Archaeological Site of Aptera
Aptera is an archaeological site in West Crete, on a plateau 13 km from Chania that looks down over Souda Bay. The city was established in the 8th century BC and held that position to control the bay below it. Aptera prospered during the Hellenistic period and was abandoned in the Arab years, when pirate attacks made the coast unsafe.
Trade ran through two harbours rather than the city itself. Aptera relied on the ports of Marathi and Kalives, which made it one of the most important commercial centres in Crete. Both places are still on the map today: Marathi beach lies 5.1 km away and the resort town of Kalyves is 3.2 km from the site.
What survives at Aptera
Aptera was fortified with a strong wall, and a large part of it, 4 km in all, still stands. The enclosed ground holds more than the defences. Excavation has exposed a sanctuary of the 5th and 4th centuries BC, Roman vaulted cisterns of considerable size, a theatre cut into the ground, a building identified as a parliament, and a necropolis just outside the walls.
Loose finds from the site cover the usual range of a long-lived Greek and Roman city. Archaeologists have recovered vases, coins, figurines, inscriptions and sculptures.
How Aptera got its name
The name Aptera means wingless in Greek, and two explanations compete. Tradition has it that the city was named after the Sirens, who lost their wings in a musical contest against the muses and were left wingless. The likelier explanation is that the name comes from Aptera Artemis, the wingless Artemis worshipped in the area, and the coins minted by the city support that reading.
The archers and the coins of Aptera
Aptera was known for its skilled archers, who served as mercenaries in various areas outside Crete and brought wealth home with them. The silver they introduced allowed the city to mint its own coinage. Those coins usually carried the goddess Artemis on one face and King Apteras, the founder of the city, on the other. Other designs show Apollo or Hera together with a torch, a bee or a bow.
Things to do around Aptera
Five places worth a stop lie within 6 km of the site, listed nearest first.
- Walk down into Kalyves, 3.2 km away, one of the two ancient harbours of Aptera and now a resort town on the bay.
- Swim at Loutraki beach, 4.1 km from the ruins on the Apokoronas coast.
- Hike the Diktamos Gorge, which runs 5.1 km inland from the site.
- Visit Marathi, 5.1 km away and the second of the two ports the ancient city depended on.
- Spend an evening in Almirida, 5.7 km east, where the seafront is lined with tavernas.
Beaches near Aptera
Five beaches sit within 9 km of the plateau, all of them on the Souda Bay and Apokoronas coast below the site.
- Loutraki beach is the closest at 4.1 km.
- Kera beach follows at 4.6 km.
- Marathi beach lies 5.1 km away, below the Akrotiri side of the bay.
- Almyrida beach is 5.8 km east, at the village of the same name.
- Koutalis beach sits 8.2 km from the site.
How to get to Aptera
Aptera is situated 13 km from Chania and is most conveniently reached by car, because no public bus goes to the site. The alternative is to take any bus heading towards Rethymno or Heraklion and get off at the crossroads signposted for Aptera. That leaves a 45-minute uphill walk to the archaeological site, which is worth knowing before you plan the day around it.
Drivers usually combine the site with something else on the same road. The port of Souda lies 6.5 km west, Plaka and Kokkino Chorio are both under 8 km east on the Drapanos peninsula, and Gavalohori sits 7.9 km inland. Further round the coast are Agia Triada Tzagaroli Monastery, Chrysopigi Monastery and the rock inlet at Seitan Limania.
Frequently asked questions
Where is ancient Aptera?
Ancient Aptera sits 13 km from Chania, on high ground above Souda Bay in West Crete. The position was chosen so the city could control the bay, and the ruins still look straight down over it.
How old is Aptera?
Aptera was established in the 8th century BC. The city reached its height in the Hellenistic period and was abandoned during the Arab years, when pirate raids made the coast dangerous.
What does the name Aptera mean?
Aptera means wingless in Greek. One story ties it to the Sirens, who lost their wings after a musical contest with the muses. The evidence of the city coins points instead to Aptera Artemis, the wingless Artemis worshipped here.
Can you get to Aptera by bus?
No bus runs to the site itself. Buses towards Rethymno or Heraklion stop at the crossroads below, and from there it is a 45-minute walk uphill, so a car is the practical option.
What can you see at the Aptera site?
The main remains are 4 km of city wall, Roman vaulted cisterns, a theatre cut into the ground, a sanctuary of the 5th and 4th centuries BC and a building identified as a parliament. A necropolis lies nearby, and excavation has produced vases, coins, figurines, inscriptions and sculptures.
Location
Archaeological Site of Aptera is located at Ancient Aptera, in the Chania region of Crete. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
