| Sights |
| Samaria Gorge | |
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Samaria Gorge is the most popular all over the world for its unique natural beauty, for which it has been distinquished as national park. The national park of Leuka Ori (Samaria) is a protected area and main destination of all visitors. The Gorge is perhaps the most beautiful in Europe. It is the biggest and narrowest gorge, since its width being at one point is less than 2,5 meters and height of the stone walls reach 600 meters in many points. To cross the gorge, one needs to walk for about 5 hours (18 kms length). The natural beauty overrides any feeling of exhaustion during the walk. Its crossing is only possible during the summer months from beginning of May since October. |
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| Mountain Gigilos | |
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The most impressive climbing slope in Crete. It is exactly above the Samaria Gorge. The approach to the site demands a one hour walk from the hiking trail or from the entrace to the gorge, Ksiloskalo. About 15 courses have been opened and there are many parellel ones. The difficulty level ranges from V to VII, at the most. Because of the rough terrain, there is no rigging for permenent safe gaurds. The height ranges from 400m to 800m. This site is for those who worship challenging courses. |
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| Beaches of Agia Roumeli | |
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In front of Agia Roumeli there is a refreshing pebble beach in a superb setting with the mountains and the mountain caves right behind it. To the east of Agia Roumeli, near the church of Saint Pavlos, there is a very good beach in a similar setting. Also, to the west the magnificent beaches of Fournoti and Domata promise remarkable moments. The beaches can easily be reached by boat from Agia Roumeli. |
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| Castle of Agia Roumeli | |
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On the west side of the south end of Samaria Gorge, on top of a hill, are the remains of a castle. The castle can be easily reached by Agia Roumeli from an appropriately shaped footpath. The magnificent view rewards the walkers offering a unique feeling of freedom. |
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| Byzantine church of Saint Pavlos | |
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You may reach the beautiful Byzantine church of Saint Pavlos by way of a footpath going east from the village of Agia Roumeli. It takes about 30 minutes to reach the church on an easy path that runs beside the sea. The church is on the spot where Saint Paul reportedly baptised people on his way to Rome. It is a very picturesque small church, built on the beach using stones from the beach itself. This is why it is not easy to see the church from far. The church has cruciform architecture with an equidimensional cross and a dome over the centre and is in a superb natural setting. The church was built around the tenth century and the frescoes probably date from the thirteenth century. |
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| Church of Saint Triada | |
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The church of Saint Triada is at the upper dorp of Agia Roumeli very close to the entrance of the national park. It had many exterior rosette decorations, some of them surviving today. Two old graves are attached on the outside walls of the church. Westwards and Eastwards of the upper dorp there are two wonderful small churches , - one of them built in a mountain cave, attract all the tourists. |
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| Byzantine church of Panagia | |
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The Byzantine church of Panagia in Agia Roumeli is a very important church. It is near the beach, after the end of the modern village and before the canyon becomes visible. The church is easily seen from the boats approaching from Sfakia. It was a very old, three-aisled basilica built with very large stones. Only part of the church remains today and the larger original church can be seen around the more recent Byzantine one. In the middle of the church there are traces of mosaics in white, black and red, with geometric motifs. It is believed that parts of the church had no roof. This is one of the earliest basilicas in Crete and the mosaic that can be seen today in the yard of the newer church, surrounded by the walls of the older church, may come from an even earlier Greek temple of the first century B.C. |
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