Kontomari
At a very close distance of the historic village of Maleme we see the village of Kontomari, located 18 kilometers west of Chania. The main products of the region are olive oil and citrus. At Kontomari there are two cafes and a grocery.
We strongly recommend you to stroll to the streets of the village and visit the surrounding villages that compose Kontomari. From the coastal Tower Psilonerou, Metochi and the other semi-mountainous settlements of the Valley and Xirokambi you will be filled with images, smells and experiences.
At the center of the village there is the monument of the heroes, which reminds visitors the execution of the male population of the village by the Nazis in retaliation for their participation in the Battle of Crete in 1941.
In the morning of May 20th in 1941, German paratroopers fell in the southeast of Maleme to occupy the island. The area that had been assigned to them contained Platania and Kontomari. The paratroopers encountered stiff resistance and suffered very serious losses.
The retaliation began following the occupation of the island by the Nazis. On June 2, men, women and children were forced to be gathered at the square of Kontomari.
Subsequently, a number of hostages chosen among men led the surrounding olive groves where performed, making Kontomari one of the controls without Greece.
