Gdohia is a picturesque village located 22 km away from Ierapetra, at an altitude of 225 m. The village is situated next to the Ierapetra-Vianos provincial road and offers a stunning view of the Libyan Sea and surrounding areas. The village is known for its olive groves and old stone houses with chiseled doorframes and coats of arms bearing the Christian cross. The village has a rich history, as it was often raided by pirates from the Barbary Coast. The name Gdohia comes from the verb “gdyno,” which means to skin, set fire, or devastate.
Gdohia’s settlements are built leaving a distance between each other, and they are named after the families living there. The village is famous for its stonecutters and stoneworkers who built the mansions of the whole area and the famous bridge of Myrtos using stones from the quarries of Kolleitos. The village’s residents also built the miraculous church of Panagia Evaggelistria, a great ecclesiastical monument.
Today, Gdohia is a Local Department of the Municipality of Ierapetra and presents an exceptional sight-seeing interest. It provides natural landscapes, beautiful beaches, picturesque little churches on the hills, a spacious square with palm trees, seats, and a war memorial for the fallen fighters of the liberation wars. The village has a rich history and civilization, with vast olive groves and a nice mild climate, both during summer and winter.
In the 1881 census, 296 residents were registered, and 73 in 2001. Gdohia’s permanent residents, along with some foreigners’ families who have bought and renovated old houses, struggle for the village’s development, which gradually acquires the necessary infrastructures. The old mansions, half-wrecked and burned in the German Occupation, stand as if they were sculptures, a painting with the deep blue Libyan Sea serving as a background, narrate the flourishing, the glory, and the history of Gdohia and wait to be inhabited again.
Gdohia village Map
Explore Gdohia village is located at Gdohia village, in the Lassithi region of Crete. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Gdohia located?
Gdohia is a village located 22 km away from Ierapetra, at an altitude of 225 m, next to the Ierapetra-Vianos provincial road.
What is the landscape like in Gdohia?
Gdohia has a green landscape overgrown with olive trees, with an unlimited view of the Libyan Sea, to the surrounding areas Koleitos, Kakon Oros, to the beaches Vatos and Kallikovrechtis.
What is the history of Gdohia?
Gdohia has a history of being raided by pirates from the Barbary Coast. It was also situated on the natural south passage going from the Viannos area to the Ierapetra area, which meant that it was often burnt and devastated by barbarous conquerors.
What are the settlements in Gdohia?
Gdohia's settlements are built leaving a distance between each other: Kato Gdohia or Pitropiana, Pefkiana or Grysboliana, Dimitromanoliana, Daskaliana, and Papadiana.
What are some notable structures in Gdohia?
Gdohia's residents built the mansions of the whole area and the famous bridge of Myrtos using stones from the quarries of Kolleitos. The miraculous church of Panagia (Our Lady) Evaggelistria of Gdohia is also a great ecclesiastical monument built by Gdohia's residents.
What is the population of Gdohia?
In the 1881 census, 296 residents are registered and 73 in 2001.
What is the current state of Gdohia?
Gdohia is an almost abandoned village, but its permanent residents, along with some foreigners' families who have bought and renovated old houses, struggle for the village's development which gradually acquires the necessary infrastructures.
