The bay of Fraskia of Panagia is located 24km northwest of Heraklion, on the western side of the bay of Heraklion. It is located at the exit of a small valley next to the current private settlement of Theseus. The name Fraskia is taken after the Cretan word fraski, which was a type of jar that was used by Cretans as a beehive. Indeed, the area is full of thyme, herbs and shrubs, which are ideal for beekeeping.

A long part of the coast is full of alternating small coves with sand and rocky seabed, which stretch to the south till the area “The Garden of Priest”, south of which there are some amazing caves. The sea is usually very calm since it suffers only from the eastern winds, relatively rare in north  Crete; therefore the Venetians used this small bay as a harbour for protecting their ships. Especially on days when northwest winds blow, Panagia is a favourite choice of boat owners of Heraklion.

The beach can be accessed mainly by boat, although there is a tedious path leading to the bay, starting from the highway Heraklion-Rethymnon (before the exit to Ligaria). There is a second much shorter and easy path starting at the neighbouring beach of Theseus, but you are not allowed to enter as it’s private property. You will not find anything on the beach, since it is secluded. Unfortunately, in recent years many constructions have popped up arbitrarily by some brainless locals, who have destroyed the shore. The squatters of the beach had the audacity to build cement bases on the beach, which combined with their rubbish, have caused great damage to the landscape.
The beach takes its name after the Panagia (Virgin Mary) monastery, of which only some ruined walls still survive. Only a shrine now reminds us that there was once a church. The church still celebrates every year, when residents of Rogdia and Achlada villages come to the beach by boat. Close to the church, there is a dry creek with dense vegetation.

There is a very deep, pebbly beach in front of the settlement with a flat sea, that is artificial and has been created for the residents of the settlement. The seabed is initially shallow but turns to a steep “cliff” after some meters. There are umbrellas for the habitants of the village. If you are not a resident or a visitor, you are not allowed to get your car to the beach and you have to park near the village exit. You can walk 1km down to the beach, but the inclination is so steep that the return will be exhaustive. The beach doesn’t deserve this effort unless you are allowed by the security guard to get your car to the beach. As an alternative, you could come there by boat from the nearest harbour, Pantanassa. If you are a keen snorkeler, the very deep water is ideal for fishing.