Aptera
Aptera is an ancient city site on the hills above the southern shore of Souda Bay, in the Chania region of Crete, roughly 12 km east of Chania. Aptera looks down the length of the bay from its ridge, with the village of Kalami below it and Megala Chorafia alongside. The site gives its name to one of the two Turkish forts that guard this shore, the other being Intzedin, and the excavated ruins are the reason most people come up here.
The nearest swimming is 800 m down the hill at Kalami, and a run of Souda Bay beaches follows the coast east from there. Chania airport sits on the Akrotiri peninsula across the water, which makes this one of the shorter transfers in the region despite the hill road.
Things to do at and around Aptera
Five things sit within about 6 km of the site, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Walk the archaeological site. The Archaeological Site of Aptera lies 700 m from the village and is the main reason to come.
- See the Stylos domed tomb, a Minoan tholos tomb that stands 1.7 km away, below the ridge towards Stylos.
- Swim at Kalami, where the beach lies 500 m north of Kalami village, itself 800 m below the site, with rounded pebbles and a view down the bay to the Souda fort.
- Walk the Diktamos Gorge, which begins 4.4 km away near Katochori at 300 m and drops 8 km east to Faragi village at 40 m, close to Stylos. It is also called the Katochori or Stylos gorge.
- Spend an afternoon in Kalyves. The resort 3.7 km east keeps old stone houses with red-tiled roofs among the newer buildings, and the Xydas river divides its older west side from the newer east.
About Aptera and the villages below it
Aptera is a site with villages around it rather than a resort in its own right, and that shapes a visit. Aptera has no seafront of its own, because the ridge sits back from the water. People stay in Kalami, Kalyves or Souda and drive up.
Two neighbours cover most practical needs. The family resort of Kalyves, 3.7 km east in the Apokoronas, sits in a green valley threaded by the Xydas and Mesopotamos rivers, and its name means “huts”, after the rough shelters farmers once slept in over the summer. To the west, Souda lies 6 km away at the head of the bay: it is the port of Chania, where ferries from Piraeus dock and cruise ships call, and building along the road has effectively joined it to the city.
Three more villages lie further round the bay, each within a short drive of the site. Almyrida is 6.3 km away, Plaka 7.1 km and Gavalochori 8.3 km.
Beaches near Aptera
Five beaches lie within 6 km, spread between the southern shore of Souda Bay below the site and the Akrotiri peninsula opposite.
- Kalami lies 800 m away and is the closest, a rounded-pebble beach 500 m north of Kalami village, looking across at the Souda fort.
- Kalyves beach runs 4 km east on the southern edge of the bay, the beach of the resort village, with the Xydas and Mesopotamos rivers reaching the sea nearby.
- Loutraki sits 4.7 km away in a calm cove on the north-east edge of the bay, with fine sand, shallow clear water, sunbeds, umbrellas and tavernas under the trees. It suits families.
- Kera begins 5.1 km away between Kalyves and Plaka, soft sand with occasional pebbles below tall cliffs, shallow and clear but with no facilities.
- Marathi stands 5.8 km away on the south-east coast of Akrotiri, two sandy beaches with shallow calm water that draw families through the summer.
Where to eat near Aptera
Eating is a matter of dropping down to the villages, since the site itself has nothing beyond the entrance.
- To Kafeneio Ths Kaitis serves the nearest coffee, 1.4 km away.
- Stylos Cafe sits 3.4 km away in Stylos.
- Simon’s and Bistro Indonesia both stand 3.7 km away in Kalyves.
Getting to Aptera
Leave the national road east of Souda at the Megala Chorafia exit and climb the short hill road to the site. The turning is signposted, and the drive up from the coast takes only a few minutes once you are off the main road.
Chania lies west along the same national road, and Rethymno east, so the site fits easily into a day spent travelling between the two. Most visitors combine it with a swim at Kalami or Kalyves below.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Aptera in Crete?
Aptera stands on the hills above the southern shore of Souda Bay, roughly 12 km east of Chania, beside the villages of Megala Chorafia and Kalami in the Chania region.
Does Aptera have a beach?
Aptera sits on a ridge and has no beach, but 5 lie within 6 km. Kalami is the closest at 800 m, while Loutraki and Marathi across the bay on Akrotiri are the organised ones.
What is there to see at Aptera?
The archaeological site of the ancient city is the main attraction, 700 m from the village on the ridge. Two Turkish forts, Aptera and Intzedin, stand on the same shore, and a Minoan domed tomb lies 1.7 km away at Stylos.
Can you walk a gorge near Aptera?
The Diktamos Gorge begins 4.4 km away. It runs 8 km through the White Mountains from Katochori at 300 m down to Faragi village at 40 m, and also goes by the names Katochori and Stylos gorge.
Where should you stay to visit Aptera?
Kalyves, 3.7 km east, has the most rooms and tavernas within easy reach, and Kalami sits directly below the site. Souda, 6 km west, suits anyone arriving by ferry.
Location
Aptera is located at Aptera, in the Chania region of Crete. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
