Old Minoan road from Lato and return via roadway
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 2.51 mi
- Elevation gain
- 571 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Easy
- Elevation loss
- 571 ft
- Max elevation
- 1,132 ft
- TrailRank
- 30
- Min elevation
- 505 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Moving time
- one hour 15 minutes
- Time
- one hour 46 minutes
- Coordinates
- 706
- Uploaded
- December 6, 2022
- Recorded
- December 2022
near Flamourianá, Crete (Greece)
Viewed 68 times, downloaded 0 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Minoan old road from Lato car park approx 1.5 kms to the tarmac road,
Returning back to the car park up along the tarmacked surface narrow road approx 2.5 kms
History on the city of Lato
The area was inhabited from the 7th century until the late 3rd - early 2nd century. Although research has shown that the wider region has been inhabited since the Minoan period.
Lato is considered to be the best preserved city in Classical - Hellenistic period in Crete and one of the best preserved in Greece.
The city of Lato is built on the saddle of two hills in a naturally fortified and strategic position, controlling the transition from central to eastern Crete. The port city was Kamara, in the current place of St. Nicholas. The city was fortified with strong (Cyclopean) walls, towers and citadels. The main gate is located to the west and was well-fortified to control anyone entering.
From the gateway an uphill road with eighty steps leading to the market was the commercial, political, and religious center of the city.
The temple of Lato might have been the one room building in the center of the market. The two room temple on the southern part of Acropolis is where the altar and the statue of Apollo stood.
The structural ruins, houses, workshops, warehouses, temples, public buildings, theatre Prytaneum date in the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C.
It is certainly worth a look around while you are there.
Waypoints
Waypoint
1,132 ft
Start
There are two walks from the Lato car park. You need to take the one nearest to the road entrance with the white signpost. The road is an old Minoan road used to service the inhabitants of the city of Lato
Photo
1,066 ft
view of trail
Trail very easy to follow and needs no signage. The pathway is mainly solid stone but in various areas and further down the track the loose larger stones need to be tread by carefully as it is easy to place your foot and slip on one of them
Door
Panorama
Photo
515 ft
view of intersection
Through open fence to next intersection where you go left to enter the tarmac road
Intersection
1,014 ft
Turn left by monument back to your parked vehicles.
Monument to the Heroine Rodanthe , the local Kritsa girl who fought against the Turkish oppression while disguised as a young man. Locals still congregate here to celebrate her life. Kritsa resident Yvonne Payne has written two books based on the inspiration of her life. Kritsotopoula, Girl of Kritsa and Rodanthe's Gifft
You can add a comment or review this trail
Comments