Περισυνάκη - Αγριοκεφάλα - Μανίκα Δήμου Σφακίωνのおすすめウォーキング＆ハイキングルート

Since the operator is no longer on site, both the opening hours and the range of services offered are now severely limited.

In 1770, Ioannis Vlachos (Ιωάννης Βλάχος), known as Daskalogiannis (Δασκαλογιάννης), the leader of the Cretan rebels, was captured by Ottoman soldiers in Frangokastello. He was executed the following year on June 17, 1771, in Kandiye, present-day Heraklion.

The name Frangokastello comes from a Venetian castle built in 1371 on a low peninsula, the crenellated outer walls of which still stand today. Above the south gate of the fortress, the coat of arms of the Venetian builders, the Lion of Saint Mark, is still well preserved. Inside the structure, however, only the foundations of the complex are visible. The castle, which was restored again by the Venetians under their commander Nicolo Dona in 1593, was later abandoned. Subsequently, the local inhabitants of Sfakio removed the beams from the towers and rooms.

Thanks for the update! Indeed, the owner had already told me about this, precisely because it wasn't worth it for him to market it (there were EU subsidies, but only initially). A few hundred meters further east (see https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/1028199187) is another (abandoned) cactus field, but it's not fenced in and therefore exposed to sheep and goats. It will be interesting to see what use the property will be put to now. I'm fairly sure it will be another "luxury villa" (as is already planned across the road to the south), because the entire area is increasingly falling victim to landscape-destroying development, apparently more lucrative in the short term than traditional or even alternative agriculture. The prickly pears were, in principle, a very good approach!

Unfortunately, the prickly pears have since been razed to the ground. Presumably, their cultivation was not profitable.

The old Kalderimi path through the Kallikratis and the neighboring Asfendou gorges is regularly repaired and cleaned by a local citizens' initiative, most recently in the spring of 2024. If the hikers themselves clear stones out of the way every now and then, that also helps a lot.

A visit to the small church is especially worthwhile on November 3rd, when the feast of this special St. George is celebrated. Quite by chance he then becomes a drunk because the new wine is then ripe and is tasted extensively.

Old-style kapitabena in Skaloti. Here you can sample and purchase excellent Graviera cheese from the attached cheese factory. And with a little patience, you can also get something warm to eat (a specialty: pasta with minced meat) and a salad from Maria's garden. In summer, lunch breaks are around 1-5 p.m. This is the best starting and finishing point for a hike through the Manikas Gorge (https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/2099246606).