Argiroupoli, a mountain village on Crete. The waterfalls of Argiroupolis and the Roman mosaic. Taverns in Argiroupoli and Kato Poros.

Argiroupoli

The mountain village of Argiroupoli is for various reasons ideal for a day trip by rental car from one of the tourist resorts on the coast of Crete. On the one hand it is an interesting, originally remained village with some great sights. There are also impressive waterfalls below the village and a very green vegetation for Crete. A good lunch in one of the traditional taverns in or around Argioupoli completes the successful day trip.

The village of Argiroupoli

Although the village is only 300 metres above sea level, it is often noticeably cooler in summer than down by the sea. Today the village has only 400 inhabitants. This was completely different in ancient times. Some centuries before Christ, the community, which was called Lappa at that time, had about 10,000 inhabitants. For some time in ancient times Lappa was one of the most important cities on the island of Crete.

Today the spellings of the place name in our Latin script are different. Argiroupoli or Argyroupoli often in English. But there are also other scripts, like Argiroupolis and Argyroupolis. Translated, the name Argiroupolis means Silver City.

It is best to park on the main road in the large square in front of the church. At one end of the square you can see an old city gate (picture below). Through this one goes through. Immediately, one stands in the middle of the village. A small tour through Argiroupoli is more than recommendable. The highlight is a Roman mosaic in the rear part of the village Argiroupoli that cannot be missed. The mosaic floor consists of several thousand particles. The Lappa mosaic dates from the 3rd century.

Another highlight for many tourists in Argiroupoli is the shop "Lappa Avocado". It is located directly in the city gate, through which one enters the old village from the parking lot at the church.

It's a remarkable business. The creams, lotions, cleansing milk and much more come from some production. For more than 30 years the family has been cultivating the Acocados area. Today there are more than 2,500 organic Avocado trees. Previously, the plant was little known in Crete. After the city gate you will find some more shops worth seeing. Among them is also a traditional bakery. Two shops offer classic textiles from Crete.

One should also take a look at the church. Typical for Crete is the church tower, which stands far away from the church building.

In Argiroupoli the tower even stands on the other side of the street. About 200 meters further on the main road is the small museum of Argyroupolis.

The waterfalls of Argiroupoli

If one drives from the main square towards the north coast, after approximately one kilometre one gets to a crossroads. Turn left and after a few hundred metres you will reach the waterfalls. It is a green oasis in the otherwise so dry Crete. The water wealth of Argiroupoli is famous all over Crete.

Several taverns were built between the hundreds of small waterfalls. The whole thing looks a bit commercial, but also has a romantic component. A lunch in such a green landscape between the rushing waterfalls is an experience that hardly anyone on Crete expected. Some taverns also offer freshwater fish such as trout. The Argiroupoli tavern hosts proudly display the live fish in water basins in front of the tavern. Carpets used to be washed in the area. In some taverns you can also find mill wheels and the like.

Taverns Argioupoli

Of course you can try one of the taverns around the waterfalls. Which of the five restaurants between the waterfalls is the best is hard to say. We liked the tavern Palios Milos (old mill) about 100 meters below the road.

At the top of the village, about 200 metres along the main road from the main square to the north, you will find the Archea Lappa (Old Lappa). This old tavern is a reminder of the good old Crete of bygone times. Warm service, large portions and low prices - what more could you ask for? We had fried vegetables as a starter. The smoked pork Apaki was great. The dish Anticristo (lamb) is praised again and again in the Archea Lappa.

Now a little secret tip. It is the tavern in the village of Kato Poros, about 3 kilometres from Argiroupoli. Whether the tavern has a name, we do not know. Anyway, it is probably the only restaurant in the village. The meat dishes, the salads, the taste of the food, the furnishings, the atmosphere - everything is reminiscent of grandma's times. And there is good wine and plenty of raki. The signpost to Kato Paros can be found one to two kilometres outside Argiroupoli on the road to the north.

Approach Argyroupoli

From Plakias on the south coast of Crete, take the road via the nearby village of Mirthios to Kanevos. In Kanevos turn left. A few hundred metres further on, turn left again towards Kali Sikea. The rest of the way is not easy. One should use a good road map or a Navi. If you don't get lost, the journey time from Plakias to Argiroupoli is about 40 minutes. The road is not in perfect condition everywhere (potholes etc.), but always tarred. As soon as the asphalt is no longer available, you are safely lost.

If one is on the north coast, one first drives on the expressway Chania - Rethimno. A few kilometres east of Georgioupoli you turn off to Episkopi. From this village it is only a few kilometres to Argioupoli. Also from this direction a map is recommendable.