Antiquities

Crete is the birthplace of the first European civilization

Crete is the birthplace of the first European civilization, the Minoan, which flourished between 3000 BC and 1200 BC mainly in Central and Eastern Crete.

The Minoan fleet, the strongest of its era, as evidenced by several findings in the Mediterranean, brought wealth to Crete from the trade of the famous Cretan cypress and agricultural products. Built in large yards, ships were loaded with timber, honey, wine, pottery and olive oil from the ports of Dia, Katsambas, Komos, Zakros, Psira, Mochlos, Niros, Petras, sailing towards all directions of the Mediterranean as far as Scandinavia.

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Knossos Palace

Although in another municipality, it is not far from Anatoli and worth spending a day + Archaeological Museum of Heraklion for long sojourns. Knossos was the most important city on Crete before the Roman Era and the center of the first brilliant European civilization, the Minoan.

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Knossos Palace
Knossos Palace

Lato

The ruins of ancient Lato are located approximately 3km north of Kritsa, scattered between two hills at an altitude of 380m. This site has stunning views over the bay of Mirabello. The town existed in the Minoan period, but actually flourished after the Dorian invasion. It as inhabited till the Roman era, when it started to decline. Lato was one of the strongest cities in Crete, as evidenced by the agreements (inscriptions have survived) with other towns.

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Lato
Lato

Gournia

The archaeological site of Gournia is located on a hill west of Pachia Ammos, near the road connecting Agios Nikolaos to Ierapetra, 19km east of Agios Nikolaos. The city flourished in the Minoan period and is the most complete excavated Minoan town in Crete. Because of its good conservation, it was named as the "Pompeii of Crete".

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Gournia
Gournia

Mallia Minoan Era Palace

Ahlia (or Achlia) is located 15km east of Ierapetra, in the territory of the village Schinokapsala. It is a small settlement in a small cove, surrounded by pine trees and steep slopes of Thrypti Range. In front of the cove stretches a beautiful beach with coarse sand and vivid blue water. There are many tamarisk trees around offering shade to the visitors and the sea is almost always flat. The area is ideal for peaceful holidays, especially for families.

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Mallia Minoan Era Palace
Mallia Minoan Era Palace

Minoan Villa in Anatoli (Gaidourofa Hill)

(the trail from Anatoli to Stavros) At position Gaidourofas, at an altitude of 900 meters, near Anatoli village the archaelogists have revealed the traces of an imposing postminoan villa (1600 BC -1450 BC).

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Minoan Villa in Anatoli (Gaidourofa Hill)
Minoan Villa in Anatoli (Gaidourofa Hill)

Diktaean Cave

The impressive cave of Zeus, the Diktaean Cave, is located just 10 minutes walking-distance from Psychro, in Lassithi Plateau, at an altitude of 1025m.

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Diktaean Cave
Diktaean Cave

Zominthos

Ancient Zominthos is located 7km west of Anogia, on the road heading to the plateau of Nida. Discovered in 1982, Zominthos is one of the most important archaeological discoveries in Crete, compared my many to that of Knossos.

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Zominthos
Zominthos

Zakros Palace

Zakros is located in a remote area of eastern Crete, 45km southeast of Sitia. Communication with the Mid East was faster from here during the Minoan Age, thus the Minoans built here the administrative center of Eastern Crete, with an important port. The findings are very rich (sheets of gold, ivory, jewelry, pottery, etc.) and prove the close relationship of the city with the ports of Cyprus, Egypt and the Middle East.

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Zakros Palace
Zakros Palace

Psira small Island

Psira is a small uninhabited islet located 1 mile north of Tholos beach, situated at the northeastern edge of the Gulf of Mirabello. In Psira a Minoan settlement of 15-20 acres has been found, being one of the most important sites in Crete.

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Psira small Island
Psira small Island

Mohlos Islet

The islet Scoglio de Muflo of the Venetians, which is the island opposite of Mochlos, seems to have been a very important commercial center and port in antiquity till the Byzantine Era. The island, also called Psilos (i.e. Flea) (opposed to a larger island to the west called Psira, i.e. lice) is an archaeological site that still gets excavated. The flourish of ancient Mochlos seems to have been interrupted abruptly when the island was separated from the mainland of Crete. In today’s sea area between the island and the mainland, where the depth does not exceed 2.5 meters, traces of Roman buildings have been found. The island was inhabited since the 3650BC and flourished in the Minoan era, as the natural harbor and the surrounding fertile plain were two strong advantages within an area with stormy seas and rugged mountains. Mochlos imported obsidian from Milos and raw materials from the East, with which it had close trade relations.

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Mohlos Islet
Mohlos Islet

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