Xerokambos site at Valis
Next to the lively village Valis of Messara Plain you will find Xerokambos, a ruined and abandoned village. The last residents left Xerokambos shortly after the Second World War, during which many villages in Crete were devastated. There are houses that still stand, where you can admire the unique typical architecture of Cretan cottages, all built with stone.
A few meters northwest of Xerokambos stands, surrounded by relatively flat terrain, the hill of Profitis Ilias (491m elevation). The hill of Prophet Elijah stands throughout the area offering views of the plain of Messara. There is no chapel dedicated to Prophet Elijah, but the place name reveals that there was one once. At the top, the Minoans built a sanctuary, completely unknown, with graves and other facilities which was never excavated by the archaeological authorities. Unfortunately, instead of the archaeologists, Prophet Elijah hill was looted by unknown people who have left holes everywhere in the ground, most of which are quite recent.
