published in CretanBeaches.com Near the villages of Episkopi and Mourtzana, in a lush green valley, we still see the ruins of the houses and the watermills of the village Mousses or Moussi. In this village we meet the five watermills that took advantage of the abundant water of the area for grinding grain of the surrounding villages. The mills operated till the 1950s, when the modern technology surpassed the traditional way of grinding. Thus, the millers who saw their job diminishing, had to leave this wonderful place and seek their future elsewhere. The village houses were supplied with running water, which is very special for their time, while there was also a grocery store. In the center stands the well preserved church of the Holy Cross (TImios Stavros). The feast of the Holy Cross on September 14 is an excellent opportunity for locals to meet here. The temple is very old, as the entrance still preserves and inscription of 1843 for its renovation, thus it was already very ...

published in CretanBeaches.com During the Venetian era, according to oral tradition, there were three rich nobles from Sitia that  moved to the west end of Lasithi, in the province of Mirabello. They founded three small villages, one for each of them. Noble named Fiorentzis built the current settlement of Fioretzides by Lakonia. Demetzos (De Metzo) founded the village Agia Pelagia. Katrinis built Lousestro. Lousestro or otherwise Agios Ioannis gets its name after the hill Loutsi near the village which is taken after the Latin lux, meaning light. Lousestro belongs to the former community of Limnes and is currently almost deserted with only two elderly residents. Almost all villagers were named Katrinis after their founder. The second name, St. John comes from the village temple dedicated to St John Chrysostom. Shortly after the temple at the entrance of the village we meet one of very common cisterns of the area of Pano Mirabello for storing rainwater. In the same area we ...

published in CretanBeaches.com Dyo Prini (Two Oak trees) is one of the beautiful abandoned villages of Crete, where you think that time has frozen. The area is surrounded by oak trees, as its name implies, and is located close to Limnes village, Agios Nikolaos Municipality, on the road heading to Kalos Lakkos. There are several collapsed stone cottages, some of which have been restored lately. There are many water tanks and threshing plateaus. There are many more abandoned settlements around, such as Agia Pelagia, Drakos, Kalos Kalos, Atzibraga, Renaido and Lousetro. To view photographs of the village -  https://www.cretanbeaches.com/en/tradition/architecture/abandoned-settlements-villages/dio-prini-ruined-village

published in CretanBeaches.com Shortly after the village Mousouta there is the deserted village Handrou. This is another unknown beautiful Cretan village that once throbbed with life but today looks haunted, with only one resident. The village is situated in a prominent location with beautiful views and is surrounded by two streams. There is the two-aisled stone church of the Holy Apostles and St. John the Theologian. A few yards north of the chapel lies the old village fountain with the troughs where the women washed their clothes. Nearby, there is a lush green stream with plane trees and gardens. The stream is a tributary of the River Kassaniotis, which in turn is a tributary of Anapodaris. The name of the village possible originates from the first settler calles Handras and there is a report (since 1577) with the name Chandru. During the German occupation it played a very important role and was a rebel hideout. Because visitors do not usually find anybody here, in the center...

Published in cretanbeaches.com " Next to the lively village Valis of Messara Plain (Heraklion prefecture) you will find Xerokambos, a ruined and abandoned village. The last residents left Xerokambos shortly after the Second World War, during which many villages in Crete were devastated. There are houses that still stand, where youcan admire the unique typical architecture of Cretan cottages, all built with stone. A few meters northwest of Xerokambos stands, surrounded by a relatively flat terrain, the hill of Prophet Elias (491m elev.). The Prophet Elijah stands throughout the area offering views of the plain of Messara. There is no chapel dedicated to Pr. Elijah, but the place name reveals that there was one once. At the top, the Minoans built a sanctuary, completely unknown to the people, with graves and other facilities which was never excavated by the archaeological authorities. Unfortunately, instead of the archaeologists, Prophet Elijah hill was looted by unknown people...

