Travel Guide Anopolis

Anopolis is in some ways the heart of the spirit of the Sfakiote resistance. You are likely to meet several elders there, dressed in traditional clothes, leaning on their katsouna (shepherd's staff), and playing the komboloi in a kafeneion. Daskalogiannis, a legendary figure and one of the symbols of the Cretan spirit of revolt and pride, was born here. His statue is in the middle of the village square. Apart from that, Anopolis is a quiet village with a few kafeneia and a few options to spend the night. The small church of Agia Katerini, not far from there, is quite picturesque, clinging to the top of its hill overlooking the Big Blue. From there, a road leads to Loutro (about 1h30) and the road continues to Livaniana and Agia Ioannis, the birthplace of another local personality, the billionaire Paul Vardinogiannis (1926-1984), who did not forget his origins and financed a steel bridge across a spectacular gorge in order to open up the small village. Note that the festival of the graviera (sheep's cheese) takes place every year around August 20, the music starts in the early evening, and the village festival is held on October 27.