Windmills of Lasithi
The Windmills of Lasithi in Crete, Greece are quite a site to see. We visited them in September, 2019, when we drove from Chania to Elounda after visiting Knossos Palace. Notably, there are a few different types of Windmills in this area. There are the more modern steel ones on the Lasithi Plateau, the white washed windmills at the Homo-Sapien Museum, and the old stone windmill ruins at Ambelos Pass. All of these are located within a short drive from each other.
Directions
From Heraklion we took E75 East then turned South on Pavlou Mela. We stopped in Krasi to eat at Taverna Stefanis and it was amazing! If you check out my Knossos Blog Post I have pictures of Taverna Stefanis. From Krasi, we continued up the mountain and followed the signs to Lasithi Plateau.
Whitewashed Windmills
The first windmills we saw on our way to Lasithi Plateau were the whitewashed windmills at the Homo-Sapien Museum. We took some pictures and enjoyed the beautiful Mountain View. We were short on time and unfortunately, did not visit the museum. As a result, I don’t have any other information on these windmills. Regardless, they were pretty cool to see.
Ambelos Windmills
You will find the Ambelos Windmills at the North entrance to the Lasithi Plateu. These windmills of stone set a dramatic scene above the mountains. The views are amazing. These windmills were moved here in the late 19th century from the village of Potami. There are 24 ruins left of the original 27.
These specific windmills grind cereals and are fixed, which means they only work with a specific direction of the wind. Windmills were used in the Lasithi Plateau area as early as the Byzantine Era and more so in the Venetian area. I was not able to find information as to exactly how old these windmills are so if anyone out there knows, please let me know!!
Steel Windmills
Continuing on towards the village of Tzermiado you will pass steel windmills with white sails on them. Lots of them. The steel windmills are actually wind pumps. They are being used for the purpose of pumping water to irrigate plants on the Lasithi Plateau. You will see them in use with crops around them. You may also notice water canals throug out this area. The canals were built in Venetian times in order to prevent flooding from water coming down through the mountains.
End of the Road
We continued to the village of Tzermiado and for us this was the end of the road. Our GPS was no help, unfortunately, it kept taking us around the same block. The only road our map showed, which we found, was a dirt road going up the mountain that was very narrow. We tried to find our way to the road we were looking for to continue on this way to Elounda, but unfortunately, we were going in circles and it was getting late. All things considered, we did not want to be on back roads we weren’t familiar with as it became dark. Consequently, we turned around and went back the way we came from and arrived in Elounda around sunset. The drive back was just a beautiful.
NOTE: In 2020 we came this way again and visited Zeus Cave. This time we found the right road to Agios Nikolas and then to Elounda with no problem! It was a beautiful drive. The hilly, curvy road took us through many small villages and the views were amazing.
Elounda Peninsula All Suites Hotel
Once at Elounda, we easily found our hotel, the Elounda Peninsula All Suites Hotel. We found this place to be beyond wonderful! The service was outstanding and the views from our room and deck were amazing. In fact, this place was simply outstanding. All in all, the hospitality of the staff is what truly makes Elounda Peninsula stand out. For more information or to book a room click here.
Diary of a Gen-X does not have any affiliate links for restaurants or hotels. We only recommend hotels and restaurants that we have been to and have felt are exceptional. Get-X is an affiliate of Amazon and other businesses and I do get a small commission for Amazon products.
Planning
While planning our trip to Greece, I found the travel guide Top 10 Crete to be very useful. For one thing, itIt lists the top 10 places to go, restaurants, and sites. In addition, it lists the top 10 by region and also by area. Given these points, I felt it was a great planning tool, plus it came with a pocket size map which we did use.
I also bought a National Geographic Map of Crete and this was priceless as we lost our GPS several times. The map is pretty accurate and also durable. All in all, it certainly did help us out!
The Gen-X Travels recommendations for hotels, restaurants, activities or tour companies are based on our own experiences unless noted. We are not sponsored by any business or company and all trips are at our expense. All photos are by myself or my husband unless otherwise noted. We are affiliates of some companies such as Amazon,Viator, and others which we do receive a small commission from, at no cost to you if you buy or book through one of our links.
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You can find my other Greek Adventures by following these links:
2023 Crete Travels
Hike up Mt Oxia-September, 2023
Sunken City of Olous-September 2023
Elounda Peninsula Hotel-Revised 2023
Hike to Agiofarago Beach-Sept 2023
Preveli Beach, the Easy Way-Sept 2023
Swim at Kourtaliotiko Falls-Sept 2023
Boating on the South Central Sea in Crete-Sept 2023
A Challenging hike Loutro to Marmara Beach, Crete-Sept 2023
Anopolis, Arradena Bridge and Lykos Beach in Southen Crete-Sept 2023
Aptera Crete, Closed on Tuesdays Sept 2023
Return to Chania, Crete September 2023
2021 Crete Travels
Koutalas Beach and Sea Cave, 2021
2019 Crete Travels
Spinalonga Island, Crete, Sept 2019
Knossos Palace, Crete Sept 2019
Seitan Limania Beach, Sept 2019
Katholiko Monastery, Sept 2019
Sunrise over Athens, Sept 2019
2018 Athens, Milos, Santorini
3 Days in Milos Greece, Oct 2018
5 Best Beaches in Milos, Greece, Oct 2018
Acropolis and Parthenon Oct 2018
First Time Guide-3 Days in Santorini Oct 2018
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