Christina boat – Chrissi Island & South East coast of Crete
Daily Cruises
Travel where the big ships can’t
With us it is very easy to walk on the beaches of the island, to enjoy its crystal clear waters and to admire up close the famous cedar forest
Search for simple or semi - private cruise to Chrissi island, include full menu, refreshments, wine and fruits
Search for simple or semi - private cruise to Chrissi island, include full menu, refreshments, wine and fruits
The beautiful island of Chrysi or Gaidouronisi is located in the Libyan Sea, eight (8) miles south of Ierapetra. Chrysi Island is
an exotic uninhabited island of natural beauty, with sandy beaches bathed by the shallow blue-green sea and the only forest in
Europe with cedar trees.
Geography: The island is bathed by the Libyan Sea, has a length of 7 km and a total area of 4,743 square kilometers. East of the island we
find the islet of Mikronisi. The island soil is covered for the most part by sand and the rest by rocks from the lava of an underwater volcano that erupted millions of years ago. In the area of Belegrina the beach is still full of shells.
Historical data: From data studied by Greek and European scientists it appears that the island was inhabited during the Minoan period.
During this period, purple was traded, ie the precious red dye (Haustellum brandaris), which came from the shells of the island and
was used to dye royal clothes. Today the island is uninhabited, however there are archeological findings that testify to the existence of small settlements in the past. On the island we find a church of Agios Nikolaos built in the 13th century, an old saltworks, wells, carved tombs of Roman times, the ancient jetty and the lighthouse.
Flora: There are 13 endemic plant species on the island, 5 endemic species of Crete and one species of sea lily (colchicum cousturieri), which are found only on the island and in Koufonisi. The island is famous for the magnificent juniper forest (Juniperus oxycedrus) over 300 years old.
Fauna: It comes mainly from the nearby Cretan land, includes rodents (wild rabbits, hares), island partridge, pheasants, two (2) species of small lizard and a species of endemic Cretan lizard (podarcis cretensis nerneriana). The island is a resting place for migratory birds and 133 species were counted.
Dolphins, Mediterranean seals (monachus monachus) and sea turtles sporadically appear and enjoy the sea, mainly in one of the most beautiful parts of the island, "Kataprosopo".
Generally: In recent years, part of the cedar forest has been destroyed due to years of environmental abuse. The main reason is the excessive human activity due to the large number of visitors in the summer, as there are daily itineraries from Ierapetra but also the tolerance of the authorities in the past for free camping. The results of research on the causes of forest destruction are expected from the laboratories of the universities of Thessaloniki and Amsterdam. For the protection and preservation of the forest, the Greek authorities decided on the daily visit of a small number of visitors, the duration of the visit and the period of time that the visit will be allowed.
For more information or reservations please mail us: Αυτή η διεύθυνση ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου προστατεύεται από τους αυτοματισμούς αποστολέων ανεπιθύμητων μηνυμάτων. Χρειάζεται να ενεργοποιήσετε τη JavaScript για να μπορέσετε να τη δείτε. or call: +30 6945338846
Ierapetra – Chrissi Island & South East coast of Crete