Falasarna Beach

ANCIENT FALASARNA

The Ancient City of Phalasarna, or Falasarna as it’s more commonly known, was once one of the greatest naval powers in all of Greece. The city of Phalasarna was at its peak between the 4^th Century and 67 BC but excavations of the wider area show evidence of a settlement that dates back to the Minoan Period. Phalasarna’s art, architecture and command of the seas earned its place in Greek history and it was almost unstoppable during the Hellenistic Era.

It is believed that Phalasarna was a refuge for pirates and sadly in 69 BC the Romans destroyed most of the city and blocked the main harbor entrance with stone blocks sealing the port forever. This crippled the city and its’ trading almost ceased entirely, it could not recover from this disaster and thus the city was abandoned in around the 4^th Century. Finally, in 365AD, one of the biggest earthquakes in recorded history raised the whole of western Crete by 6-9m in a few seconds, making the once famous harbor inland and useless forever. What remained of the city was then flooded by a tsunami and buried in mud for more than 1,600 years.

The city was rediscovered in the late 19^th Century by British Travelers and since then many excavations have taken place. The first excavations happened in 1966 where many graves were uncovered. Many of these finds from the early excavations can be found in the museums of Kissamos and Chania. In 1986 Research excavations were carried out on the city and its here that the lost harbor was discovered and brought back to life.

Much of this incredible city still remains undiscovered but the power of this once great city can still be seen in its buildings and defenses as you walk in the footsteps of this great civilisation.

FALASARNA BEACH

The extraordinary beach of Falasarna (Phalasarna) is located 52km West of Chania and it is adored by many people around Crete for its crystal-clear waters and large expanse of sandy beaches. Located at the western base of the Gramvousa peninsular, it is a line of beaches like no other, each beach along its coastline having different characteristics making them loved by many people for many reasons. Whether you love to wind-surf, snorkel, swim or relax, Falasarna is sure to enchant and amaze anyone who visits.

Falasarna bay is very popular with locals and tourists alike. It has been awarded as one of the best beaches in Europe several times over and it’s not hard to understand why when you see the diverse coastline and enchanting beaches that Falasarna has to offer. Falasarna bay is split into different beaches, each with qualities that differentiate them from one another. The 2 most popular are situated in the middle as these are the whitest sand and clearest sea.
Like the beach of Elafonisi in the south of Crete, Falasarna has many different species of plants and flora which also makes it a place of natural beauty outstanding beauty. Falasarna is also protected under the Natura 2000 network.