Episkopi

There are a few settlements in Crete which bear the name Episkopi but this one is in Heraklion Region, at a distance of about 10 km from the seaside. The closest beach is Kokkini Hani. Episkopi is large and lively village where locals live and it is not very popular among tourists (this might be a plus if you prefer accommodation out of the busy tourist places but yet with enough restaurants and shops for basic needs).

The village lies among olive groves and its residents are engaged in agriculture and farming. Episkopi is one of the oldest villages of the region and some of the houses are in their original stone architecture, the streets are narrow and winding. There are also old Byzantine churches and some Venetian monuments, and in the center you can visit an Ethnological and War Museum. In the area there is a cluster of old small villages, called Galifa, Galipe, Stamni and Kenourgio Chorio which are totally different from the seaside resorts and look as if time has stopped there many years ago. A few km away from Episkopi, near a village called Sgourokefali you can visit an old stone bridge called Astrakiani Kamara, dating back to 16 century, and an abandoned watermill in good condition.

highlights: large village with stone houses, village in Heraklion Region, Crete, Greece