On the road from Kalives there is a junction for Almirida. The old
monastery of Panagia Keras is located on a beautiful small beach after Kasteli,
while towards Gavalohori one can see remains of the old public road with its arched
bridge and tollbooth.
Almirida, a small fishing village, evolved into a tourist resort a
few years ago and is an area which demands particular attention from the municipality
of Vamos. At the entrance of the village the 13th division for Byzantine antiquities
of the Archaeological Receipts Fund has uncovered the ruins of an old (6th century)
Christian Basilica separated into three, with mosaics, which are both of excellent
quality and have been exceptionally well preserved. On Finikias hill above the
Basilica (as well as on the small island of Karga) are the remains of a Greek-Roman
town a short distance away from Almirida.
The village of Plaka is built on the slope of a hill with a view of
the Souda bay. It is a community with interesting architectural style, which is
unfortunately changing due to intense building mainly for tourist purposes. The
surrounding environment has maintained its character well and is ideal for walks
either inland or along the coast. Plaka retains its traditional identity, which
must be protected through checks on new buildings in order to prevent the alteration
of the traditional architectural style. Every summer Cretan music festivals take
place in Plaka, the "Plakiana", in honour of Michael Papadakis, from Plaka, a
fine lyra player of recent years.
