Loutro ( el, Λουτρό) (Greek: "Bath") lies on the south coast of

Chania Chania ( el, Χανιά ; vec, La Canea), also spelled Hania, is a city in Greece and the capital of the Chania regional unit. It lies along the north west coast of the island Crete, about west of Rethymno and west of Heraklion. The mun ...

regional unit in west

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, Cypru ...

, between Chora Sfakion and Agia Roumeli, the exit to the Samaria Gorge. The whole area is known as

Sfakia Sfakiá ( el, Σφακιά) is a mountainous area in the southwestern part of the island of Crete, in the Chania regional unit. It is considered to be one of the few places in Greece that have never been fully occupied by foreign powers. With a ...

. The village got its name from the Greek word for "bath," for the many ancient baths found in the area.

History

Loutro is the site of the ancient city of Phoenix (Finikas), which was the port town of ancient Anopolis, and an important harbour in

Hellenistic In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium i ...

and Roman times. It later became the wintertime port of the town of Sfakia because of its natural protection during harsh weather. Today nothing remains of ancient Phoenix except the name preserved by the small village in the bay west of Loutro. Later the Saracen pirates used Loutro as a lair from which to attack the ships sailing south of Crete. The Venetians managed to drive out the

Saracens upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...

and fortified Loutro with a small fortress whose ruins are still visible today. Another fortress preserved in better condition in Loutro is evidence of the Turkish presence here.

Access

Loutro is accessible only by foot or by sea. Ferries run daily connecting Loutro to nearby towns and the exit-point of the Samaria Gorge.

Economy

Much of Loutro's economy is based on tourism and fishing.

References

External links

Loutro in Crete
* {{coord, 35, 12, N, 24, 5, E, source:plwiki_region:GR, display=title Populated places in Chania (regional unit)

History

Access

Economy

See also

References

External links