A couple of kilometres outside Chania on your way to the airport, a road branches off to the village of Korakies, where you find a beautiful convent. Many would nominate this as one of the finest restaurants in all Crete, especially for its setting, high on a point with spectacular nighttime views of Chania and Soudha Bay. The cuisine is traditional Cretan-Greek, but many of the dishes have an extra something. For an appetizer, try the kalazounia (cheese pies with specks of spinach) or the special dolmades (made with squash blossoms stuffed with spiced rice and served with yogurt). Any of the main courses will be well done, from the basic steak filet to the chicken with okra. Complimentary tsoukoudia (a potent Cretan liquor) is served at the end of the meal. On Monday, Thursday, and Friday evenings through the high season (until the end of Oct), traditional Cretan music is performed. The original name of the convent was Agios Ioannis o Vitas. But nobody knows, who this Vitas actually was. He was presumably the founder of the convent, or a person under whom the convent has been renovated. Today the convent, dedicated to Agios Ioannis o Prodromos (St. John the Baptist), is simply called The Convent or The Convent of Korakies. Its church has two naves: one to St. John the Baptist and one to Agios Georgios. It is not known with certainty either, when the convent was founded, but it existed as a convent as early as in the Venetian and the Turkish periods, when young girls sought refuge here to avoid persecutions. During that time the convent had its great period with more than 100 nuns. During the rebellion against the Turks in 1821 the convent was destroyed, the nuns murdered and its landed property placed under Gouvernetou Monastery, where it still belongs. It was rebuilt in about 1840 but was destroyed again during the rebellion in 1866. The scientist Vittorio Simonelli visited Crete in 1893. Through his report we get a vivid description of the conditions in Korakies We rode up the slopes north of the Souda bay and approached the village of Korakies, situated on the Akrotiri plateau. To every intact house there are at least ten ruined - a typical example of the Turkish way of upholding law and order in Crete. But we also had a great example of the local people's hospitality, as everyone wanted us to spend the hot midday hours in precisely their home and to eat staka - a mixture of flour and boiled milk, which can be quite tasty, if you have got nothing else. The convent was rebuilt once more. At the end of the 19th century one of the nuns lived for a longer period of time with the English ambassadors wife in Athens, where she was taught embroidery. Since then the convent has been well-known for its beautiful embroideries, which can still be seen in its small museum and be bought in its shop. The main beach at Korakies, Akrotiri, Kounoupidiana, Souda bay slopes gently into a shallow sea, making it ideal for children. It is north facing however and in strong winds the sea can get very choppy. The sand is soft and taverna tables line the beach between shady tamarind trees. Sunbeds have been provided free for patrons of the tavernas, but his is a practice that unfortunately appears to be dying out. Beyond the dinky harbour, recently rebuilt, is a huge and monstrous cement building surrounded in wire that both mars the headland and prevents walks around it - only in Greece. Find accommodation, Hotel Korakies, Akrotiri, Kounoupidiana, Souda bay, Hotels in Korakies, Akrotiri, Kounoupidiana, Souda bay, HANIA Chania or Hania Korakies, Akrotiri, Kounoupidiana, Souda bay, Kolymbari. Hotel Korakies, Akrotiri, Kounoupidiana, Souda bay, Korakies, Akrotiri, Kounoupidiana, Souda bay, Kolymbari, Chania, Aghia, hotels presented by Greek travel agent etravel.gr . We offer a complete List of Hotels in Korakies, Akrotiri, Kounoupidiana, Souda bay, HANIA Chania or Hania, Hania by category, location and maps. Hotel Korakies, Akrotiri, Kounoupidiana, Souda bay Korakies, Akrotiri, Kounoupidiana, Souda bay, Greek, greece, greek hotel, Hotel Korakies, Akrotiri, Kounoupidiana, Souda bay Greece hotel, lodging, accommodation, apartments, studios, Korakies, Akrotiri, Kounoupidiana, Souda bay villas greece, bungalows greece, rooms for rent greece, Hotel Korakies, Akrotiri, Kounoupidiana, Souda bay, Korakies, Akrotiri, Kounoupidiana, Souda bay rent a car greece, accommodation greece, greek Korakies, Akrotiri, Kounoupidiana, Souda bay, Kolymbaris, Greek Tourist Organizer, Airline companies, Airtaxi companies, Tour guides, Organized tours, Restaurants, Hotel chain in Greece