Dia, is located approximately 7 nautical miles north of Heraklion. It is an uninhabited island surrounded by small rocky inlets. When viewed from Heraklion, it resembles a giant lizard and due to the legend, a giant lizard tried to destroy the island of Crete, but Dias, (the ancient Greek god known as Zeus, too) turned it in to stone with a thunderbolt, thus creating the island. Dia is one of NATURA’s protected areas as it constitutes a biotope for endemic plants and for plants with low dispersal within the Southern Aegean sea. It is a breeding site for seabirds while monk seals and dolphins are also often seen around the shores. In the west bay of Dia, is built the picturesque chapel of the Ascension with the blue roof.
The only way to access it is by a private boat or join one of the organised daily cruises departing from Heraklion. On the island there are a few beaches with fine sand and crystal clear waters, while swimming there is a unique experience.
It is believed that during the Minoan era the island was populated and that there was a harbour near the bay of Agios Georgios. Besides, the undersea exploration of the seabed by Jacques Yves Cousteau in 1974-6, provided evidence suggesting that there stood one of the biggest and most important ports in the whole Crete. The harbour appears to have sunk during the destruction caused in the 1450 bc by the eruption of the volcano of Santorini. However, more archaeological research in the area is deemed vital.
photo: greencruises
