Villages & Towns

Ethia

Archanes-Asterousia, Heraklion · Free

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

A tiny mountain village above the Libyan Sea.

Ethia is a tiny village on Mount Sfentilia, in the south of Heraklion. It has very few inhabitants and is completely untouched by tourism.

The village offers wide views over the Libyan Sea and the surrounding mountains. It's a quiet place for those who want to see the real rural Crete.

Ethia lies at around 700 m, high above the coast, and on clear days the view stretches out over the Libyan Sea. The road to the village is narrow and winding through wild landscapes. There's little in the way of services, so it's a place for those who love quiet villages and old stone houses. Nearby paths lead into the Asterousia mountains.

Archanes-Asterousia stretches from the wine villages south of Heraklion, like Archanes and Peza, down to the wild Asterousia mountains and the Libyan Sea. Mount Giouchtas, which looks like the profile of Zeus, rises above Archanes, and the area is rich in Minoan sites. Further south, the Asterousia hide monasteries, gorges and remote beaches such as Treis Ekklisies and Tsoutsouros. The wineries of the Peza area are open for tastings.

Around Archanes-Asterousia

Nearest town: Lentas, about 33 km by road
Nearest airport: Heraklion airport (HER), about 51 km by road

Heraklion is the heart of Minoan Crete and the island’s busiest region. Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum are the two places almost everyone visits, and they work well together on one day. In the south, the wide Messara plain holds the palace of Phaistos, the Roman ruins of Gortyna and the famous caves above the bay of Matala. More about Heraklion