Dia Island: Beautiful, pure and fortunately uninhabited!

Photo of the island from plane

Crete has several islets around who accompany as good friends for centuries. Some of these have experienced human presence and intervention "climbing" the ladder of tourism development. But there are several uninhabited resisting yet. It is welcoming to man, as he has learned to set the terms of their daily survival. 

One of these is the island of Dia, 6 nautical miles northeast of Heraklion, just because that is deserted by humans, has a very important ecosystem and a special biodiversity, so it is a protected area of ​​the network Natura. Many protected native species, the snail Albinaria retusa, the lizard "Podarcis erhardii schiebeli", the wild rabbit "Oryctolagus cuniculus cnossius", the "Mavropetrίtis" falcon- a kind  that its population monitored by ornithologists-but plants like "chasmophyte Carlina diae" are some of the samples from the rich biodiversity of the island. Now, how the island can be a controlled hunting area, this only authorities  can explain it!

 For the origin of the name of the island there are several opinions. Indicates that the name Zeus (Zeus is Dias in simple Greek) is related to Minos' daughter Ariadne, who had been left on the island behind by Theseus, when he returned to Athens. Others, relate to  Dionysades islands, located northeast of  Crete. A third option is that the name of the island have been taken by the nickname of goddess Aphrodite: Dia. 

Stones and shrubs: the main physical features of the island

 Geomorphological point of Dia is 5km long, 3 km wide and size of 12 square kilometers, oriented from west to east. On the south side of the island are sheltered four sheltered bays : The St George's Bay, where there is a unique harbor and beach of the island, the Bay of Capers, the "Panayiά's Bay" (means thw Holy Mother's bay) and the Bay of Wild Olivetree. To the east is the Bay of Artichokes. The maximum height is 220 feet and is generally compatible with the unique landscape of rocks and bushes. There are areas with wild cliffs reaching 60 meters. North of Dia Two small islands full of gulls, "Paximadi" and "Petalidi".

Human intervention ... fortunately small

 The legend behind the story says that it was created by Zeus: Once, Zeus ruled the world from his throne in Olympus, looked toward the birthplace of Crete, and then surprised he saw   the Cretans to hunt with bows and spears, wiping his favorite wild goats (Kri Kri), children of Amalthea nourished him with her milk when hiding from his father Saturn in "Idέon Άndron" cave . He got angry so much that he decided to kill all Cretans. Immediately threw a thunderbolt at sea and a huge monster emerged with the purpose of destroying the Cretans. However, the other gods tried to make him change his mind, but in vain. Then Neptune, who from his kingdom, the sea, the beast came, he said to Zeus: "Father and my King that can devastate the Curetes, so will repay whatever good you have made? '. Curetes were Cretans who banged loudly of their shields to not  his father Saturn hear his son crying  and eat him. Zeus immediately changed his mind. Then she took two pieces of rusk and flew off Crete. So when did the monster to eat him with a thunderbolt petrified with the rusks. Thus was born the Dia both islands, Paximadi (paximadi in Greek means rusk) and Petalidi. 

The colorful seabed of the island

Flying fish by Dia

 The island's history is intense since the Minoan period, thanks to great for navigation position. It was the island that reminded mariners that the coasts and harbors of Crete was near. A fortified coastal Minoan settlement has been located near the Gulf of St George confirms the habitation of the island. On the surface, the end of the island have been identified and other traces of habitation, and we know that there was a small vineyard cultivation until 1937, made ​​by anglers.  

The Harbour

 

The years 1974-75, the great French oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who tried to find the lost city of Atlantis lies between Crete and Santorini, with the help of a submersible discovered 7 ancient shipwrecks in Dia , with many amphorae and other archaeological finds dredged. The next year he discovered the Cyclopean Walls, as named by the experts. It is squared and rectangular rocks that made ​​up an artificial breakwater. He Cousteau believed it was the largest and most important harbor of Knossos, which plummeted from the eruption of Santorini. Today, it is believed that the jetty is even older, however, new archaeological research to prove his paternity has not yet taken place. 

Achilles Tagaris in Illustrated History (Vol 143, 1980) states that the island was overgrown with lush forests and crystal springs. Forests destroyed for shipbuilding, the sources dried up, while the eruption of Santorini in 1450 BC ended at any sign of life of Zeus, as the huge tidal waves swept away everything in their path.

Cousteau with M. Voutsala and his research team.

 In the sea area between Heraklion and Dia discovered by Cousteau and Herakleion Manolis Voutsala (Bloblos) and the wreck of the French ship of the 17th century "La Therese". The ship was part of the French aid was sent to Candia during the siege by the Ottomans and was the only ship that sank on June 24, 1669. Was yponafarchida fleet and was sunk by the explosion of gunpowder. 

The church of St. George

On the island, there are no facilities except a tavern near the harbor of the island on the Bay of St. George. There is the beautiful church of St. George, where you can agnantefsete Crete. Access to the island by boats that run day trips.   Source: lexifilia.blogspot.gr