Anopolis is one of the villages of Sfakia region, which is located at the foothills of the White Mountains, in the prefecture of Chania, Crete.
The road that continues to the west from the seaside village of Chora Sfakion and ascends the steep mountainside, will bring you to the village at 600m height above sea level, and then you will reach the square, an ideal place for a stopover.
There, you will see the statue of Ioannis Daskalogiannis
(John Daskalogiannis) who was the leader of the revolution in 1770 against the Turks conquerors of the island. His real name
was Ioannis Vlachos, but because of he was the leader of the
uprising, the teacher of the Sfakians, so he was given the
nickname Daskalogiannis (Daskalos Giannis) which means "Techer
John", or better... "John - the teacher."
The anniversary of the revolution is celebrated in a
traditional way, every year the first Sunday after June 17th, in
the square of Anopolis.
Although, when you visit the village, do not expect that you'll
find the same crowds as is the case on the festive days.
The village is sparsely populated and consists of nine neighborhoods scattered across the plateau.
The inhabitants of Anopolis dealing mainly in farming, beekeeping and agriculture, producing dairies, honey and raki.
If you have time at your disposal, sit in the taverns of the
village and taste the local flavors.
Moreover, if you happen to be in the region of Sfakia on
August 15, come to Anopoli's gruyere celebration at 9.00 pm.
There will be served food, wine and raki, under the hearings of
live Cretan traditional dance music. The aim of the festival is
to highlight and promote the gruyere and the other
local products.
From here you can continue touring around this part of
Sfakia region. Take a look of the option that you have and visit
what excites you most.
While at the square of the village, if you move south, very soon you'll find yourself up the hill where the chapel of Saint Catherine is located.
There you will experience some fantastic views of the
Libyan Sea. At the background, you can see the southernmost
point of Greece and Europe, the residential ilsand of Gavdos, as
well as the seaside Loutro beneath your feet.
At this point starts the path that leads down to Loutro, which was the safe port of ancient Anopolis.
The
archaeological site of
this ancient city spans the area just
west-northwest of the chapel of St. Catherine.
About 3.5 kms west of the village, is located the abandoned village of
Aradena, where you will arrive after
passing over the gorge of Aradena, through the only metal bridge
in Crete, that connects the two sides of the stunning Gorge.
If you continue to the east, you will pass through a unique
pine forest and end up in the village of Agios Ioannis, located
5 kms from the bridge of the Aradena Gorge.
Just before crossing the bridge of Aradena, if you follow the
only branch that goes south, you will be led to the Lykos Beach
and after that, to the Old Phoenix beach, through the village of
livaniana. Be aware that the road turns into a dirt road.
Finally, again from the square of Anopolis, if you take the
road that leads north, you have the ability to climb on the bulk
of the White Mountains. The dirt stops at a distance of 1.5-hour
hike from the highest peak of the White Mountains, called
Pachnes at 2,453 meters.
It goes without saying that you must have the appropriate
vehicle to go up there and at the same time, the weather must be
excellent. Consider that snows sometimes don't melt even until
the early summer.
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