Driven away from Pachia Ammos because of the wind, we continued our journey towards Agios Nikolaos having high hope but low expectations. For those not familiar with the situation, the wind in Crete could easily turn into nightmare. And then the beaches of Istros appeared in front of our eyes… Ok, it’s true that the wind didn’t subside and it took a little courage but in the end we even managed to enjoy a swim!
Category Archives: Islands
Crete: Tholos and Gournia
After our visit to the monastery of Toplou we made a quick stop at Sitia where we spent few hours shopping for provisions and strolling and then we continued to the miraculously blue beach of Tholos. In the afternoon we visited the archaeological site of Gournia one of the best preserved Minoan villages in the island known also as Pompeii of Minoan Crete where excavations are still going on.
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Crete: Moni Toplou, a monastery to be tasted
On your way to Vai it is almost impossible to miss it. It looks like a fortress but it is a monastery, one of the wealthiest in Crete. In fact most of the land as far as the eye can see, it belongs to Moni Toplou as it is known informally the monastery. It possesses masterpieces of religious art too and it is incredibly well preserved. If these are still not enough to convince you for a visit, consider that they produce (and they sell) excellent products.