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Sights - Chania County |
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Palaiochora |
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| Palaiochora
is a new town, which did not come into existence until the end of the 19th
century. Till then there were in this area only scattered cottages for the
local farmers to live in, while they were working in the fields, or to use
as storerooms for tools and crops. They had quite a big production of
particularly olives, which were brought to Chania by sea. Some olive
exporters therefore founded the future town here, where the ships could
berth sheltered by the old Venetian castle.
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The
castle was built in 1279, originally to fight "the wild population's
rebellion" as Gerola describes the locals. But the rebels captured it
and destroyed it.
The Venetians decided in 1325 to rebuild the castle and colonise the area.
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In
1536 the fortress was bombarded by Barbarossa and destroyed once more.
Even though it was later rebuilt, it never obtained its earlier importance.
In 1653 the Turks again captured and destroyed it from dry land.
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Hieronymo
Semitecolo sailed around West Crete in 1639 to map the coast, as the
Venetians at that time with cause feared a Turkish invasion. He comes from
the east and describes Palaiochora in the following way:
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At
the beginning the beach consists of a low sandy tongue of land, which a
little further inside the country rises to a small hill, where the Selino
castle is situated, encircled by the sea to both east and west. The castle
is shaped almost like a square and has two towers to the south, the eastern
as well as the south-eastern having three gun slits. To the north - towards
the mountains - a tower is built a little forward, forming a wall with a gun
slit for three persons. Is has moreover eight three-feet cannons and a
powder room. Towards northwest a wall stands slantwise to the south. Here is
a cistern with good water. Below the wall the local inhabitants' houses form
a village, and further down is a beautiful plain, completely cultivated.
Then the wall turns to the south. The castle is built on a flat piece of
land with sharp rocks continuing all the way to the sea half a mile away.
This area is called Tigani. In the castle are always a castle-master and a
captain with the command of 20 soldiers, and in emergency 200 shooters - all
of them local people - can immediately be summoned.
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| The village was registered in 1881 with 13 Christians and 25 Turkish inhabitants. It was growing quickly, even though the transport of olives by ship ended, when a road over land was opened. What the village lost in trades, it has gained trough tourism, as it has become one of the most important tourist villages on the south coast because of its fine situation, encircled by sea on both sides. Especially the western part of the coast is famous for its long sandy beach, Pacheia Ammos. |
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| From the small harbour on the eastside of the village are daily departures for 1-day tours to Elafonisi, and ferry service along the south coast to Sougia - Agia Roumeli - Loutro - Sfakia. | ||
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| It is very nice that the village has chosen to close its main road for motorists in the evenings, so that people can walk freely among the numerous restaurants and coffeehouses. |
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| 5 km west of the village is the Koundoura area, which in recent years has become a rich agricultural area with an intensive cultivation of vegetables. | ||
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