Agia Fotia in Crete, Greece, pictures and information, beaches, nature, travel, hotels, apartments, car rental

Agia Fotia is a coastal village at about a quarter of an hour drive east of Ierapatra (13 kilometers), in the southeast of the island of Crete. It is in between two other resorts, Ferma and Koutsouras. The area is very quiet compared to other pieces of Crete. In order to reach Agia Fotia you take the exit leading from the main road that runs between Ierapetra and the seaside resort of Makrigialos. The road down the hill is very steep. At the end of the road down at the beach you can park your car in front of the Agia Fotia Taverna / Apartments. Markos Studios also has its own parking lot.

The beach of Agia Fotia I estimate about 150 a 200 meters long. It is a sandy beach and in the center is very wide. The beach is surrounded by very high mountains and it is very picturesque. Here and there you find trees for some shade, but there are also a number of umbrellas and sun beds for rent.

There are not many accommodations in the village. Agia Fotia Apartments has 6 rooms with sea view and Markos Studios has 11. Furthermore, there are only a few tavernas (three on the beach and one a bit inland towards the church - where there is one more place where you can rent a room) and a few private houses. It is a place to slow down and swim in the sea. Most visitors are day people. When we visited it was very quiet. Perhaps on the weekends when the Greeks themselves ar free it can be more busy. It is worth taking a look at Agia Fotia because this is one of the prettiest bays in the south east of Crete.

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The Butterfly Gorge near Agia Fotia and Koutsouras

Between Agia Fotia and Koutsouras, about 1 kilometer east of Koutsouras, lies at 400 meters from the road the entrance to the Butterfly Gorge. The first two kilometers are pretty easy to walk, and after that it becomes more difficult. You can walk between the high rising mountains and depending on when you get there you can also see small streams and waterfalls. In 1993 there was a large fire in this area which destroyed many of the pine trees. Slowly the area has been recovering.

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Agia Fotia Restaurant - Agia Fotia - Crete

The Agia Fotia Restaurant is situated at a 10 meters distance from the beach of the village with a view of the sea. There is plenty of choice in appetizers and main courses and the service is friendly. It is also inexpensive. We ordered tzaziki, cheese pies, spinach pies and a tuna salad (without the sauce but with oil and vinegar instead) for our lunch. The bread was good and fresh and the tzaziki was thick and with plenty of cucumber. No complaints.

Our Verdict: an 8,5 out of 10

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Hans Huisman, http://www.angelfire.com/super2/greece/ 2007 2008 <XMP></body></xmp>