LOUTRODie Seaside des Dorfs befindet sich  ungefähr 74 Kilometern suedlich von Chania, am Ende des Cape Mouri. Es wird geglaubt, daß sich hier die Site der alten Stadt Finikas und der Kanal des altem Anopolis befanden. Später wurde es der Winterhafen der Stadt Sfakia, aufgrund der Tatsache, daß die davorliegende Bucht und die kleine Insel in ihrem Eingang einen natürlichen Hafen herstellen, in dem Schiffe  sogar bei sehr ungünstigen Wetterbedingungen sicher sein können.

Das Dorf ("Loutro" bedeutet auf griechisch "Bad" ) wurde , nach den Bädern benannt, die im umliegenden Bereich gefunden wurden. Das Wasser hierfuer kam vom nahegelegenen  Anopolis. Unter den älteren Gebäuden, die Sie hier sehen können, befindet sich das städtische Gebäude, das 1821 von der ersten Regierung genutzt wurde. Nach Loutro kommt man mit dem Schiff oder zu Fuss.

Loutro ist ein Platz für Leute, die sich einen etwas anderen Urlaub wünschen. Zum Beispiel gibt es hier keine grossen Hotels mit Swimmingpools. Es gibt keine überfüllten Straßen, Gaststätten und Strände, und keine Autos!! Es ist ein kleines malerisches Fischendorf  in Südwest Kreta, noch nicht verdorben durch Massentourismus. Entdecken Sie die schönen Strände wie z.Bsp. glykanera ( Suesswasser ), timios stavros, pervolaki, marmara (an den meisten kann man nackt baden), und genießen Sie die Sonne, das Meer und die ruhige Stille. Hier finden Sie  den Frieden, den Sie suchen und wenn Sie moechten, gibt es viele Dinge zu tun!

Genießen Sie bei Wanderungen die pittoreske, unberuehrte Gebirgslandschaft mit ihren Taelern und Schluchten. Selbstverständlich denken Sie nie an die Wettervorhersage, denn das Wetter ist fast immer warm und sonnig. Die großen, hohen Berge auf der Nordseite des Dorfes geben grossen Schutz während der Jahreszeiten, die Leute sind gastfreundlich und werden immer für Sie da sein.

 

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  • Many rooms, apartments and studios. All  have shower, or bath and balcony with a nice view.
  • Restaurants with traditional cuisine and good prices.
  • 3 cozy cafe bars.
  • 3 mini markets
  • 1 souvenir Shop
  • Daily ferry boats to: Chora Sfakion, Agia Roumeli ( Samaria gorge ), Sougia, Paleochora, and Gavdos island.
  • Internet access free wifi

What you can do :
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  • Nothing!! ( if you want, just being lazy is allowed ! :)
  • Take daily boats to go for Swimming and sunbathing to the two fine beaches in the area (the boat leaving at 11.00 a.m. and returning at 17.00 p.m.) Sweetwater beach and Marmara Beach.
  • Or walk to the two other beaches, pervolaki beach, timios stavros beach.
  • You can rent a boat to explore the area around Loutro.
  • Canoes are available for rental by the hour or by the day Diving in clean waters and you see the beautiful bottom.
  • Scuba diving in Lybian sea with the diving center Notos mare.
  • There are plenty fine walks in the Area! With day walks you can explore the Aradaina Gorge, the Imbros Gorge or the Samaria Gorge.
  • Or make a stiff hike to the beautiful situated village of Anopolis high on the cliff overlooking the Libyan Sea.
  • Make a day trip by boat to the island of Gavdos, the most southern tip of Europe and try to get a glimpse of escorting dolphins.
  • Make a circular walk up to Anopolis, to Aradena to Agios Ioannis and back to Loutro.
  • Rent a boat and explore the south west coastal area of Crete.

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The entrance to Crete is the 3 airports, in Chania in Heraklion and Siteia, and four harbors Chania, Rethymno, Heraklio, Kissamos .

Wherever you arrive finally, you have two ways to approach Loutro : bus or taxi.
Taxi of course is easier.
So in case you take the bus, if you come from Chania you must go to the bus station ( K.T.E.L. ) and take the but to Chora Sfakion. This bus crosses the mountains and get you to that village Sfakia.
There you ask where is the depart point for the ferry to your destination, Loutro.
The trip takes only 15 minutes to get you in Loutro.
Now in case you arrive in Heraklion or Rethymno you also go to the bus station and take the bus to Chania witch stops to Vrysses ( vrisses ) village.
There you wait for the bus to Sfakia village.
The rest is like above.

The village was named ("Loutro" means "bath" in Greek) after the baths which have been found in the area and from which water was directed to nearby Anopolis. Among the older buildings that you can see here, you will find the Municipal Building used by the first government, in 1821.

In ancient times believed in Cretan Zeus and Apollo in Delphi , some metres from the village you can see part of the ancient town and the temple of Apollon. (see video below)

In 1821 the seat of the Chancellor's Sfakia and founded a hospital that saved thousands of wounded fighters.

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"At the port of Phoenix, now called Loutro, we see an ancient ruined city, whose columns are to got to the ground. The huts of spatial sarcophagi found very white marble, from which the pigs ate their porridge. I saw many mutilated statues busts, among ruined buildings of marble ...».

Buondelmonti, Cristoforo 1415

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Phoenix. An ancient city and the harbour of Anopolis, near today's Loutro.

Loutro. An ancient city that owes its name to the existence of bathtubs with water channeling from Anopolis. Their remains are still there.

Aradaina. It is the ancient city of Aradin or Iradin which was probably found by the Phoenicians. It was an autonomous city with its own currency. Its architectural remains and tombs still stand there among the ruins of the village.

Anopolis. The ruins of the ancient town are near today's village of Anopolis.

Tarra. An ancient coastal city built right after the exit of Samaria gorge, where today lies Agia Roumeli. It was a small but powerful city with its own currency. The coins represented the Cretan wild goat on the one side and a bee on the other.

Pikilasion or Pikilassos. An ancient town between Suia (Sougia) and Tarra (Agia Roumeli) in Tripiti Gorge of Sfakia, at today's Boukelasi, built at and altitude of 400m. It was probably the harbour of Eliros. The city existed during the Archaic, the Classical and the Hellenistic periods. It was abandoned during the Roman domination and the settlement was later established in the exit of Tripiti gorge. The remains of two temples have been found along the coast.

Kaino. A small mountainous ancient city, built inside Samaria gorge near the banks of the river. The city developed in the ancient years and according to tradition it was the birthplace of Artemis the Britomartis, called Diktini, who was the daughter of Zeus. In 1991, they found an outdoor sanctuary near the church of Agios Nikolaos as well as many bronze and iron, arrows and spears. That was probably the oracle of Apollo or else, the Kirikion Andron. It is said that the nymph Akakali, wife of Hermes and daughter of Minos was worshipped there.