construction that lies on the top of a rock, providing great views, it also has an interesting story. According to the locals, during the 8th century, the shepherds used to see a strange shine coming from the top of this rock every night, until they decided to go up there in order to explore. When they reached this strange shine, they saw it came from an icon of the Virgin Mary that no one knew how it had got there. This fact was taken as a signal indicating this was the chosen place for the Virgin’s church.
The locals torn down the medieval castle occupying this area in order to build the church. The monastery of Panagia Kastrani remains until our days, and has also another newer church and three cathedrals that match the style of the ancient construction. In addition, it is possible for visitors to stay here in one of their cells.
| The ancient town of Karthea |
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In case of enjoying this type of ancient constructions and historic places, the ancient town of Karthea on the south, deserves an excursion as well. This is the best reputed historical site on the island, and hosts the temples of Apollo, Athena, and Asklepios, and the ancient theatre. Other remains of ancient temples can be found at Korissos.
Ioulida, the capital of the island, also offers a few interesting churches, as well as an ancient acropolis. On the way to Koryssos, there is a road connecting Ioulida to Mylopotamos, you should make a stop at Mylopotamos, in order to visit the watermills, which apart from being an eye-catching construction for foreigners, reflect the traditional architecture used for this type of buildings.
However, not all the excursions on Kea have to necessarily related to history and architecture. Nature lovers can find in Kea a great source of inspiration and recreation for their excursions. In fact, this island counts on 36 walking paths including beautiful sceneries, such as springs, rivers, lush vegetation and many flowers. These paths extend from one end of the island to the other, and used to be part of the ancient road network that connected several important cities of the ancient times.
Kea is one of the up-and-coming destinations for nature lovers and outdoor sports enthusiasts. The island of Kea offers a wide range of excursion options that are able to suit the different tastes and backgrounds of its visitors. Those looking for peace and relax will appreciate them the most and spend a great time.
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