Koufonisi, which is known as Lefki (the white one) in antiquity, is an
uninhabited islet, located 3 nautical miles south of cape Goudouras, on the
coast of Lasithi, eastern Crete, in the South Cretan Sea.
The island is 6 kilometres long and 5.5
kilometres across and it forms a close group of islands with Makroulo, Marmaro,
Strongylo, and Trachilos ( there is an impressive sea-cave here ).
In Koufonisi a visitor can find not one or two but 36 beautiful
beaches, with white sand and emerald waters. We recommend kamareles, Hiliaderfia,
Asprougas, Prosfora and Greo’s bays.
The islet of Koufonisi is filled with ruins, remnants
of past human activity dated from the Minoan civilization and the
post-Byzantine era, when some of the caves were used as chapels during
Christian persecution by the Ottomans.
Due to the wealth of archaeology the island has been described
from jounalists and archaeologists as “a little Dilos” or “Dilos of South Cretan
Sea”.
In ancient times Lefki was important for sponge
fishing and for the production of a purple dye made from the gastropod Murex
trunculus.
The purple dye was a valuable commodity in ancient
Greece and Rome and was worth its weight in solid silver.
There are visible Roman ruins on the island including
a theatre that could seat 1.000 people, a villa with eight rooms, and a number
of houses, probably the homes of fishermen.
There are also remnants of the statue of a deity at
the temple, which was located near the destroyed lighthouse. The lighthouse
was bombed by the Germans during the Second World War.
During the summer, the island, due to
its history and natural beauty, is visited by tour boats from the ports of
Makrigialos and Goudouras. Tourists can swim and enjoy the crystal clear waters
of the island and admire the remains of the wealthy past of Koufonisi.They can also feel the tranquility of nature and the beauty of the wild landscape, changing from steep rocky shorelines to caves with white and yellow rocks and unearthly dunes.
(For a daily cruise from Makri Gialo to Koufonisi you can call Cretan Daily Cruises tel: 2843051825)
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| Drone Photos taken by Antonis Panteris |
Η Ελένη Βασιλάκη είναι δημοσιογράφος. Έχει εργαστεί από το 1995 μέχρι σήμερα σε εφημερίδες και ραδιοφωνικούς σταθμούς του Ηρακλείου συνεργαζόμενη παράλληλα με ΜΜΕ στην Αθήνα. Είναι πτυχιούχος Πολιτικών Επιστημών και Δημόσιας Διοίκησης με master στη Διοίκηση Πολιτισμικών Μονάδων ενώ μιλά Αγγλικά και Ιταλικά. Λατρεύει τα ταξίδια και τις εκδρομές, τις πεζοπορίες στη φύση και τη γνωριμία με τον τόπο της και τους ανθρώπους του.