Have you ever seen with your own eyes a pirate fortress whose inhabitants terrorized all the captains of merchant ships? Have you seen a sea that shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow and a lagoon of pink sand? No? Then you must visit Gramvousa Island.
Gramvousa and Balos are two unique landmarks of Crete. Here the sea shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow, the color of the water depending on the particular place, the angle of view, the weather and the time of day. Experienced travelers say that this is the place where the gaze of amazed tourists sees Greece in all its glory.
Gramvousa is two islands, not one. On Imeri Gramvousa the remains of an ancient pirate fortress and houses, built by sea robbers and rebels in the early 19th century, are preserved. Agria Gramvousa is a deserted island, which is not much habitable because of its peculiar landscape and small size.
The uninhabited and deserted island of Gramvousa is called a symbol of freedom in Greece. The location of this small piece of land has attracted many conquerors, and it has fallen prey to invaders more than once. The island's notoriety once spread many miles from Crete itself. The reason is that it was a strategically advantageous site - no one could even come close to the impregnable walls of the fortress. And the sea robbers who lived on it freely plundered the ships, because numerous trade routes crossed here.
Enthusiastic about their impunity, the pirates who plundered the island built houses, a church, and a school for children. All this continued until Greece became independent. Then John Capodistria, the first ruler, decided to put an end to the trade of robbers. He was supported by the European states that suffered from the pirates. Through their joint efforts they succeeded in expelling the pirates from the island. True, the Turks were left with the piece of land. But at the beginning of the twentieth century, Greece took it for good and on legal terms. Until now, the legends about it, left in the history forever.
Gramvousa and Balos are inextricably linked, because the bay is very close. It is an amazingly beautiful place to visit. It is said that the lagoon of Balos has an outlandish pink color. And it really is - here, the grains of sand mixed with coral appear pink.
Be prepared to conquer the once impregnable fortress, otherwise you will not see all the beauty. You'll literally have to conquer the fortress, as you'll have to climb over 130m up the rock face. So make sure you have comfortable sneakers or sandals and a wide-brimmed hat to protect you from the scorching sun.
You can see the pirate island and the strange bay in one excursion - they are very close by. The easiest and most reliable option is a boat trip. They depart from Kavonisi, a small marina. There are several regular excursion routes, organized especially for tourists.
