Skaleta/Creta Star

Skaleta, a picturesque and historical settlement, stretches on the shores of the Cretan Sea about 12 kilometreseast of the town of Rethymno and 67 km west of Heraklion.

The harbour, which was in use during the second Byzantine period, the churches of Zoodochou Pighis (live-giving spring) and of St. Nicholas, as well as archaeological finds in the environment testify the existence of a period that has been forgotten during the course of the centuries.

Skaleta’s large, sandy beach, which is sometimes caressed, at other times fiercely beaten by the sea, is surrounded by low hills, from the top of which a spectacular view is offered to the visitor, especially at sunset. This beach is one of the last hatching places of the caretta-caretta turtle. Also, the seal monachus-monachus, which until recently was in danger of extinction, had found a place of refuge here.

The rocky part of the coastal area boasts a number of caves, the Poseidon cave being the most important among them, to which access is possible from the sea only. Inside, bizarre formations of stalactites and stalagmites, reflecting the whole spectrum of colours, indeed display a “divine picture”. At the entrance of the Poseidon cave, a huge stalagmite in the shape of a lion seems to watch over the enormous cave. Next to it, a peculiar accumulation of rocks could have been the “gate of the nymphs”, under which the mermaids prepared themselves before they entered the cave of the great god of the seas.

The historical and mythological background of the village of Skaleta as well as the beauty of the landscape make this resort particularly attractive to the visitor who wishes to pass agreeable holidays on this island.