Apokoronas

Apokoronas - a region with unique natural beauty...

The peninsular is situated on the north coast of Crete, to the east of the town of Chania. The seat of the municipality is the village Vrysses.

It is characterized by the green hills and the fertile tracts of land, due to the abundance of water coming from the mountains, creating the only natural lake of Crete in Kournas.

Apokoronas extends from the foothills of the White Mountains north to the coast, in a wide plain with rolling hills. To the east, Cape Drapanon rises above the plain and extends out into the Sea of Crete. The area is very green and fertile, unusual for rocky Crete. The Kiliaris river runs through the region.

Tourism and agriculture are the major local industries, with much construction and quarrying to satisfy the demands of many foreigners eager to buy or rent properties in the beautiful and traditional villages. Gavalohori is among the more popular villages for foreign buyers, with a large amount of building taking place. Many residents or workers in Chania also have homes in the area.

Apokoronas was the location of much of the filming of the movie Zorba the Greek.

Apokoronas' morphology of the terrain is very interesting. To the south, there are the high - and famous - White Mountains of Crete, or Lefka Ori. In the central and main part of Apokoronas, we find picturesque plateaus that have been formed between the surrounding hills. To the north, Apokoronas forms the southeastern part of Souda Bay and extends to the scenic Drapano Peninsula. Its easternmost part is the well-known resort of Georgioupolis.

Its natural environment is unique, ideal for the production of quality olive oil and wine. In the eastern part of the province of Apokoronas lies the only sweet water lake in Crete, Kourna Lake, near the homonymous village of Kourna.

The coastal part of Apokoronas in its most part is rocky and rugged, not suitable for swimming, but offering great views to the sea and the nearby Akrotiri Peninsula. However, in certain places of the coastline you can find excellent beaches, some of the best in Crete.

In Apokoronas, there are also great canyons as Diktamos, which starts from Katochori, Keramia and ends near Stylos, St. Nicholas canyon between Ramni and Macheri and Asi Gonia canyon. In Apokoronas, there are also 213 recorded caves with historical and environmental value.

If you spend your holidays in the area of Apokoronas, you will have a great chance to explore the natural beauties, the seaside resorts and quaint traditional villages and settlements. There are 75 villages in Apokoronas, a lot of them with traditional taverns, small cafes and picturesque squares. Some of the most popular are: Vamos, Georgioupolis, Plaka, Almyrida, Kokkino Chorio, Gavalochori, Xirosterni, e.t.c.

Kalyves, Almyrida and Georgioupoli are the largest beach resorts.