Phaistos TO Plaka, Elounda

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Phaistos

TransferPlan will transfer you from and to Phaistos as quickly, safely and comfortably as possible. Phaistos is a municipality in south-central Crete 62 km south of Heraklion town.

Phaistos was one of the most significant forums of Minoan civilization and one of the most powerful cities in Crete. Here you can visit the Palace of Phaistos which is located on the east-end of Kastri hill at the end of the Mesara plain in central-southern Crete. The palace was built at the beginning of the second Millennium, referred to as the Protopalatial Period (1900-1700 BC). The task to build the palace was a hard and tedious one, as it used to be one of the biggest complexes in Crete at the time. The palace is also the site where Phaistos disk was discovered. The Phaistos disk is about 15 cm in diameter and covered on both sides with a spiral of stamped symbols. Its origins and meanings remain an object of dispute among archaeologists, thus putting it on the same pedestal with some of the greatest mysteries of the ancient world.

Some inscriptions were recovered by archaeologists, they could not be deciphered as they are all written in Linear A code, which is to this day uncodified. All information we have about the site is based on some ancient texts and findings from Knossos.

Legend has it that Phaistos was the seat of King Radamanthis, brother of the king Minos. It was also the city that gave birth to the great wise man and soothsayer Epimenides, one of the seven wise men of the ancient world. Excavations by archaeologists have unearthed ruins of the Neolithic times (3.000 B.C.).

Phaistos was also a very influential city-state at the geopolitical scene of the time. The city was one of the participant parties to the Trojan war and send its own mission alongside with the other Greek cities and its influence was even more widespread by the time of the Dorian Period. Phaistos continued to prosper through the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic period. It was eventually taken down by the invasion of Gortynians during the 3d century B.C. Despite all damage, Phaistos continued to exist as a city throughout the Roman period.

In the ancient palace, you will discover the royal family's apartments, the temple of Juno (Hera), the headquarters and the ancient theatre. This will be a memorable visit that will take you through time and history.

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Plaka, Elounda

TransferPlan will transfer you from and to Plaka in Elounda as quickly, safely and comfortably as possible. The village of Plaka is located in the stunning setting of the Mirabello bay 5km away from Elounda and 16km away from Agios Nikolaos town.

Opposite Plaka, you will find Kalidon. In the past, it used to be a tiny fishing village, frequented only by a few solitary travellers. Things have rapidly changed since then and nowadays a number of tourist establishments have sprung up all around the village. Still, Kalidon retains some of its charms and remains relatively a quiet place compared to other tourist hubs around Elounda.

The coastline in Plaka consists of a few small pebble beaches which are relatively quiet and not very busy and are considered more pleasant than the hectic beaches in Elounda. On the east side, you will find Agia Marina beach, which was named after a nearby Byzantine church and cemetery. You will find the beach by following the small path opened next to the cemetery. On the west side of the village lies Plaka beach. Plaka is lined with tamarisk trees providing some natural shade from the hot Mediterranean sun. The main village road of Plaka is lined up with tavernas, selling fresh fish and an impressive view of Spinalonga island.

Spinalonga lies opposite to Plaka. On Spinalonga you will find a 40-canon fortress guarding Elounda bay since the 15th century. In the early 19th century Spinalonga was converted into a leper colony and it remained so up to 1957. The last resident of Spinalonga left the island in 1962. In present, Spinalonga is one of the most popular historical sites in Crete. In Spinalonga apart from the fortress and the leper colony, you will also find a small pebble beach which would make for a nice refreshing break at the end of your visit. Of course, there is much more to Spinalonga which historically has been so far a Venetian fortress, a castle colony, a rebel stronghold, a place of exile for lepers, a communication link with Cairo during the second world war and the setting that inspired Victoria Hislop's best-selling book 'The Island'.

Over the years Plaka still retains some of its former authenticity and beauty compared to more established holiday towns like Elounda and Agios Nikolaos. However, rapid over-development has aided the rebranding of Plaka as a luxury resort village with private villas with their own pools to rent.

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