Palaiochora description and photos - Greece: Crete (Topic)

Palaiochora description and photos - Greece: Crete. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Palaiochora.

Photo and description

The resort town of Paleochora is located in the southwestern part of Crete, on the coast of the Libyan Sea. It is located along an 11 km coastline, including a small peninsula between two picturesque bays. Paleochora is a picturesque town famous for the hospitality of the locals. The region's economy is based on agriculture (mainly tomatoes and olive oil) and tourism.

It is believed that modern Paleochora was built on the site of the ancient city of Kalamidi. As local attractions, you can visit several old churches, which have preserved Venetian and Byzantine murals. Also in Paleochora, on a small hill, the ruins of a Venetian fortress have been preserved to this day. Fortification building, dubbed "Castle Selino", was first built in 1278 under the leadership of the Venetian general Marino Gredenigo. During its long history, the fortress was destroyed several times. In 1332, after the Cretan revolt, the fortress was badly damaged and rebuilt by 1335. The Venetians built a small settlement next to it. In 1539, the fortress was destroyed by pirates and rebuilt only in 1595. In 1645, the Turks captured the city and reconstructed the fortress in their own way, but it did not last long and in 1653 was destroyed again. For a long time the area was empty, and a new wave of settlement began only in 1866.

Its fame as a resort Paleochora began to acquire in the 1970s, when this place was chosen by hippies. Today the seaside town is famous for its excellent beaches with crystal clear water (on one side of the peninsula there is a sandy beach, and on the other - pebble) and picturesque natural landscapes. The infrastructure of the city is also quite well developed. There are services such as a medical center, pharmacies, police station, banks, post office, customs, etc.

Paleochora has a good selection of comfortable hotels and cozy apartments, a wide variety of shops, many restaurants, taverns and cafes with excellent local cuisine. The dynamically developing resort attracts more and more tourists from different countries every year.

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Topic: Palaiochora description and photos - Greece: Crete.