Xerokampos: coves, lagoon and ancient Ambelos

Xerokampos: coves, mountains and ancient Ambelos

Xerokampos (Ξερόκαμπος) lies at the south-eastern edge of Crete, where the dry mountains of Lasithi drop to the Libyan Sea. It is about 48 kilometres from Sitia, 28 from Palekastro and a good 175 from Heraklion. The road comes down by way of Ziros and through mountain ravines or, now that it has been asphalted, in a long series of hairpins over from Zakros, some ten kilometres away; buses go no further than Zakros or Ziros, and so this coast long remained one of the quietest corners of the island. The place is mentioned in the Venetian census of 1583. Today Xerokampos is a small scattered settlement by the sea and a string of coves in which sandy beaches, olive groves, a salt lagoon and an archaeological hill lie side by side.

There is no single “main beach” here. Over some six kilometres white and golden sand, shingle, rocky shore and small shallow coves of clear water follow one another. Local people tell them apart by name: Ambelos below the settlement; Mazida Ammos with its fine pale sand; Katsounaki, the northernmost, with its dunes; Vourlia, where the white sea daffodils flower in late summer; and Argilos, the middle one of three small bays beneath the archaeological hill, where natural clay crops out under a pale cliff and bathers use it for mild mud packs. The colour of the sea shifts with depth and light from turquoise to deep blue. The water is shallow and usually calm, good for snorkelling, though strong winds are frequent in summer, and what natural shade there is comes from the rocks and a few trees.

Alatsolimni and the unspoilt shore

Immediately behind the beaches, at the northern end of the settlement, lies Alatsolimni, the “salt lake” – a shallow natural lagoon fed by the sea. It is a seasonal thing: from about the end of May it partly dries out, leaving a whitish crust of salt in its place. The damp patches and the shallows serve migrant birds as a resting place on their way between Europe and Africa. The coast is therefore of interest not only for bathing but as a small wetland habitat too.

The mountains round Xerokampos are cut by gorges and carry scarcely any taller vegetation. The palms, tamarisks, pines, almond and fig trees of the valley stand out all the more sharply against them. This contrast – the austere limestone slope and the green strip by the water – makes the characteristic landscape of the Cretan south-east.

The archaeological hill of Farmakokefalo

On the low hill of Farmakokefalo, close to the shore above the cove of Gerontolakkos and at the foot of Cape Trachilas, archaeologists have investigated a fortified settlement of the Hellenistic period; the excavations have been directed since 1984 by Nikos Papadakis. It is usually connected with ancient Ambelos, a town mentioned in the written sources which probably controlled the local harbour. The place was founded in the 5th century BC and reached its height in the 3rd and 2nd centuries. The digging brought to light well-preserved houses, lanes laid out to a plan and cisterns, together with fine pottery, figurines, coins and stone tools – finds that speak of trading links with other cities of Crete and with the islands of the Dodecanese. Remains of copper, lead and iron suggest that metal was smelted on the spot. The town was not the first settlement on this shore: there was Minoan occupation in the district, a peak sanctuary, since looted, lay on the height of Trachilas, and a second Hellenistic site is known on the neighbouring hill of Antisternia. The hill is reached by a dirt track.

To protect the settlement its builders made use of the natural height and ringed it with massive walls. The lead sling bullets that were found point to a garrison guarding the approach to the shore. Close by, at Psili Ammos, lay an ancient quarry where the building stone was cut; the town thus supplied itself with material on the spot. On the summit, in the middle of the ancient town, stands the little chapel of St Nicholas, built in 1895 and long the landmark of the bay; the earthquake of 12 October 2021 damaged it severely.

The Kavalli islets and the sea routes

Off the coast the small rocky islets of Kavalli can be seen. Traces of an ancient presence have been noted on them as well. Their position explains the interest in Xerokampos: the coast lies on the sea route that rounds the south-eastern tip of Crete, between the harbours of the island and the routes to Rhodes and Kalymnos, with which the town maintained especially close relations. Today the islets matter chiefly as a roost for seabirds and as part of the open seascape.

Xerokampos today

Xerokampos has remained a place for quiet holidays, with no seafront promenade and no large hotel complexes. There are rooms to let, a few tavernas and small shops for essentials; bring fuel and any medicines with you, for the petrol station and the chemist are a long way off, and as no bus comes down to the shore a car is all but indispensable. People come for the clear water, the walks from cove to cove, the lagoon and the archaeological hill. It is best to allow a whole day: the beach here is only the start of a path beyond which ancient Ambelos, dry gorges and a landscape rare for Crete open up, where the sea borders a salt flat and desert-like mountains.