Traostalos is one of the highest mountains near the coast of south-east Crete and 14km far from Palekastro Village.
Despite its only moderate height (515.4 m), however, the solid, isolated massif of Traostalos dominates the surrounding area, and its summit can be distinguished from afar, both from the sea and from inland (Pl. XIIa).

The highest point of the sanctuary commands an uninterrupted view over the entire east end of Crete, Kasos, Karpathos and the Dionysades islets to the north, and Kouphonisi to the south. It thus overlooks the sea route from the north Aegean to the east Mediterranean.

From its summit, the sanctuary enjoys visual contact with almost all the other peaks in the area on which have been found cult deposits, or buildings that served cult purposes. These are, from south to north, the sanctuaries at Ambelos, Korakomouri, Mare, Ziros (Playia),
Viglos, Modi, Kalamaki, and Petsophas (Pl. XIIb-XIII). In Minoan times, the historical landscape was bounded by the palace and town of Zakros to the south and the town of Palekastro to the north.

Habitation in the immediate environment of the sanctuary takes the form of a scattering of isolated buildings, of which the following are the most important: In 1964, Kostis Davaras partially excavated a Minoan villa at the modern village of Azokeramos on the lower north-western slopes of Traostalos.

In the western to south-western foothills stands the megalithic building at Skaphi5 and what is probably a guard-house at Polla Kladia. The densely occupied Chochlakies valley, with a guard-house, probable villa, and settlement, is in the north-western foothills.
Mount Traostalos has a distinctive articulation with a series of bare plateaux.

This reflects the stepped morphology of the east and south-east coasts of Crete. The bay of Karoumes, the only anchorage on the steep coast, is formed by the north to north-east face of Traostalos, which is known characteristically as ‘Adiavatos,’ or ‘Impassable.’ Habitation in the bay of Karoumes covers a long interval from the Neolithic period to Roman times. The Minoan period is represented by three megalithic buildings and an extensive series of walls and enclosures that change and organise the natural form of the hills.

Finally, the coastline between the bay of Karoumes and that of Zakros is of great interest, not only for the important Neolithic occupation of the cave of Pelekita, but also for the systematic quarrying of limestone and poros in Minoan times. There were large quarries at
Pelekita and Papa i Limnes, and provision was made for transporting the blocks to the palace at Zakros.

Approaches

The summit can be approached by two routes. The first is a built road, now called ‘Skala tou Ayiou Antoniou’12 by the locals. This road, which runs roughly south-north, crosses the western foothills of Traostalos and links Kato Zakros with Palekastro. The second route is a
path starting from the village of Azokeramos.

The ascent to the plateau on the summit is easiest from the north and north-west, where the contours of the rocky terrain create a series of natural stretches of road, reinforced in places by steps and makeshift walls.

Although the line of this ascent has been established, no stretch of road has been discovered that has the quality of construction of the road that led from Anemospilia to the sanctuary on Juktas.

• Map
• Accommodation
• Villages
• Gorges
• Sites
• Other

Sirines apartments, Palekastro East Crete

Cavo Plako Villas, Palekastro

Casa Di Mare in Kouremenos, Palekastro

Vrachos Studios in Kouremenos, Palekastro

Porto Heli in Kouremenos, Palekastro

Hotel Ostria in Palekastro, East Crete

Elia studios, Agathias, Palekastro

Akti Villas in Kouremenos, Palekastro

Thalassa apartments in Palekastro, East Crete

Olgabeach apartments in Kouremenos, Palekastro, East Crete

Knossos Studios in Palekastro

Anatoli Rooms in Agathias, Palekastro, East Crete

House Margot rooms in Palekastro

Ierapetra, East Crete Cities

Agios Nikolaos, East Crete - Towns and sights on the island of Crete

Gra Ligia Village southeast Crete

Xerokambos Village in East Crete

Agios Nikolaos, East Crete: Yesterday and Today

Koutsouras in East Crete

Ierapetra, East Crete

Pachia Ammos, Ierapetra, east Crete

Elounda in Agios Nikolaos, East Crete

Sitia Town, East Crete

Makrigialos or Makrys Gialos holiday village

Goudouras village

Palekastro in Sitia, East Crete

Mochlos in Sitia, Eastern Crete

Zakros - Kato Zakros in East Crete

Xeniakou gorge by Embaros Lasithi

Ziros - Xerokambos gorge. East Crete gorges and Sights

Kapsa or Pervolakia gorge in Makrigialos

Karoumes gorge. Palekastro Kato Zakros Beach area

Pefki gorge in Makrigialos, East Crete

Kavousi Gorge Hiking and gorges in East Crete

Havgas gorge by Lasithi plataeui, East Crete

Kritsa gorge in Agios Nikolaos, East Crete

Sfaka gorge, Mochlos, East Crete

Richtis Gorge by Sitia,Mouliana

Agia Irini gorge. Xerokampos Beach area. Sights and gorges in East Crete

Zakros Gorge - Kato Zakros. Gorges and sights in East Crete

Adravasti gorge in Palekastro. Sights and gorges in East Crete

Xerokambos gorge. Kato Zakros - East Crete gorges and Sights

Ha gorge by Ierapetra - Kavousi, East Crete

Vasiliki Archaeological Site in Ierapetra, East Crete Sights

Dreros archaeological site. Agios Nikolaos, East Crete

Itanos archaeological site in Palekastro, East Crete. Sights

Archaeological Site in Hamezi Sitia, East Crete

The venetian mansion in Voila Handras, Sitia

Gournia Archaeological Site in Ierapetra, East Crete Sights

The Hellenistic city of Xerokambos

Petsofas Peak Sanctuary in Palekastro, East Crete

Erganos: Archaeological findings

Archaeological Site in Koufonisi or Lefki, Makrigialos, East Crete

Milatos archaeological site. Mirambelo East Crete

Archaeological Site in Tripitos Sitia, East Crete

American student assisting Gournia excavations

Archaeological Site in Pressos, East Crete Sights

Olous archaeological site. Elounda, East Crete

South Crete: here the summer never ends

Rethimno and the friends

Cretan Hospitality in Maleme

Some words about this big island

Regions of particular natural beauty in Kasteli, Heraklion

Apokoronas Region in Chania, West Crete

Crete Promoted as Hot Tourist Destination for Dutch Visitors

The Minoans were indigenous Europeans

Stamnagathi: Global certification for the Cretan herb

Famous Reproductions Give a Taste of historic Greece

Greece and Crete and the Dept Crisis

Pottery art on Crete, historical data, Thrapsano Village

Greece: excellent reports on their bathing water sites

Inland Water in the Island of Crete

Germany: a travel magazine for Crete