Paleochora (Crete) - Παλαιόχωρα (Κρήτη)

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Paleochora (Crete)

Paleochora (Crete): Click here to see a full screen map.

H Paleochora is a town and port in the prefecture of Chania, in the southwest Crete

At a glance

Paleochora is built on a small peninsula, between two bays in the Libyan Sea. The peninsula did not exist in antiquity and the hill where the Venetian fortress is located was a small island, until the sea floor rose due to a strong earthquake forming a peninsula. On the east coast of the peninsula there is a pier for mooring ships. In the western gulf there is an artificial port. On both sides of the peninsula there are beaches, one with pebbles in the east called Halikia or Votsala beach and one with sand in the west called Pachia Ammos and has a length of about one kilometer. Four kilometers east of Paleochora, in Gialiskari are three other beaches, near the gorge that starts in the village of Anydroi. Scattered on these beaches are large rocks called Talos, by the mythical guardian of Crete. To the west are the beaches of Psilos Volakas, Plakaki and Karavopetra, near Grammeno, a small peninsula four kilometers east of Paleochora, there are several beaches, ten kilometers west of Krios beach and even further west, about 18 kilometers, the beach of Elafoni There are hills and mountain ranges 300 meters high, which end at the sea in a small plain called Kampos of Paleochora.

The strategic location of the area prompted the Venetians and General Marino Grandenigo to build a fort, which they named Castello Cellino. The fortress gave its name to the whole area, which is now known as Selino. The fort was destroyed during a revolution against the Venetians in 1332 by Barda Kallergi and his men. The fortress was rebuilt in 1334. In 1536, the fortress was destroyed by Hairedin Barbarossa. The fortress was rebuilt in 1595. The fortress was occupied by the Ottoman Turks in 1653, who made some modifications to it, but then left the area.