Best things to do in Listaros in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Listaros is a village in the south-west of the Heraklion region, set inland where the Messara plain meets the Asterousia Range. Our page for Pitsidia, the village 3.5 km away, puts that settlement about 65 km from Heraklion, the nearest road figure we publish for this corner of the island. Listaros has no coast of its own, but 5 beaches lie within 7 km.
Heraklion airport (HER) is the nearest airport. What the village offers is position: the Asterousia gorges, the Odigitria monastery, the Minoan country around Phaestus and the Messara Bay beaches all sit within about 8 km, and each needs a car.
Things to do in and around Listaros
Six outings lie within about 8 km of the village, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- See the Odigitria monastery and its cemetery. The prepalatial cemetery at Odigitria lies 3 km from Listaros, and the Panagia Odigitria monastery stands 3.2 km out near Sivas. Two gorges begin in the country around it and run to the south coast.
- Walk through Pitsidia. The village 3.5 km away is reckoned the oldest in this part of Heraklion, sits 80 m above sea level and holds around 700 people. The soldiers of the Byzantine commander Nikiforos Fokas are believed to have settled there, and the name of Pitsidia probably comes from Pisidia in southern Asia Minor.
- Wander Kamilari. The village 4.5 km away has been lived in since the Minoan era and keeps its narrow streets, stone houses and courtyards, with views over the Messara olive groves. The community of Metohi beside Kamilari was once home to Epimenidis, one of the seven wise men of the ancient world.
- Go to Matala for the caves. The village 5.9 km away is known for the caves cut into its rock face and for the 1970s hippie culture that settled in them. Matala sits above an enclosed bay with the Paximadia islands out in front, and it served as the port of Phaestus and later of Roman Gortyn.
- Hike the Agiofarago Gorge. The gorge 8 km away begins south of the Odigitria monastery and ends at Agiofarago beach. The path follows a flat stream bed under vertical cliffs full of caves, and a climbing field sits just short of the sea. Agiofarago means Gorge of Saints, after the hermits who settled there.
- Hike the Martsalo Gorge. The 2 km gorge 8.1 km away drains the Aginara region near the same monastery and comes out at Martsalo beach. A short trail reaches the early Christian church of Panagia Martsaliani, thought to have been a catacomb, with hermit cells cut into the rocks around it above the gorge bed.
About the village and its setting
Listaros sits in the band of country between the Messara plain and the Asterousia mountains. The eating places we list start 2.2 km away, so this is not a settlement you walk out into for dinner. The villages around it are old rather than new: Pitsidia counts as the oldest in the district, and Kamilari has been lived in since Minoan times.
South of the village the Asterousia Range drops to the Libyan Sea, and the gorges that cut through it end on beaches with no road. Towards the plain the ground opens out to Kokkinos Pyrgos and the Messara Bay beachfront.
Beaches in and around Listaros
5 beaches lie within 7 km of Listaros, from an organised village front to a red-sand cove with no road. The list runs from nearest to furthest.
- Kommos lies 5.2 km away, the southernmost section of the Messara Bay beachfront, 2 km north of Matala. The ancient port of Phaestus stood here and its remains are still visible on the sand. Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) nest here.
- Matala sits 6 km away, the most widely known beach in the southern Heraklion prefecture, where the Messara plain and the Asterousia Mountains meet. The rock-carved caves above it are what most visitors come for.
- Red Beach is 6.1 km away, known in Greek as Kokkini Ammos, about 800 m from Matala. Its rust-red sand comes from the local geology and sets off a blue-green sea. No road reaches it: walkers take a marked trail over Kastri hill in 15 to 25 minutes, or a boat from Matala harbour.
- Kalamaki stands 6.1 km away, a seaside hamlet between Matala and Kokkinos Pirgos. Its 2.5 km of sand hides a flat rock bed, north-west winds usually raise large waves, and the village end has sunbeds, eateries and a lifeguard.
- Chrisostomos lies 6.7 km away, in front of a hamlet built on the site of ancient Lassea, a port for Roman Gortys that Saint Paul visited. The beach has coarse sand and shelter from the west.
Where to eat near Listaros
Eating near Listaros means village tavernas and cafés in the settlements around it, the nearest 2.2 km out.
- Taverna Sigelakis does taverna cooking 2.2 km away.
- Karalis Tavern is also 2.2 km away.
- Bougainvillea Restaurant stands 3.5 km out, towards Pitsidia.
- Livas lies 3.5 km from the village.
- Panorama Café sits 3.9 km out.
Getting to Listaros
Listaros is reached on the roads that cross the south-western Messara, the network that also carries traffic to Matala. Heraklion airport is the nearest airport, and our Pitsidia page puts that village, 3.5 km away, about 65 km from Heraklion.
A car makes the difference here, because the gorges and beaches end on tracks rather than bus routes. Kamilari lies 4.5 km out, Matala 5.9 km and Timpaki 9.1 km, and the road to Kommos is signposted near Pitsidia.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Listaros in Crete?
Listaros lies in the south-west of the Heraklion region, inland between the Messara plain and the Asterousia Range. Pitsidia is 3.5 km away and Matala 5.9 km.
Does Listaros have a beach?
Listaros has no beach, because the village sits inland. Kommos is the closest at 5.2 km, followed by Matala at 6 km, Red Beach and Kalamaki at 6.1 km each, and Chrisostomos at 6.7 km.
Which gorges can you walk from Listaros?
Agiofarago and Martsalo both start about 8 km from Listaros. Agiofarago follows a flat stream bed under cliffs to its beach, and Martsalo runs 2 km down past the church of Panagia Martsaliani.
How far is Listaros from Heraklion?
Pitsidia, 3.5 km from Listaros, is listed at about 65 km from Heraklion. Matala, 5.9 km out, is listed at 68 km, which places Listaros in the same range.
What is there to see near Listaros besides beaches?
The Panagia Odigitria monastery and its prepalatial cemetery stand about 3 km from Listaros. The Minoan palace of Phaestus lies near Matala, which was its port, and the old villages of Pitsidia and Kamilari sit within 5 km.
Where Listaros is
Best things to do in Listaros in 2024 is located at Lístaros. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
