Nature

Just opposite the port of Agios Nikolaos is the island of Agii Pantes (All Saints), which takes its name after the homonym chapel. On feastday of the temple (56 days after Easter) townspeople visit the island by boat to join the feast. Next to the church of All Saints we see a domed building that dates back to the Venetian Era.

At the east sides of the volcano-like peak of Strouboulas (seen from Heraklion), you will meet the small plateau of Strouboulas. It is a typical limestone plateau with limited vegetation due to overgrazing, but it hides wild beauty. At one side, you will meet the chapel of Saint George and at its lowest place, a small pond is formed in the winter. This small unknown wetland is highly dependant on the rainfalls. The water is reddish due to the grounds that remind of African landscapes.

The lush canyon of Vederi starts from the village Fratzeskiana Metohia, passes next to the village Vederi and ends on the beach of Gerani (after 7km). The canyon has dense vegetation that makes trekking very difficult, as there is no footpath along its length.

The cave is located north- east of the village Nithavris at an altitude of 700m. at position Kalikas. Its dimensions are 100m x 40m and has a maximum height of 20 meters. Apart from its many names (Onymahos, Kallika Trypa, Notiki Tripa Nithavris, Paul Faure Cave), the impressive entrance with the inscription with the ancient name ONYMAXOC, it hosts beautiful stalactites and hides a rich history that testifies that it was inhabited since ancient times.

The canyon of Prasses or Askidia is located in a wooded area of the White Mountains. Its exit is located near the village Askidia (altitude 480m), which is a part of the village Prasses, hence the two names. To find the starting point of the canyon you have to drive on the road that heads from Chania to Sougia and turn at the intersection of Petras Seli leading to Omalos Plateau.

The fin whale (scient. Balaenoptera physalus), finback whale, razorback, or common rorqual is the second largest mammal in the world, after the blue whale. In Greece there are fin whales, some of which have been observed occasionally in the deep waters of south Crete. The number of fin whales in the Greek waters has not been estimated, but it is estimated at 2000 individuals throughout the Mediterranean.

The Livadi (Lawn) Plateau of Kroussonas is located 9km west of the village Kroussonas and 35km southwest of Heraklion, on the eastern slopes of Psiloritis. It is a beautiful place to visit, especially in spring when the 300.000 pear and apple trees are blooming. The quiet green plateau with the background of the bare peaks of Psiloritis is a unique landscape.

West of Skinokapsala village, at position Kipos, starts the small and quite quite wide gorge of Ahlia. The pine-wooded gorge finishes at the beach of Ahlia, known as Galini. During the winter months, waters from Thripti Range form a river along which there are several waterfalls (ranging from 5 to 8 meters high). Because the sandstone walls are not narrow, hiking is quite easy and no canyoning equipment is needed.