Nature

The Great Olive tree of Aerinos has been declared monumental by the Association of Cretan Olive Municipalities. It is located at an altitude of 700 meters near the settlement Felesina. The olive tree is impressive because apart from its age it has a special morphology with many stones embedded in the trunk.

Koufonissi was an economic and cultural center from the Minoan until the Greco-Roman Times and was claimed by all major cities of the region. As recorded on the inscription of the Magnites currently embeded on the facade of the Toplou monastery church, there was a great dispute between Itanos and Ierapytna about Lefki island. In 132BAD the island was owned by Itanos.

The cave Ahnistres is located west of the seaside village of Milatos, at an altitude of 70 meters and it has two entrances, quite covered by dense vegetation. One entrance is precipitous with 4m depth, while the main entrance, 1.5m wide, leads to a descending aisle, 6m long, ending at a passage 0.5X0.5m. The first room with the precipitous entrance has also a small opening that leads to the main cave with impressive stalagmites and columns that divide the room into several parts.

Tafkoura cave is located at Located at Petradolakia at an altitude 1480 meters, approximately 13 km south of Anogia. It is classified as pothole and its explored depth is 860m and the total length is 6570 meters. It is considered as the largest and deepest cavern of Psiloritis Mount and the 3rd in Greece.

Below this plane tree, that has been declared as nature monument, the 99 Holy Fathers settled after arriving to Crete from Egypt, Cyprus and Turkey. This is located inside the monastery if the 99 Holy Fathers. They say that its branches form 99 crosses.

The precipice Gourgouthakas is the deepest precipice of Greece and the second in the Balkans. Access is almost impossible by anyone and can only be achieved by experienced cavers. The second largest precipice of Greece is also in Crete and is known as Tafkoura. It is located on the site "Atzines" of the White Mountains (Chania) and east of the peak of the Holy Spirit in Melidoni area.

The very quiet beach of East Tsigounas, mostly known as Petrakis, is located 1km east of Lendas and 76km south of Heraklion. it is located on the foots of the steep and inhospitable slopes of Asterousia Mountains.

The holly or Kermes oak is a species that resembles common oak. In Crete it is met in all mountainous regions and is one of the most common trees. The oaks are met in ranges of Crete, as they can grow in rocky and dry soils and withstand the extreme weather conditions there. Indeed, the beautiful oak forest of Rouvas is the largest grove of oaks in Europe.