Douliana Crete

Douliana,
Crete: The secret architectural gem situated in one of the best locations in
Crete

Douliana,
Crete,
is a small, beautiful village, which, for most visitors, is a typical case of
love at first sight! Douliana is located in the centre of Apokoronas Peninsula,
close to the villages of Vamos and Gavalohori. It is located about 25
kilometres southeast of Chania city and 35 kilometres northwest of Rethymno
city.

Douliana,
Crete,
has less than 200 permanent residents, and its feeling of an authentic
traditional village of rural Crete is a real magnet to visitors, many of whom come
repeatedly time after time to experience this quaint little destination.

The village of Douliana, Crete, has
very good amenities for travellers, including a traditional coffee shop, or
“Kafenio” in Greek, where you can enjoy the original Cretan raki, or tsikoudia,
together with a Greek “meze”, made from some of the purest produces of Crete.
There is also a very good tavern, and a mini market, among others.

Douliana,
Crete – a paradise for traditional Cretan architecture

The village of Douliana, Crete, has
been declared a place of preserved traditional architecture, due to its many
buildings of magnificent beauty and authenticity. It is called the
“architectural capital” of the very picturesque Apokoronas peninsula, probably
the most especial place in Crete.

Inside the village of Douliana,
Crete, you can find many houses and community buildings – many of them dated
centuries ago – which are astonishingly excellent in their simplicity. The main
materials used are Cretan stone and wood, in daring architectural combinations,
made from true masters of their craftsmanship.

Between the old, perfectly renovated
buildings, the old winding alleys of Douliana village are a sight in
themselves. Around the village, there are also remnants of the stone bridle
trails, which were made during the byzantine years, and served for centuries as
the road network of the region.

Just outside Douliana, Crete, you
can also find a novel residential project, Douliana Village Project, a small traditional
village-by-the-village comprising of about 40 houses and apartments, which has
been created in accordance to the traditional Cretan architecture of the
region, whilst incorporating modern amenities at the same time.

Douliana,
Crete – situated on a perfect spot, right in the heart of the Apokoronas
Peninsula

The charming, old-style feeling of
Douliana, Crete, is not its only advantage. Equally magnificent is the exact
place where the village is situated: On an altitude of about 100m above sea
level, providing breathtaking view to both the very picturesque Souda Bay and
the scenic White Mountains of Crete, or “Lefka Ori” in Greek.

Furthermore, the area surrounding
Douliana, Crete, has rich and very interesting vegetation, as it is full of
olive groves and carob trees, with traditional stone walls between the harvest
fields. A definite plus of Douliana is also its vicinity to the magnificent
beaches of Kalives and Almyrida, which are only about 3 kilometres away, and,
apart from the car or the local bus, are also accessible on foot, through a
scenic route.

Douliana, Crete,
is a small architectural gem in the middle of the beautiful Apokoronas
Peninsula. If we add to the above the genuine old-style feeling of a
traditional Cretan village, and its excellent position, Douliana, Crete, is an absolute must-see in the heart of West
Crete.

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