Cheap Greek property for sale

The house is situated in the middle of a traditional village, and you can enjoy becoming involved in traditional village life including olive and grape growing and wine and oil making.

The area is ideal for walking and bird watching. It is also within easy reach of beaches on the north, west and south coasts.

The village itself is rather large with lower and upper areas which include some interesting buildings from the Venetian times.

About 100m from the house there is a kafenio and shop providing basic requirements for the villagers.

 

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Location:

There are several kafenia and a school, as well as bus service to Kastelli. The area is mainly agricultural and is ideal for long walks etc. Just 10 km away there is Kastelli and several nice beaches. This village is slightly elevated.

The upper village (about 1km away) has an elementary school, kafenio and olive oil factory. The bus goes to Kastelli twice a day during the week. Kastelli is a working town on the north coast (nice sandy beaches) and there you can find shops restaurants, banks, post office, medical centre and doctors. This house would suit anyone who seeks a quiet village life within a traditional rural setting, but within easy reach of all amenities.

In the village, one can still find the Venetian villa named "Rotonda", which used to be the residence of a Venetian nobleman in the 16th century. Its called "Rotonda" because of it has circular form. There are plans to restore it to its former beauty, but at the moment there are still local people living in it.

Kissamos or Kastelli Kissamou is a small town in West Crete, at the northwest end of the island.
Kissamos, often still referred to by its earlier name of Kastelli, lies halfway along Kissamos Bay, 43km from Chania.

On first sight, Kissamos does not look like a town full of fascinating things to do, but the truth is quite otherwise. Dont forget that the west coast of Crete includes some of the islands most famous sights, such as Elafonissi, Falassarna and Balos on Cape Gramvoussa.

Kastelli or Kissamos?
Kissamos is a town with two names, Kissamos and Kastelli. When it is called Kastelli, the word "Kissamou" ("of Kissamos") is usually added, to differentiate this Kastelli, west of Chania, from Kastelli Pediados, south of Heraklion. The town was called Kastelli because it lies on the site of an old Venetian castle, no longer visible today. The name Kissamos, on the other hand, is much more ancient; it is thought to be pre-Hellenic, but its derivation is uncertain.

Ancient Kissamos
Modern Kissamos or Kastelli is a town with a long and rich history. It stands on the site of ancient Kissamos, a flourishing, independent city with its own coinage and extensive trading links.

Ancient Kissamos was the harbour of Polyrrinia. Mentioned by Ptolemy as "Kissamos Polis", it prospered particularly during the Roman and Byzantine periods, as the many excavation finds in the area show. A Late Minoan vessel was also found in the Kamara area, but it was lost during the German Occupation.
The low hill of Kastelli, on the east side of the harbour, was ideally placed for the establishment of a settlement known as Kydonia. The earliest evidence of human habitation and activity in the area is pottery dated to the Neolithic period (3000-2900 BC).

Kissamos did not try to resist the Romans and so it managed to gain their favour, in a manner of speaking. The Romans built an aqueduct in the Krya Vryssi ("Cold Spring") area, as well as roads, temples and villas.

Today visitors to the town can admire many of the finds of the Archaic and Roman period in the well-organized Kissamos Museum, while impressive mosaics can be seen at the archaeological site near the Health Centre. The Museum contains Roman statues, the most impressive of which are those of the Satyr and the Emperor Hadrian. The year 66 AD was an important one for Kissamos, as a great earthquake destroyed many buildings. The final blow, however, came in 365 AD, when the area was almost completely razed by a devastating earthquake.
During the Byzantine period, Kissamos became a bishops seat and many churches were built, even on the ruins of Roman temples.

Kissamos during the Venetian period
In 1252 the city and prefecture of Chania were divided into 90 cavallerie and distributed to their new Venetian owners. The Venetians built the wall of Kastelli and laid out the town according to an urban plan, with public buildings along a main street now known as Canevaro Street, which crosses the east side of Kastelli.

The Venetians also built a great fortress in the shape of an irregular pentagon, which contained chapels, prisons, barracks and a well. This fortress gave the name "Kastelli" ("Castle") to the former Kissamos.

The fortress was used by the Cretans during their risings against the Turks. Parts of the fortress can be seen today, but they are part of the reconstructions undertaken during the Turkish period.
Kastelli was the town where the Venetian nobility chose to build their mansions, in the contemporary Venetian Mannerist style prevalent in the 16th century. They also built an impressive cathedral dedicated to the Virgin, but it was destroyed during the German bombardment in 1941.

First impressions of Kissamos or Kastelli
Kastelli or Kissamos is a small town of about 2,000 inhabitants, with an attractive little harbour, lots of shops, cafeteria and taverns mostly along the seafront, a long history and a lively atmosphere. It is a busy place, offering everything tourists may need, although it does not seem very impressive at first.
On first arriving at Kissamos, you see the large beach of grey sand stretching out in front of the town and the rocky coast to the west. In the west part of Kissamos is the main road, Iroon Polytechniou Street, full of shops and supermarkets. But in the summer (and all year round when the weathers good), the heart of town beats on the coast road, near Tzanakaki Square or Kastelli Square, which is mostly pedestrian, letting visitors and residents alike enjoy a stroll by the sea.

The Kissamos area is particularly fertile, rich in grapes, sultanas, wine and raki (tsikoudia). The town played an important part from early historical times onwards, as the provincial capital and economic centre of Kissamos Province in Chania Prefecture.
The harbour of Kissamos is outside the town, linking Crete to the Peloponnese, Chania Prefecture to Kythera, Gythio and Kalamata. There are also daily boat trips to Gramvoussa and Balos Beach.

How to get to Kissamos

• From Chania to Kissamos. If youre in Chania, you can take the National Road west to Kissamos, 43km distant. The road is very good and youll be there in about 30min.


• From Chania Airport to Kissamos. Take the road to Suda and then the Chania -Kissamos National Road, heading west. This also applies if you want to get to Kissamos from Souda Port.


• From Chania to Kissamos by bus. You can also get to Kissamos by intercity bus from Chania. There are buses every hour in the summer and fairly frequently at other times of year.


• From Heraklion to Kissamos. Take the National Road to Rethymno and Chania. Do not enter Chania but continue straight on to Kissamos. It is about 170km and at least 2,5 hours drive away.

Kissamos is the ideal holiday resort for…

• Kissamos or Kastelli is ideal for people who want to explore West Crete while staying in a comfortable, organised place, with cheaper accommodation and food than other, more touristy parts of Chania Prefecture.


• Kastelli is ideal for family holidays, or for people who want peace and quiet without privations.


• Holidays in Kissamos are ideal for nature-lovers who want to be close to gorges, ecological nature walks, and the beautiful beaches of Elafonissi, Falassarna and Balos (Gramvoussa).