Professor Yannis Sakellarakis discovered the site in 1982, during his first day of excavations at the nearby Ideon Cave by Psiloritis mountain, close to Anogia Village, when a shepherd told him about his pastures and sheep in an area called “Zominthos.”

Monastiraki is the archaeological site of an ancient Minoan town close to Monastiraki village on the island of Crete. The site is on the plain of Amari, west of the Ida massif. Monastiraki is 38 kilometers from Rethymnon.

Visit Knossos, Archanes, Gortys, Phaistos, Matala, Anogia, Zoniana Cave and Koutouloufari in Crete Crete is an island of amazing diversity and exquisite natural beauty; East Crete is famous for its unique setting and long history and with a hire car you will be able to explore it with comfort and convenience.

The Kamilari vaulted tomb is a key monument of the Minoan civilization. It is located in the fertile Plain of Mesara near Phestos archaeological site, and close to Kamilari village, Crete. The diameter of the tholos is 7.65 meters and belongs to Middle Minoan Period (2000-1700 BCE).

Apodoulou minoan settlement: A small blue sign in the village of Apodoulou informs you that 2 km to the west you will find the Apodoulou Minoan settlement. Like so many other cases, this settlement was conventionally named after the modern village close to it, since there was no clue as to its actual name.

At the sea coast of Kato Gouves, 15 kilometres east of Heraklion city, a large settlement of the Late Minoan period has been partly excavated by the archaeologist D. Vallianos. The settlement is divided into three building complexes crossed by a road which lies vertically to the sea.

The frescoed cave temple of Agios Efthimios is situated on a high altitude, near the entrance of the gorge of Zaros, close and over the Monastery of Agios Nikolaos. The Italian architect Gerola, who photographed all the important monuments of Crete around the 1900s, recorded a 1438 inscription on the frescoes.

To avoid the heat, we begin our journey to Gortys very early.  There are several winding country roads through the mountains. However, the best route is from Iraklio to the highway that leads directly to the south coast. Despite driving the mountain pass behind a large truck hauling construction equipment, we arrive in Gortys before 9:00 AM.  Unfortunately, it is already getting hot.

On the east of Heraklion, right after the Vatianos valley, almost right on the highway to Agios Nikolaos, one can find the Niros Chani, or Kokkini Chani or Armylides, that belongs to the municipality of Gouves. Niros mansion is one of the best examples of Minoan architecture that can be easily visited after contacting the guard of the site.

The Venetian fortress of Paliokastro is located 14km west of Heraklion city, on the west side of Heraklion Bay. Today, only a part of the walls of the triangular fort remains alive. The fort was built on a big tall rock, near which passes the highway of Heraklion - Chania.