Travel Guide Aptera

Leaving Hania (approx. 10 km) and heading along the east coast towards Georgioupolis, the ruins of Aptera are on your route. The site's location, on a flat promontory overlooking Souda Bay, was chosen for strategic reasons. The city controlled the entrance to the bay and kept a watchful eye on the activity of the ancient ports of Minoa (modern-day Marathi) and Kissamos (modern-day Kalami). Today, Aptera is reached via a pretty road that passes through the modern village before climbing up to the archaeological site.Today, we're strolling through a magnificent site between sea and mountains. Aptera's fertile plateau is still covered with olive trees, a welcome feature for visits in high summer. In winter, the site is dominated by the immaculate snows of the White Mountains. Whatever the season, it's a natural wonderland. Lovers of ancient ruins will be delighted by the well-preserved Roman cisterns, truly impressive with their three arches. They supplied the baths, of which a few parts remain. There's also the theater with its view of the Lefki Ora, the remains of a 4 km-long surrounding wall and a5th-century Doric temple.In the 11th century, the monastery of St. John the Theologian, owned by the monastery on the island of Patmos, was founded at the center of the site. Today, it houses a comprehensive information center on the history of Aptera. Before arriving at the archaeological site, a fork leads to the Ottoman fortress built in 1872, at a time when the Cretan population was in permanent insurrection. Be sure to visit this fortress, which offers the best view of Souda Bay, Fort Izzedine just below and the Akrotiri peninsula.