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Greece: Vacation time, Day 9: Akrotiri Peninsula

Time for annual leave has come and with Nada we decided to have a motorbike trip, starting in Slovenia and ending on Crete in Greece. On our way we decided to spend some time with our friends in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and in Greece.

On 9th day of our vacation time we finally arrived to Crete, to Souda port. We decided to spend some time in the sea and to find some geocaches on interesting places. Our target was Akrotiri peninsula. In the evening we visited Nada's cousin Jelica and her family, where we also stayed over the night.

Previous days of our vacation: Day 8, Day 7, Day 6, Day 5, Day 4, Day 3, Day 2, Day 1.

Sunrise in Crete

Our first stop was Suda war cemetery, where 1,500 Commonwealth servicemen of World War II are buried or commemorated. Read more - click.

  

Later we visited small remote Church of the All-Holy Virgin in Pervolitsa

  

Nearby was also the WWII German Camp. You can watch the movie The 11th Day about the Cretan civilian resistance movement and their relentless battle against Nazi occupation forces from 1941-1945. 

Posers: Horsie, Thunder and Nada

 

We rode past Ekklisia Agios Spiridon down to Seitan limania beach

Getting ready for the geocache

 

Water was awesome

  

Nature created three inlets between the steep cliffs of the peninsula. In one of them is located the well-hidden beach.

 

Fish started to eat my leg

Location is known as Seitan Limania. The word "Seitan" (Seytan) is Turkish (apparently left over from the period of Turkish rule in Crete), and is translated as Satan, devil. Furthermore, the word "Limania" is a Greek word meaning harbors. Therefore, "Seitan Limania" means "The Satanic Harbors".

View from former coms-outpost to Chania International Airport

Our ride

 

Although deserted it offers magnificent view to all sides

 

Another stop for a geocache in the vicinity of an old olive tree

We visited the cave called the Cave of Panagia Arkoudiotissa (Our Lady of the Bear), or Arkoudospilios (Bear Cave) in Greek. It got its name from a big stalagmite in it that looks like a crouching bear.

We still have a long way to the sea

 

Down the stairs to the ruined Katholiko Monastery (Moni Katholiko).

 

The buildings probably date to shortly after 1600, but tradition says that there was a much earlier monastery here, the oldest in Crete, although this is not confirmed by historical sources.

 

Next to the ruined but still impressive buildings is the cave of St. John the Hermit, who is thought to have come here from Egypt and was active in many parts of Crete, such as Azogyre, before ending up at Akrotiri.

 

We followed the path for another ten minutes and came to the sea, in a tiny, deep cove with aquamarine waters. It may once have been used as a harbour and has its own legend.

Another refreshment in the sea

  

One for the audience

 

Moni Katholiko was abandoned after the numerous pirates' raids.

The monastery of Gouverneto was built in 1548 in honour of the Virgin Mary, or as it is known widely, to the Lady of Angels. This active now monastery was destroyed by the Turks in 1821 during the Greek War of Independence and now belongs to the monastery of Agia Triada.

 

Time to say goodbye

 

The monastery of Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) was built in 1612 by the monks Laurentius and Jeremiah, members of the Venetian orthodox family of Jagarolon.

We finally arrived with ferry on the island and made easy 80 kilometers on motorbikes

GeoCaches found:
- Suda war cemetery, GC2M5MM
- Spring at the Chapel, GC2G4K3
- WWII German Camp, GC2G4G9
- Cluster Cache at Seitan Limania Beach, GC72MMP
- View to Western Crete's Greatest Hits, GC72MNC
- Hennings DÜK Cache, GC20Q6F
- Agia Triada (Monastery), GC2G4W9
- Bear Cave / Αρκουδόσπηλιος, GC3WHDH
- Monastery Cove, GC3TTV7
- Crete - Akrotiri - "3 Monasteries Cache", GCN4G4