Visiting villages in Crete Greece: The village of Astraki today has 228 inhabitants, mainly engaged in agriculture. Documents in 1278 mentioned Astraki as Astracu and more specifically in 1583 as Astracus Catto with 230 inhabitants. The name of the village comes from the many potsherds found here, called ostrakon. As papyrus was too expensive for everyday use, people used mainly ostraka for short everyday writing activities.
There were two parts of the village: Epano Astraki (above) and Kato Astraki (below). Nowadays nobody lives in Kato Astraki anymore and it basically consists only of ruins. The Turks built this settlement and it was abandoned in the early 1900s after the Turkish occupation was defeated. After that, nobody inhabited the houses ever again.
The village of Astraki
At the highest point of Kato Astraki stands the ruins of the 12th-century Byzantine church Agios Georgios Vourvoulitis. Next to the church is a spring with holy water of Agios Georgios (Saint George), which farmers now use for irrigation of surrounding land. This church used to be richly decorated with a golden bell and it had golden chalices. The Cretans buried all the gold in the area just before the Turkish occupation took over the area.
The church of Panagia (Our Lady) in the lower part of Kato Astraki is a single-nave 16th-century church that bears traces of frescoes. This church is still intact and can also be visited. On the west side, there is a coat of arms with four roses, a double-headed eagle and the date 1555. Inside the church is a sarcophagus with a family crest on it.
Below the village is the cave Neraidospilios, there is a spring with plenty of water. They use the water for the city of Heraklion. Legend has it that the cave is home to the fairies. This also explains the name of the cave: Neraido (fairy) spilios (cave).
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Stable and warm
No surprises this week, just good news! We will stay between 26°C and 28°C. The shifting wind ensures that lovely, salty sea air blows over Kokkini Hani. Enjoy it!
The shortest route to the sun
Do you want to go to Crete without the stress of planning? Our package deals are the ideal solution. Flight and accommodation seamlessly connected, so you can relax from the very first minute.
Spicy May walks
In May, Crete smells of wild thyme and sage. Nature is at its most beautiful and the sun is already wonderfully warm, but not yet too hot. Will you come and admire this sea of flowers yourself at Zorbas Island? Be quick!
The taste of Zorbas at home
Do you miss Greek cuisine? Our carefully produced olive oil is now available to order everywhere. With an acidity of 0.3, this is absolute top class. Ideal for drizzling over a salad or simply dipping with some bread.
Zorbas Island 2026 Crete Greece Newsletter: your holiday in Crete in 2026 – The new Zorbas Island programme: dear holidaymaker, we are delighted to present the first details of our brand new programme for 2026! At Zorbas Island, everything revolves around an unforgettable holiday on beautiful Crete.
Holiday Crete 2026 agenda – Agenda Zorbas Island, Crete – Season 2026: our new agenda is ready with the excursions for 2026, including many new excursions. You are probably curious about the activities we will be organising at Zorbas in the coming year, and this agenda provides an overview of all the activities that will interest you.
Holiday information Crete Zorbas Island: Apartment rentals and accommodation on Crete for most of the year. The right place for family apartments and holiday homes, all your excursions and cheap flights to Crete. A comprehensive overview of the latest holiday news from Crete, including lots of photos. Crete is the southernmost holiday island in Europe.
To give you an impression about your holiday at Zorbas Island on Crete, we created a short “Zorbas Island” Movie for you: If you got 5 minutes for holidays to Crete.
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