Loutra

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The pretty, if rocky, Loutro beach is the launching pad for a scenic 6km hike to Kronos via the Trakhoula Gorge. It’s about 5km east of Lendas. Its setting, sandwiched between two hillsides spilling to the sea and next to a small marina, is probably Lendas' most dramatic.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • June 10, 2017: Visitors at the ancient ruins of the Minoan Palace of Knossos. 1033165021 ancient, antique, archaeological, archeology, architecture, art, building, civilization, columns, crete, culture, destination, europe, famous, fresco, greece, greek, heraklion, historic, historical, knossos, labyrinth, landmark, mediterranean, minoan, minos, minotaur, monument, mythology, old, painting, palace, people, pillars, place, reconstruction, relief, ruins, sightseeign, site, sky, stone, structure, summer, tourism, travel, visit, wall

    Palace of Knossos

    27.83 MILES

    Crete’s most famous historical attraction is the Palace of Knossos, the grand capital of Minoan Crete, located 5km south of the city of Iraklio. The…

  • Tourists looking at the Phaistos Disc inside the archaeological museum of Heraklion in Crete that hold the most important and complete collection of the Minoan civilisation of Crete on the 28th of August 2022 in Crete, Greece. Many of the artefacts in the museum come from Knossos, the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on the Greek island of Crete. (photo by Andrew Aitchison / In pictures via Getty Images) 1245671474 aitchison, greek, heraklion, neolithic, phaistos disc, archaeological, artefacts, ceremonial, civilization, culture, explore, holiday, remains, statues, tourists, viewing

    Heraklion Archaeological Museum

    29.87 MILES

    This state-of-the-art museum is one of the largest and most important in Greece. The two-storey revamped 1930s Bauhaus building makes a gleaming showcase…

  • the ancient city of Gortyna or Gortys, to the south of Heraklion prefecture.; Shutterstock ID 2228390937; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 2228390937 aerial photography, amphitheater, ancient, ancient greece, ancient site of tylissos, antiquity, archaeological, archaeological site, archeology, architectural, architecture, attraction, bronze, building, city, civilization, cretan, crete, culture, destination, details from the air, documentary tylissos, educational photography, famous, gortyna, gortys, greece, greek, history, island, king minos, mediterranean, minoan, minoan culture, minoans, old, outdoors, past, picturesque, ruin, sightseeing, site, stone, summer, theater, tourism, touristic, traditional, travel, vacations

    Gortyna

    8.84 MILES

    Gortyna (also Gortyn or Gortys) has been inhabited since Neolithic times but reached its pinnacle after becoming the capital of Roman Crete from around 67…

  • Ruins of the ancient Minoan Palace of Phaistos (Festos) with the Messara mountains in the background. 354488120 aegean, age, ancient, archaeological, architecture, backdrop, background, blue, bronze, building, city, civilization, cretan, crete, culture, faistos, famous, festos, greece, greek, history, horizontal, island, landscape, legacy, mediterranean, messara, minoan, mountain, old, outdoors, palace, past, phaestos, phaistos, place, plain, plateau, remains, romantic, ruin, scenic, site, sky, stone, summer, temple, tourism, travel, tree, view, wall

    Phaestos

    11.28 MILES

    Phaestos was the second-most-important Minoan palace-city after Knossos and enjoys an awe-inspiring setting with panoramic views of the Messara Plain and…

  • The path to the cave of Zeus; Shutterstock ID 1827561248; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 1827561248

    Ideon Cave

    20.15 MILES

    Although just a huge and fairly featureless hole in the ground, Ideon has sacred importance in mythology as the place where Zeus was reared by his mother,…

  • Historical Museum of Crete

    Historical Museum of Crete

    29.93 MILES

    If you’re wondering what Crete’s been up to for the past, say, 1700 years, a spin around this engagingly curated museum is in order. Exhibits hopscotch…

  • Mt Yiouhtas Peak Sanctuary

    Mt Yiouhtas Peak Sanctuary

    24.61 MILES

    Driving south from Arhanes, look for the turn-off for Giourtas. The narrow (but drivable) road leads to the top of Mt Yiouhtas. After a bone-rattling 5km,…

  • Museum of Cretan Ethnology

    Museum of Cretan Ethnology

    12.1 MILES

    Well worth a detour to Vori, this nonprofit museum lifts the curtain on how rural people lived on the island until well into the 20th century. The English…

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Nearby attractions

1. Sanctuary of Asklepios

1.53 MILES

Under the Romans, Lebena (today’s Lendas) was a health spa cherished for its therapeutic springs. The ancient settlement stood right above the beach, but…

2. Diskos

2.11 MILES

About 1km west of town, over the headland, there’s a nice long stretch of sand called Diskos (or Dytikos), a naturists' favourite.

3. Gortyna

8.84 MILES

Gortyna (also Gortyn or Gortys) has been inhabited since Neolithic times but reached its pinnacle after becoming the capital of Roman Crete from around 67…

4. Moni Odigitrias

9.01 MILES

About 6km south of Sivas, Moni Odigitrias is a historic monastery with a tower from which the monks fought off the Turks, the Germans and the odd pirate…

5. Agia Marina Donkey Sanctuary

9.79 MILES

This place is for animal lovers. The passionate folk at Kiwi-run Agia Marina Donkey Sanctuary feed and care for abandoned donkeys. At research time, 22…

6. Phaestos

11.28 MILES

Phaestos was the second-most-important Minoan palace-city after Knossos and enjoys an awe-inspiring setting with panoramic views of the Messara Plain and…

7. Red Beach

12.01 MILES

Matala’s main beach below the caves is a lovely crescent but often gets uncomfortably crammed. To escape the crowds, follow signs to Red Beach, reached in…

8. Kommos Beach

12.05 MILES

Located 2km north of Matala near Pitsidia and reached by a steep and winding road, the sun-kissed sands of Kommos hug Messara Bay in one of the region's…