The"Treasures" of Stavros
The area of Stavros is located 15 km east of the city of Chania. With its beautiful beaches and the characteristic creek under the imposing mountain where Michael Cacoyannis filmed "Zorba the Greek", it is one of the most famous cultural heritage sites of Crete.
The area of Stavros was designated as a landscape of special natural beauty in 1973, which requires special state protection. It is a unique historical and environmental attraction due to its rare morphology, geographical location and special climate. The northern and eastern areas of Akrotiri, including the impressive mountain, were put forward for inclusion into the NATURA 2000 network in the 1990s. This application was rejected without justification by the Natura network, for reasons that were not made public. In November 2022, a new request for inclusion of Stavros in the Natura Network was submitted and a response from the authorities in charge is pending.
Pachia Ammos is in danger.
Pachia Ammos beach is an integral part of Stavros. It is a beach of great natural beauty and an iventorised nesting place for the protected sea turtle species of Caretta Caretta (loggerhead turtle). It also contains rare flora, like the endangered sea lilies Pancratium maritimum and the last remaining sand dunes on the north shore of Crete. This peaceful place is within the flyway for migratory birds who come here to rest and fish.
Photo by Julius Glampedakis
Photo by west-crete.com
Map of the Archaeological Site of Stavros from the Archaeological Land Registry (yellow outline) and location of the pumping station (black mark). The red mark is the corner of the planned building shown in the next photo.
The black mark is the spot that has already been patched and corresponds to the 'ceiling' of the pumping station. The planned pumping station is definitely within the archaeological site.