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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 and also in October 2023, new requests 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.

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Photo by Julius Glampedakis

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Photo by west-crete.com

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Wetland

Very close to Pachia Ammos there is also a wetland which is included in the list of small island wetlands and part of this wetland is protected by  Presidential Decree (Government Gazette 229/A.A.P/19.06.12).

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Photos by Julius Glampedakis

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On the seabed of the area are the precious Posidonia oceanica meadows, which are one of the main oxygen providers on earth especially now that forests have been so severely reduced.  Posidonia oceanica are a high priority habitat for conservation across the territory of the EU Member States.

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Ancient Quarry

At Pachia Ammos you find the starting point of a path that leads to the ancient aeolianite quarry and the petrified forest.

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