Kritinia village and its Castle!!

Kritinia is one of the most beautiful villages in Rhodes

Kritinia is one of the most beautiful villages in Rhodes and is 50 km from the city.

It is built on a hill and has a panoramic view against the backdrop of the surrounding forests, the sea and the medieval castle, thanks to which it has gained a great reputation and tourist interest.

 

In addition to the castle in the village you can see the folklore museum and visit the small church of Agios Ioannis with 16th century frescoes.

 

You can also visit the monastery of Amartos which is outside the village at a distance of 3 km.

 

The small picturesque beaches of the area, such as Kopria, Kalami, Paliochora are suitable

for short getaways from the busy beaches.

In the port of Kameirou Skala, which is only 4 km from the village, you will find several selected fish taverns and an ancient burial monument carved into a rock which attracts the attention of visitors.

 

The boats for the picturesque island of Halki start from the port of Kameiros.
Kritinia is a hospitable village with simplistic inhabitants who are mainly engaged in agriculture and together with the fraternal villages of Embona and Mandrico are among the most productive in Rhodes.

Kritinia Castle
Near the area of ​​Kameirou Skala and next to the village of Kritinia, the fortress of Kritinia is imposing.
Kritinia is 55 km away. from the city of Rhodes. It is built on a hill and has panoramic sea views. Initially, the settlement was coastal (in the current location Kamiros Skala), but during the post-Byzantine years it was moved more mountainous, for more security by pirates. The ancient settlement was eventually submerged.
The settlement was created by Cretan refugees, hence the name meaning "New Crete".

History

The castle was created in 1472 by Giorgio Orsini to protect the inhabitants against the attacks of the Turkish fleet.

Its construction was completed in the 16th century during the reign of Caretto.
The castle was worked on by great engineers of the time, such as the Basilio della Scola de Vicenza, making sure that the castle was strengthened in order to cope with the new developments in defense technology (to withstand the cannons, in other words).
The settlement in the castle was named Kastelli and was so named until the liberation of the Dodecanese.