A long chain of sandy beaches, velvety dunes of freakish shapes, juniper and cedar thickets create a unique and very spectacular landscape on the Greek island of Chrysi.
Now uninhabited, the island of Chrisi was inhabited in the distant past. A vivid evidence of this is the remains of the ancient settlement of the Cretan-Minoan civilization and fragments of a chapel dating back to the 13th century.
Excursus in the history: a little veil of secrets
The romantic island of Chrisi is called golden for an abundance of fine sand pinkish-yellow, formed from the smallest fragments and millions of shells. But this is not its only name, it is also known as Gaiduronisi - " donkey island". According to the legend, the people from Ierapetra brought here the elderly donkeys and left them to graze freely on the coast until the end of their days.
In Minoan times, from 2700 to 1400 BC, there was an ancient settlement near the coast, whose inhabitants prospered because of the trade in natural dye and salt. New buildings appeared here many centuries later, in the late Middle Ages - the chapel of St. Nicholas, and later the saltworks and the lighthouse. The masters used the stones of an ancient settlement for their erection.
During many centuries Chrisi Island served as a safe haven for filibusters for quite a long time. There is an opinion that their presence forced the population to leave the island and move to a safer place for living. Subsequently, monks often sailed from the Mediterranean Sea to the uninhabited coast. Reminders of the tumultuous past are the merchant ships and pirate ships sunk near the coast.
Beaches and cedar forests
The water area of the coast can amaze with the color of water, passing from a saturated ultramarine to a gentle turquoise. The mother-of-pearl radiance of small shells, barely perceptible in the thickness of golden sand, is fascinating. The fabulous island of Chrisi is known for several beaches, but the most popular is the Belegrina, or the Golden Beach, with a gently sloping entrance to the water and plenty of coffee shops right on the beach.
There are juniper bushes on Hatzivolakas beach at the very edge of the water, located west of Belegrina. There are great historical ruins of the Minoan settlement not far from it.
The Kataprosopo beach is popular among romantic couples and it is distinguished by silence and seclusion. An amazing view of Micronisi opens from its coast - one of the small islets of Greece, to which it is easy to swim in a few minutes.
The cedar forest gives some kind of mystery to this place. Many trees are over 200 years old. Their trunks of bizarre shape, bending to the ground, rise up, sometimes reaching 10 meters. Dense thickets of juniper are very close to the water, and create a fancy combination with the dunes in a unique picturesque composition.
You can easily overcome About 20 kilometers of sea route, separating the island of Chrisi from Crete by a speedboat.
Chrisi romance wins your heart forever
Surrounded by the waters of the Libyan Sea, Chrisi Island is admirable place because of its perfect nature for everyone who steps its land. Wavy drifts of dunes, golden sandy beaches, branched cedars and sea spaces instantly attract the sight, giving unlimited pleasure.
Nowadays, Chrisi Island is a protected area: it is forbidden to live and camp, but you can swim and sunbathe as much as you like! There is no fresh water on the island, so when going on a trip, grab more liquid with you.
On the federal highway to the city of Ierapetra by car or by bus., small boats are sent from the port of Ierapetra to the island of Chrisi every half hour in the period from May till October.
