Chania Kalyves Village
• General info • Tours & Activities • Map • Members Photos (10) • Greeka Photos (6) • Reviews (2)
Top Activities & Tours in Kalyves Village
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Private sailing cruise with meal
Category: Private, Gastronomy, Boat Tours, SailingHave a day full of swimming and sailing! Stop by three different bays, enjoy a dip in Crete's crystalline waters, and feast on lunch with Greek specialties.
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The 7 villages of Apokoronas tour with lunch
Category: Day Trips, Gastronomy, WalkingExplore the gorgeous villages of Apokoronas, witness some stunning countryside routes, and savor a delicious Cretan meal.
Kalyves Village Map
Photos by Greeka Members
Photos by Greeka Team
More about Kalyves
The sea here is notably cold, due to the river nearby. The same holds true for Kyani Akti or Glaros Beach to the north, where the Kyliaris River empties into the sea. This beach lines the coast all the way up to Kalami and is significantly less organized and crowded.
Kyliaris River is the second-longest in Crete, at about 5 kilometers, with its Feeders taking that number up to a total of 36 kilometers! Its sources are situated in the White Mountains, at an altitude of 2000 meters, and throughout its course, it grants Crete some of its greenest, most fertile regions.
Northeast of the village stand the ruins of Castel di Apicorno, a structure first built by the Genoese in 1206 in their attempt to take control of Crete before the Venetians. This fortress suffered destruction at the hands of Hayreddin Barbarossa, the famed Turkish pirate, before being disarmed by the Venetians as they surrendered Crete to the Ottoman Empire.
Its final destruction came at the hands of Greek revolutionaries in 1821, who utterly destroyed the structure, leaving behind nothing but the remains of the magazine.
South of the village, along the old National Road, one can visit a large complex known as Kathidrima Timiou Stavrou (True Cross Foundation), a charitable institution which includes a three-aisled church dedicated to the True Cross, St. Ephraim, and the Neomartyrs Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene.
The most easily discernible building in Kalyves is the church of Agia Paraskevi, opposite the town square. Just down the road stands is a watermill, constructed during the 16th or 17th century, built with a special form of mortar made of crushed ceramics. This mill, standing over the last remaining waters of the area’s third river, Mesopotamos, became Chania’s first electric plant in 1928, providing power to the village, as well as Kalami Prison (housed at Izzedin Fortress) to the north, six months before Chania Town got a power station of its own.
Reviews
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Michelle Pressland 19 Aug 2022I love KalyvesI love Kalyves - going back in 3 weeks. Why did you leave Kalyves Gary? I want to live there permanently in the near future.
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Gary Brown 17 Jul 2021Miss it sooo much
I lived in Kalyves for 2 and half years and miss it sooo much....people are genuine and honest,friendly to an end,I worked there and gained so much trust because you have to anywhere you go,it's a village and beaches that had everything we needed...hope it's the same after the pandemic when we go back,please