Dörfer & Städte

Spilia

Platanias, Chania · Free

Route

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

A traditional village near Kolymvari.

Spilia is a small village near Kolymvari, with traditional houses and wild nature around.

Spilia is a village in the hills south of Kolymvari, known for its cave church of Panagia Spiliotissa and for the plane trees and springs in the village square. The area is full of olive groves, and the ancient olive tree of Vouves is nearby. It's a peaceful stop on a drive through the villages of western Chania.

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.

Around Platanias

Nearest town: Kissamos, about 15 km by road
Nearest airport: Chania airport (CHQ), about 44 km by road

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