Ziros – Handras Plateau

Toplou Monastery
Palekastro – Vai – Toplou Monastery
January 23, 2023
The Village of Zakros
January 23, 2023

Ziros – Handras Plateau

Ziros - Handras plateau in East Crete

This plateau is at an altitude of about 600 m. at the west side of Zakros. 30 km away from Sitia, Ziros is the center of the Lefki municipality.

Around Ziros there are the villages Hametulo, Lamnoni, Kalo Horio and the coastal settlement of Xerocambos.

The whole plateau is planted with vineyards and the region is famous for its wine and raki production.

10 kms away from Ziros is the village Hametulo from which is starting the interesting trek of the homonymous gorge. The gorge is dry but impressive and it ends to the beach of Xerocambos.

Near by Handras are two important Venetian settlements, Voila and Etia. The settlements are preserved in a good condition due to the reconstruction program of Lefki municipality. The Venetian settlement Voila is spread across a hill 1km away from the village Handras. In the same place there is the church of Agios Georgios.

In the area are also a number of Byzantine churches full of frescoes, a technique that stops when the icon painting became popular.

You can approach Ziros from Zakros through the E4 international path, passing from the ruins of the historical village Skalia.

The whole area of Ziros plateau is full of various Venetian, Byzantine and Turkish remains