Sahtouria
Sahtouria is a village of the prefecture of Rethymno located approximately 50 km south of the city of Rethymno. The village shares eastern borders with Melampes, western – with Akoumia and northern – with Krya Vrysi.
On the northwest side of a small mountain, at an altitude of 520 meters and over the hillside Amygdalos, the village of Sahtouria, at present, consists of two settlements, Pano and Kato Sahtouria.
There are three versions about the origins of the name of the village of Sahtouria, all of them deriving from the era of the pirate raids. The first once mentions the word ”saktour”, which meant a fugitive. The second speaks of a resident named Saktouris, who fought against the pirates. The third one refers to a captain Saktouris, who used to bring supplies and ammunition to the residents during the Turkish occupation.
The village of Sahtouria has been inhabited since the Minoan period, according to the archaeological findings of the area.
South of the Sahtouria village, there is a heavenly beautiful and untouched by people landscape including the Patsou gorge and 11 kilometers of sea coast ending at the beach of Agios Pavlos.
The traditional cafeterias of Sahtouria get crowded by the inhabitants every afternoon, creating cheerful scenery. The youngsters remaining in the village have founded Cultural Association, the Youth Group of Sahtouria, trying to maintain traditions, customs and values of the past.
Near Sahtouria, there are approximately 17 chapels, four of which are dating back to the Byzantine period. On May 4th and September 16th, a feast is held by the church of Agios Kyrillos in honor of the fallen during the German occupation.
