Sightseeing
Kissamos has a long history, folklore and beautiful places worth visiting to admire. The Maris Fountain, the archaeological museum of Kissamos, the historic Skalidis street once the commercial centre of Kissamos, the Telonio Beach, are just some of the attractions and the places worth visiting at the centre of the town of Kissamos. Of course, Kissamos has an everlasting treasure tucked away in its villages, and that’s its people and its culture.
Let’s discover together the attractions worth seeing.
TELONIO BEACH
For many years now Telonio Beach is Kissamos’ meeting point. Along the length of the cobblestone road you can find cafes, traditional and other restaurants, bars and clubs. It starts east and extends almost to the municipal sports ground of Kissamos, about 1Km further east. It is essentially the westernmost part of a huge beach that starts from Kissamos and goes as far as Nopighia, many kilometres to the east.
MARIS FOUNTAIN
It is not known when the Maris Fountain was constructed but it has never ceased running. It is situated in the centre of the town of Kissamos, next to the historic centre and the traditional Skalidis Street. To the east is the Mari manor, the first double-storey building of traditional architecture in Kissamos. The Mari manor is one of the…
SKALIDI STREET
The once upon a time commercial center of Kissamos, the old market area that enfolded all the buzz of the town with historic shops and personalities. Every inch of Skalidis Street has a different story to tell.
THE SAND DUNES (OR KOMOLITHI)
The Sand Dunes (or Komolithi) is one of the most bizarre and interesting landscapes in Crete. Near the valley of Tyflos River, about 35Km west of Chania, the Sand Dunes are within the administration boundaries of Kissamos.
MILIA
Spending your holiday at an agritourism accommodation, in a settlement without power, cars and modern conveniences may sound a utopian scenario for most people. Still, in the centre of Kissamos district, at a distance of 18 km south of the namesake town and an altitude of 550 m lies a unique eco-friendly village, attracting – not only – nature lovers; it’s called Milia, and it’s a settlement, abandoned for over forty years, which Iakovos Tsourounakis and Yorgos Makrakis had wished to rebuild, fully respecting the environment while keeping true to the Cretan history and tradition. Initially, they reforested the area by planting an assortment of trees, farmed the fertile stretches of land, built a herding unit, reconstructed the Medieval settlement…
POTAMIDA - KOMOLITHI
On the Kaloudiana-Chryssoskalitissa road that leads from Kissamos to Elafonissi, and along river Tyflos lies the village of Potamida, at an altitude of 38 m. from the surface of the sea. It stretches out across particularly fertile land of vineyards and olive groves aplenty, orchards of various trees and plants, which are irrigated by the river that crosses the settlement.…
AGIA SOFIA CAVE
On the western edge of the Topolia gorge and at its most tight point, a mere 2 km from the village of Topolia, over a narrow stone-built road tunnel that leads towards the Elafonisi area, lies the Agia Sofia Cave. Its namesake is the chapel, 6 by 3 m. in size that is literally located inside the cave’s entrance sharing its left side wall. The cave is accessed via an uphill (with some steps, at places) path that starts at road level and leads, 285 m. above sea level, onto an imposing 25 by 10 m. arched gate. The cave’s inside comprises a large 70 by 70 m. single dome, 10 by 20 m. in height, which is naturally divided…
