Agios Georgios Monastery (Rodopou)

About

A ruined monastery on Rodopou.

The monastery of Agios Georgios lies near Menies, on the Rodopou peninsula. It's an abandoned medieval monastery, perhaps built in the 9th century AD, with the ruins of a small watchtower next to it.

Nearby are the remains of an ancient temple of Diktynna, a Cretan goddess. The area is remote and wild, best reached on foot or by four-wheel drive.

The Rodopou peninsula is wild and barren, with almost no villages, and walking here is a real adventure. The ruins of the monastery and the temple of Diktynna, the goddess of hunters and fishermen, are a reminder that this remote area was once important. Bring water and good shoes if you go on foot.

The Platanias area stretches along the coast west of Chania, with a string of lively resorts such as Agia Marina, Platanias and Maleme, and long sandy beaches facing the island of Thodorou. Inland, the land rises quickly into green valleys, orange groves and mountain villages where life is slow. This area saw fierce fighting in the Battle of Crete in May 1941, remembered at the Maleme cemetery and in many village memorials. It's a convenient base, with Chania only a short drive away.

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

Around Platanias

The west of Crete is the island at its most dramatic. Chania has the most beautiful Venetian old town on Crete, wrapped around a harbour with a lighthouse and a domed mosque. In the evening the narrow lanes of Splantzia and the old Jewish quarter fill up with tavernas and small bars. More about Chania