shepherds.

St. Demetrius was a small monastery that operated near the settlement Ano Kornias during the Venetian period. Today the church has been renovated, while all around there are ruins of a kitchen, olive press, stable etc.

Just a few meters before reaching the village of Kato Viannos we meet the cemeterial temple that celebrates on August 6, as it is dedicated to Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. It was built during the Venetian Era and its exterior is simple, but its interior has many frescoes, quite damaged, which are brilliant.

The temple of Agia Pelagia is located at an elevated point with panoramic views of Ano Viannos town and can be accessed by walking through the narrow and scenic alleys of the village.