En route to/from the village of Krasí you will pass the controversial Aposelemis Dam, the construction of which was completed in 2012. Formerly wedged between the villages of Potamies and Advou, the village of Sfendile was flooded to allow for the damming of the Aposelemis Creek. The dam provides drinking water to the greater Iraklio and Agios Nikolaos areas. Depending on the dam levels, you may still see house roofs, including that of Sfendiles village church, plus a tattered Greek flag fluttering.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
14.21 MILES
Crete’s most famous historical attraction is the Palace of Knossos, the grand capital of Minoan Crete, located 5km south of the city of Iraklio. The…
Heraklion Archaeological Museum
16.47 MILES
This state-of-the-art museum is one of the largest and most important in Greece. The two-storey revamped 1930s Bauhaus building makes a gleaming showcase…
28.89 MILES
Gortyna (also Gortyn or Gortys) has been inhabited since Neolithic times but reached its pinnacle after becoming the capital of Roman Crete from around 67…
19.2 MILES
Tiny Spinalonga Island became a leper colony in 1903 and catapulted into pop-cultural consciousness thanks to Victoria Hislop's 2005 bestselling novel The…
16.66 MILES
After six years of restoration, Iraklio’s symbol, the 16th-century fortress called Rocca al Mare by the Venetians, reopened in August 2016 with a brand…
5.81 MILES
The Palace of Malia, 3km east of Malia, was built at about the same time as the great Minoan palaces of Phaestos and Knossos. The First Palace dates back…
14.78 MILES
The fortified hilltop city state of Lato is one of Crete’s best-preserved non-Minoan ancient sites and worth the trip for the rural serenity and stunning…
16.89 MILES
If you’re wondering what Crete’s been up to for the past, say, 1700 years, a spin around this engagingly curated museum is in order. Exhibits hopscotch…
Nearby Iraklio Province attractions
1. Kerá Kardiotissas Monastery
3.49 MILES
Continuing on from the Aposelemis Dam takes you to Kerá, home to one of Crete’s most cherished monasteries, the Panagia Kardiotissa. Its teensy chapel is…
2. Lychnostatis Open Air Museum
4.14 MILES
In a lovely seaside setting at Hersonisos’ eastern edge, this family-operated, open-air folklore museum recreates a traditional Cretan village with…
5.81 MILES
The Palace of Malia, 3km east of Malia, was built at about the same time as the great Minoan palaces of Phaestos and Knossos. The First Palace dates back…
5.82 MILES
Impressive Quarter M is a residential area a bit further west of the palace. Though fenced off, it's still possible to appreciate its size and complexity…
5.85 MILES
This small exhibition hall near the entrance to the ruins features photographs of the excavation work begun in 1915 by Iosef Chatzidakis and continued by…
5.85 MILES
These eight well-preserved circular pits are believed to have been grain silos.
5.86 MILES
The west magazines were the palace's storerooms for agricultural products. It was believed that if there was a bad harvest, these reserves were…
5.87 MILES
This disc with 34 impressions around its edge is on the western side of the Palace of Malia's Central Court. Archaeologists believe it probably had a…