Average time of walking is between 2.5 and 3 hours. The first half is not that difficult but after the first 3 km it gets really adventurous. The rocks get bigger and you climb or slide down. The last part is the most beautiful. The walls get higher and higher and the corridors get smaller. The most narrow part we pass is only 1 m wide!
Hiking trails: 32 km from Kritsa to Katharo Plateau
Walk the beautiful trail that connect Kritsa to Katharo, following the ancient trail which some date back to the Minoan times. The trail passes between characteristic trees of the Cretan flora (oaks, Cretan maple, holly oaks) and it sometimes opens in large glades or sometimes passes alongside beautiful rocks and pale gray stone.
Kritsa Olive Oil: more than 27 sq km of olive trees
In Kritsa you will find some of the ancient olive groves in Greece. The microclimate of the place and the tradition of centuries in the cultivation of the olive fruit and its juice contributes to the production of unique olive oil. The Koroneiki variety produces a divine peppery taste olive oil which has the lowest acidity in the world.
-
Lato ruins date mainly from the Dorian period
The city most likely was named after the goddess Leto. Lato was built in a defensible position overlooking Mirabello Bay between two peaks, both of which became acropolises to the city. The city was destroyed around 200 BCE, but its port, located near Agios Nikolaos was in use during Roman rule.
-
The church of Panagia Kera is located near Kritsa.
The Church of Panagia Kera is a Cretan Byzantine church. It contains the finest-preserved Byzantine-era frescoes in Crete, and for that reason, has become one of the most culturally and historically significant churches on the island. Although no founding date for the Church of Panagia Kera has been established, historical consensus agrees that the oldest parts of the church, the central nave, its vaulted roof and dome, were constructed and painted in the 13th century.
-
Home of one of the oldest schools in Crete
After the Turkish Occupation one of the first schools was established in Kritsa. The first teacher was Emmanuel Mprokos and the school operated in different houses. Students from the nearby villages where coming to the school to educate
-
Kritsa became the seat of the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos
The Municipality included Krousta, Prina, Kalo Chorio, Mardati, Agios Nikolaos, Mesa Lakonia and Tapes. In 1925 it became a community again and since 2010 is one of the largest municipal communities of the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos.
-
The movie Celui qui doit mourir was filmed
He Who Must Die is a 1957 French film directed by Jules Dassin. It is based on the novel Christ Recrucified by Nikos Kazantzakis. It was entered into the 1957 Cannes Film Festival.
"I am leaving a part of myself here"
"Crete is unrecognizable and Saint Nicholas is shocking in its simplicity and natural beauty."
Contact Us