Published in cretanbeaches.com "The settlement of Drakos (i.e. Dragon) is located close to Limnes (Agios Nikolaos). It is one of the several abandoned villages of the area. The last resident left the Drakos in 1979. It is a model of agricultural village with stone houses with tiles, narrow streets, cisterns for collecting rainwater and scattered threshing floors. Opposite Drakos it is also worth visiting the deserted settlement Dyo Prini (Two Oak Trees). A stone paved road crosses a small oak wood. Near Drakos ancient pottery has been found and it is believed that there was a settlement since ancient times. Only the church of St. Andrew is still well preserved. The architecture of Drakos and was a candidate background for filming the famous Greek series “The island”. It was not chosen because of the difficulty of access through dirt road starting from Limnes." To view photographs of the village -  https://www.cretanbeaches.com/en/tradition/architecture/abandoned-set...

Deserted Villages of Crete - SKALIA near Zakros Posted by the website CretanBeaches.com  https://www.cretanbeaches.com/en/history-of-crete/forts-and-castles-on-crete/walled-cities-in-crete/castle-of-skalia-near-zakros "A small castle was located near the village Sitanos of Sitia Region, namely Skalia. Skalia was a small village with a few residents built atop a mountain slope, where the outer walls of the houses formed a wall that surrounded the village, while from the north it was protected by cliffs. The residents of Skalia did usually act against the Turks. Thus, in the middle of the 18th century, the Sultan decided to exterminate them. 2000 Turks were landed at Kato Zakros, guided by a local, recruited by force, and started trekking towards Skalia. However, at night, they stopped to sleep in the area "Mavra Homata". Then, the Greek guide took the opportunity to run and inform Skalians. Indeed, the Skalians ran to the Turkish camp before dawn and massacred al...

Deserted Villages of Crete - ACHLADA Posted by the website CretanBeaches.com -  https://www.cretanbeaches.com/en/tradition/architecture/abandoned-settlements-villages/achlada " Achlada is one of the nearest villages to Heraklion. Its name is taken after the wild pear tree called ahlada or agoutsakas that abounds here. Ahlada is built on top of a fortified hill above the bay of Agia Pelagia, in an area with a wonderful climate. After many years of continuous habitation Ahlada has almost transformed to a ghost village, despite its proximity to Heraklion. Almost the entire western part of the village and the core consists mainly of deserted houses. While walking through the very narrow streets of the village one can easily understand that the village was built like a fort so as to defend against attacks, especially by pirates. Almost all the habited houses are situated on the east side of the village below the imposing two-aisled church of St. John and St. Tryphon with the ...

GREEK VILLAGES ARE VANISHING by Alekos Lidorikis. published by ekathimerini.com on October 20, 2017 " Vassilis was born in Aghios Ioannis and is one of about 10 permanent residents who remain in the village. Aghios Ioannis is part of the Thermo municipality, in the Aitoloakarnania region of western Greece. The municipality has a total population of 9,299. Aghios Ioannis is 15 kilometers from Thermo, the area’s main town. Vassilis lived in Aghios Ioannis until the age of 20, when he left for Athens to find work. Four decades later, he has retired and returned to the place where he grew up. At an elevation of 1,000 meters, Aghios Ioannis is set in an idyllic mountain landscape. Vassilis gets emotional when talking about his youth. “In the 1960s, when I was in first grade, the village school had more than 70 students. Among those, nine were my siblings. All the families in the village back then were big. The school was right across the street from my home. After school we w...

EXPLORE THE DESERTED VILLAGE OF KALAMI, CRETE "Once a populous beautiful village where residents used to enjoy the sorrows of life.  Today, this place is forgotten by everyone.  Visitors will encounter open doors and windows, houses remains with objects scattered on the floors and dishes and glasses in position ready to be used again. "The smell of abandonment and melancholy has gripped the village decades ago.  Located 80 kilometers east of Heraklion city in Crete, near Ano Viannos village, this is the village of Kalami.  It is a village set in magnificent scenery, surrounded from mountains, rivers, rivers and dense vegetation, which makes you wonder why they left deserted. "Over 150 families used to inhabit in Kalami before its desertification in the 1970s.  The people gradually came down to the south coast, looking for a better life in Psari Forada and Arvi.  Today, the village remains are the most characteristic monument of rural exodus and has...