Sfakia - Anopoli The road uphill, curvy, dug into the hillside with panoramic views. At the left the lovely blue of the Libyan behind Sfakia, with its castle and boats corrugating the sea in a beautiful painting. The landscape stripped completely, the shores are rocky and small sandy beaches only, break the monotony of the stone. The road climbs gasps to get after a while to Anopolis, the first stop of our itinerary. On the road perched on the edges of the road, grazing freely “fouriarika ‘kids, producing milk, the raw material for the gourmet cheese of Sfakia. Then Anopolis. Here things are still traditional and the pace is slow. The main occupation here is farming. Tourism is limited to a few restaurants with delicious meals and rooms with the necessary, but clean and good hospitality. In one of the neighborhoods of Anopolis, begins the road to the hill of Aghia Aikaterini where are the stunning views of the Libyan sea and Loutro. In the central square stands the statue of the hero Daskalogianni and next, what is left of his home. From Anopolis, the road ascends to the Lefka Ori. The next village on the main route is Aradena. From the village begins the road to the village Livaniana and palm beach, offering panoramic views of the rugged coast of Sfakia. The last stop is Aghios Ioannis, a small village with few inhabitants. Aradena The sight of the visitor is unique. Shortly after Anopolis, a ruined village, from which we separated only by a ravine. The famous gorge Aradena. that husky be-
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neath his feet like a huge open wound. There are many stories about the village built on the site of Ancient Aradin, now divided remnants of a stone tank. One story says that the village had several people and all went well until 194, until a bloody feud was the cause of the wipe. Seven people died and gradually people left the village and never returned. From the ruins, only maintained in good condition is the church of the 14th century that commemorates Archangel Michael. The second story is about the canyon: Until a few years ago the road stop on the opposite side and if you wanted to spend the Aradena had to come down the beautiful path of Crete to get to the bottom and climb the other side. In the 1980s, Vardinoyannis bridge erected, who joined the two sides. Into this newly built bridge, every summer unfolds the modern history of Aradena. Across the half-ruined houses, across from the watchful eye of the Archangel, fearless young cast hands and plunge into the gap between the rocks of the gorge. Gorge Aradena is compatible with mild difficulty and leads to the Libyan Sea beach Marmara.