Tourist resorts and sunken city - Lassithi region in Crete

In the morning we drove to Ágios Nikólaos, the capital of the Lassithi regional district. The large, well-developed road led through mountains with a view of the coast and was pleasant to drive. We just didn't quite understand the different speed limits: the signs seemed to be placed quite randomly at short intervals and in some places the only purpose of a speed limit seemed to be the speed camera that was placed shortly after it.

We arrived in Ágios Nikólaos without any further incidents and parked at the marina. There were still many yachts on land, some of them quite impressive, waiting to be put back into the water.

Unfortunately, as our view was blocked by the boats, we couldn't find the small path that continued along the coast. So we turned around, walked through the entire harbor area again and then crossed the street to get to the walking path along the shore.

The path led past several viewpoints with a view of the sea and the small sandy beach of the town, around which several restaurants had settled.

A statue of Europa and Zeus in the form of a bull also stood on the shore. It commemorates the myth according to which Zeus abducted Europa, a Phoenician princess, and brought her to Crete.

In the centre of the city lies Lake Voulisméni, which has only been connected to the sea by a canal since 1870.

To walk around it, you have to climb a few meters in altitude, but you are rewarded with a beautiful view of the water and the city.

At the top we found a small café with a view and relaxed with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

We continued walking through the city and then drove further north to the town of Oloús.

There we took a walk along the coast and found a nice spot on the rocky beach for our picnic lunch.

Some remains of the ancient city of Oloús were still visible in the water, some of which lie below sea level. It is likely that parts of the isthmus sank due to earth movements in the 4th century, causing the town to sink into the sea.

There are still three remains of windmills on dry land that are no longer in use. The remains of an early Christian basilica are also said to be visible here. Unfortunately, we were unable to find any of its mosaic floor.

Just a little further along the coast lies the tourist resort of Elounda, where the most luxurious hotels in Crete are located.

We walked along the coast and looked at the small town, which was still very quiet in the off-season.

Now we slowly drove back west, but made a stop at the palace ruins of Mália.

This palace dates back to the Minoan period, although it is not as important as the complexes in Knossos or Festos.

According to legend, the brother of King Minos was the owner of the palace, which dates back to the 2nd millennium BC.

Our route continued along the coast and we stopped at a beautiful beach before returning to the hotel.

On one of the rocks stood an amphora that was 350 years old and had channels all the way around it from top to bottom. These were filled with water to prevent ants from climbing up and “stealing” the seeds stored inside.

With a view of the water we head back to our hotel.