Kokkino Chorio ("Red Village" in English) is a village situated in the Chania regional unit of

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

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. Kokkino Chorio is located near Plaka, Almiryda, Gavlahori, Kalyves and Kambia.

History

The village also plays host to a tunnel complex which was used in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

by the Nazis as an artillery spotting position. The area has been bought by a local property developer who has subsequently built a large number of houses on the site, obliterating in the process an old gun emplacement. In 2006 a memorial to those killed during world war two was constructed at the entrance to the tunnels.

Culture

It was the filming location of the 1964 film

Zorba the Greek ''Zorba the Greek'' ( el, Βίος και Πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά, , Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas) is a novel written by the Cretan author Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1946. It is the tale of a young Greek int ...

starring

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...

Alan Bates Sir Alan Arthur Bates (17 February 1934 – 27 December 2003) was an English actor who came to prominence in the 1960s, when he appeared in films ranging from the popular children's story '' Whistle Down the Wind'' to the " kitchen sink" dram ...

Irene Papas Irene Papas or Irene Pappas ( el, Ειρήνη Παππά, Eiríni Pappá, ; born Eirini Lelekou ( el, Ειρήνη Λελέκου, Eiríni Lelékou, link=no); 3 September 1929 – 14 September 2022) was a Greek actress and singer who starred ...

and many locals. Access is possible, but it is unlit.

Description

Kokkino Chorio has three churches: St. George's which is located at the entrance of the cave and used on St. George's Day (April 23); St Katherines in the village which is used on November 25. The main church, used weekly and at other times during Lent/Easter and Advent/Christmas is St. Haralambos and is located in the village square. Recently a Mini Market has opened in Kokkino Chorio (run by Giorgos) selling a range of goods, from food to household appliances. There is also a Glass blowing factory in the village with an embryo taverna attached. Above Kokkino Horio one can see the strangely shaped hill Drapanokefala or Calapodha (so named during the Venetian occupation). The coastline northwest of the village is an extremely interesting place for a stroll due to the ground formation and the caves, such as the cave of Petsi (or Karavotopos). Another cave called Katalimata, located at the centre of the village, is also an interesting site. {{Apokoronas div Populated places in Chania (regional unit)