Sailing to 4 + 1 Breathtaking Islands near Chania
Chania hides so many treasures that you can hardly explore with one visit. This is, after all, the reason why everyone returns to Crete. Apart from the Old Town of Chania, you can find Agia Marina with the beach bars and Platanias with the nightclubs. Nonetheless, the true beauty can be found if you take a one-day cruise to some of the secret surrounding islands.
Below we have selected 4 + 1 islands in West Crete that will take your breath away as you slowly reach them from the comfort of your private yacht.
Souda Island
This is what visitors to Chania see first because it is located at the entrance of the Gulf of Souda, in the port of Chania. On this islet initially, there was only the monastery of Agios Nikolaos — that is why it was called «Fraronisi» (Fraroi are the catholic monks). Today on the island of Souda find the Fortezza, the Venetian fortress built in 1571 AD. According to the testimonies, the armament of the fortress in 1630 was 44 cannons of various calibers and 9,185 bullets, while the walls surrounded its entire area.
A small door between the two bastions of the fortress led to the lower part, where was the cemetery and a tank. On the east side were the barracks and in front of them were three tanks, storehouses, the garden, and the chapel of the Virgin Mary of La Madonnina, while the gate of the fortress was on the southwest.
Today you can visit the island only twice a week, with boats departing regularly from the port, unless you are on your private luxury yacht. Looking to the northwest, you will see another small island almost round, Leonta, referred to in Venetian maps as the «island of rabbits». In antiquity, both of these islands were called Lefkai.
Theodorou Island
The island of Thodoros or Agioi Theodoroi is located opposite the beach of Platanias in Chania, just half a mile north. This is an islet of great ecological importance since it has now become a protected area for the rescue of the Cretan Goat (the wild goat Kri — Kri). The island is uninhabited, it is rocky, with an area of 697 acres, while its maximum length reaches 3,800 meters. On the south side of the island, there is a large arched cave, which from afar makes it look like a monster with its mouth open, as those who have enough imagination say!
Next to Theodorou there is a large rock, the islet of Glaraki, and that is why you will often hear them mentioned on both islands in the plural, that is «Theodorou». The kri-kri goats were transported to Theodorou from the mountains of Crete so that they could reproduce away from poachers. Since then, the islands have been declared a protected area and all human presence and activity has been banned. It is estimated today that about 80 wild goats live there and are guarded by a special guard. Finally, in Theodorou many migratory birds find shelter.
Lazaretto Island
Lazaretto is a small island (about 200 meters long and 70 meters wide) that is almost a mile from the coast of Nea Chora, which is located near the old town of Chania. In Lazaretto during the Venetian occupation, the disinfection of the area was built by the Venetians. Plagues in those years «wiped out» the inhabitants of Crete. The main cause of their spread were the sailors, who arrived from all over the world. Lack of effective medicine, poverty, and poor hygiene contributed to the spread of diseases. Unfortunately they quickly turned into deadly epidemics.
In Lazaretto, a complex of buildings were built, in which the crews of the ships approaching Chania remained in quarantine. They did that in order to avoid the transmission of infectious diseases to the local population. When the Turks occupied it during the siege of Chania in 1645, they demolished the buildings to set up their huge cannon there. Today on the island there are only the foundations of the building on which that cannon was placed.
Gramvousa Island
The two uninhabited islands of Gramvousa, Agria, and Imeri are located near the homonymous cape of Chania just two miles northwest of the lagoon of Balos. Agria Gramvousa is located north of the cape however, it is quite difficult to access it. Due to the high rocks that surround the island-like walls, it is not easily accessible. It has joined the Natura program, as well as the wider area. On its rocks it hosts gulls and various species of birds. The island of Imeri Gramvousa, on the other hand, is accessible.
Apart from a beautiful beach, there is also a famous fortress, built by the Venetians. On the south side of the islet are formed two large bays. Between the bays there is a shipwreck, the rusty trunk of which is now an integral part of the landscape. In the bay of Gramvousa, which is located under the fortress, hundreds of visitors disembark daily in the summer, by boats. The boats run one hour from the port of Kissamos. Visitors can tour the castle and see the wreck up close, in addition to enjoying swimming and the sea! Next to the beach, there is the small chapel of Agioi Apostoloi and a cafe where you can find the essentials.
Gavdopoula Island
The rocky islet of Gavdopoula is located four nautical miles north of Gavdos and is no longer inhabited. It is a station for migratory birds during their long journey from Africa to Europe and vice versa. Furthermore, it serves as a refuge for endangered species of Mediterranean seal and Caretta Caretta turtle. The shallow waters between Gavdos and Gavdopoula host dolphins, which are occasionally observed near the coasts of Crete.
The depths around Gavdopoula are large and on its southwest side, there are individual rocks suitable for observation for those who like diving. At the northwestern end of the small island, there is a beautiful lighthouse that you should visit. The highest point of the islet is 133 meters above sea level. To conclude, ruins of an Early Minoan settlement have been found in Gavdopoula.
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Related Blog Articles by Elissos Travelling Philosophy
Want to learn more about the secret surrounding islands of Crete? Click here to read our ‘Island Hopping in Crete’ article!
Want to learn more about the stunning world-famous Cretan beaches? Click here to read our ‘Blue from Head to Toe’ article!