Clemence

We visited Crete last summer and we chose to stay in Sissi. Initially we weren’t sure whether we had made the right choice but in the end we realized that we had made a wise choice, given that the city of Agios Nikolaos is not that far from Sissi. There are a lot of beaches in the area, both sandy and pebbled. We really loved Aspa beach in Milatos and Boufos beach in Sissi.

Milatos is a fairly picturesque little village very close to Sissi, famous for its fish taverns where we tasted exquisite fresh fish and seafood.

The Cave of Milatos is very near also. It is a cave of historical, religious and archaeological interest. We learned that the cave is famous mainly because of a tragedy that took place in it. An Ottoman pasha was raiding the area of Mirabello and many of the inhabitants sought refuge in the caves in the area just like the Cave of Milatos. However, an Ottoman informed the pasha on the whereabouts of the Cretans and he besieged the Cave. Finally, the Ottomans set fire to the entrance of the Cave and the Cretans were forced to exit but unfortunately many of them were slaughtered and others were sold as slaves. To commemorate their sacrifice a little chapel was built in the cave. The cave however is also full of impressive pillar-like stalagmites that divide it into various chambers. We were also told that ancient graves and human bones had been found in the cave, a clear indication that it had been used as a burial site in the Antiquity. Visiting such a unique site was a truly breathtaking experience.

Sissi has a small port surrounded by palm trees and resembles an exotic island. There are many bars and pubs in the area to enjoy music and a drink.

At a stone’s throw, in the middle of an imposing gorge, there is the monastery of Agios Georgios Selinari. We visited the monastery because we had seen a lot of travellers making a stop in front of it. Agios Georgios Selinari is the patron saint of travellers and, to this day, passers-by stop to light a candle in the monastery. Visiting the monastery was a unique experience made even more special by the wild beauty of the gorge.