Kolimpari 

A beautiful trip along the sea on the northeastern edge of Western Crete.Continuing our trip, and after we have passed the village Gerani and Pirgo Psilonerou, we come to Maleme, a village which is very important to recent Greek history as violent battles took place around its pre-war airport between the Allies and the Germans in May 1941. In this village, you can also see the German cemetery with the victims of the Second World War. In Kafkales, north of the village, a vaulted grave of the post-Minoan period was excavated in 1966 with a square-shaped chamber, perpendicular inner walls 4m high and an irregular roof in the shape of a pyramid, unique of its kind. After Maleme, and after we have left behind the villages Tavroniti, Skoutelona, Minothiana, we come to Kolimbari. Here we shall visit the Monastery of Gonias, near the centre of the village. The monastery was built between 1618 and 1634 and it is consecrated to Theotokos Odigitria (Virgin Mary). The main body of the monastery, with a dome, vestibule and chapels surrounds an ample courtyard. Around it are the monks cubicles, the abbey, the dining room and the store-room. The vestibule and the steeple were built in 1899, the side aisles in 1805. In the monastery, there is an important collection of post-Byzantine icons of superb artistry: like St Nicholas and the Crucifixion, a work by Constantine Paleokapas (1637); the triptych the "Lord's Supper"; the "Genesis" and "There is man" a work by Dem. Sgouros (1682) and the icon of the Orthodox Creed, a work by George Stae (1705). In the treasury of the monastery, we can see relics of Saints, old silver crosses, precious high-priests vestments and a silver censer, a gift from Sultan Abdul Aziz. There is also a bulky manuscript with ecclesiastical laws of 1721 and 2 Bibles with silver covers. The monastery has been a centre of Orthodox faith in all the battles of the nation. Next to the monastery, Gonias is also the Orthodox Academy of Crete.

A visit to the small village of NOCHIA, 6 km to the south, is worthwhile. Higher up on the mountain, with a tradition in the production of clay pottery artifacts. The first pottery workshops that operated here were Minoan, in 3.000 B.C.! The pottery making started mostly with the famous "laines" (jars for maintaining the water cool and fresh, that were kept in a special opening of the wall, the "lainothestra"), but it expanded to other useful and decorative artifacts owing to the local artists imagination..
From Kolimbari we continue to the north, since the entire Spatha peninsula is very interesting, with steep cliffs and beaches with clear blue water (Menies, Ravdoucha), as well as archeological findings and beautiful walks on the peninsula's hillsides. The first stop is at the village of Rodopou to see the Venetian villa. After that, there is the beautiful small village of AFRATA, built on the hillside with a view of the Bay of Hania.

After we have crossed the village, following the descending road, we reach a beautiful small beach with golden sand and clear blue water. To the south, at a distance of approximately 1.5 km lies "Ellinio­spilios", a cave of amazing beauty. With a spacious entrance, approximately 200 meters long, it has beautiful stalactites and stalagmites of various shapes and colors! It has not been explored and studied in depth, it is however, considered of great archeological and geological value! We continue towards MENIES, an area with many archeological findings, Roman buildings and baths, 300 meters before the amazing lonely beach, ideal for free camping and fishing. At the top of the hill, one can see the ruins (columns) of a temple built to honor Diana, the goddess of the hunt. A walk to the German observatory is worthwhile as the view of the peninsula and the islands of Gramvousa are panoramic. RAVDOUHA, another quaint village with a beautiful beach is in Kissamos Bay.