Paidochori

The village of Paidochori is part of the municipality of Apokoronas. It is located in the hinterland of Crete, near the borders of Chania and Rethymnon. It is situated between Nerochori and Agious Pantes, and until 2010 it was part of the municipality of Fres, in Chania. The houses are built amphitheatrically on the slope of the White Mountains at an altitude of 270 meters above sea level. Today, there are approximately 100 permanent residents.

From Paidochori, you can enjoy the view of Madares, i.e. the White Mountains, which is absolutely magnificent just like the natural environment around the area. The wild scenery captivates all visitors who climb up there and want to have a glimpse and a taste of the authentic Crete.

According to the tradition, the village was named after Paidis, the cleric who devoted his life to serve the village during the 17th century. According to other sources, the name of the village derives from “paedia”, a term that in the local dialect means “locust”. The area is very arid and locusts (or paedia) are the most usual plant that can be found at this village.

A building dating from the Venetian period, and two Byzantine churches (dedicated to Virgin Mary and to St Catherine), also built during the Venetian period, indicate that the area was inhabited since then.