OUR VILLAGE
Location
Vamos is a village of Apokoronas in the prefecture of Chania, built at the foothills of the White Mountains. It is a very interesting settlement and was proposed by the Ministry of Environment to be designated as a traditional one. Vamos is located 25 km from the beautiful city of Chania. The city of Rethymno is only 35 km away and the distance between the capital city of Crete, Heraklion, and Fabrica is about 112 km. The distance from the Airport of Chania El. Venizelos is also 35km.
History
According to historical sources, Vamos’ first inhabitants were Saracen pirates in 8th century AD. During the second half of the 19th century and the Turkish domination in Greece, Vamos was the headquarters of the Turkish army and was chosen by Savva Pasha as the capital of Sfakia province due to its strategic position. During this period, the village experienced great development, as important public works were made and public buildings with neoclassical elements were built. At the same time, there was a clear distinction between the social classes, which is reflected in the construction of the houses: the rich lived in luxurious homes, the so-called "conakia", while the poor ones in "kamarospita", ie houses of one room (kamara=room + spiti= house). As it was the commander city of the Turkish army, Vamos became the target of Cretan revolutionaries. In 1866 and 1896 lethal battles took place, while in the latter Turks fled and the rebels burned the most important buildings in the area, among them the old Girls' School. Nowadays, most of the houses and buildings of the village have been restored and renovated, preserving the elements of both folk and neoclassical architecture.>
Sightseeing
Vamos is one of the most attractive traditional destinations of the area while the architectural heritage is well-preserved here. The houses have been built with local materials, such as stone and wood, and maintain their traditional character. The churches of St. Nikolaos and St. Georgios are of high interest, as also the building of the old Girls' School, which nowadays houses the Environmental Information Center and is fully renovated. In Vamos’ wider area, in the place of the old Venetian village “Karydi Kartsomado”, the ruins of a small Monastery of the Virgin Mary in Katomeri are preserved, with a 13th-century frescoed wall. Also, at the old Venetian village “Karydi of Agios Georgios”, there is a Venetian mansion and other buildings of the village well preserved and the great Metochi of Agios Georgios, which today functions as a monastery. It is dated back to the 13th century, was restored in 1996 and is the most interesting folk architecture complex in the prefecture of Chania. An abandoned olive mill with twelve arches is preserved in the Monastery. Although the roof has collapsed, you can see the base of four millstones which testifies that in the past huge quantities of olive oil have been producing here. The Monastery suffered extensive destructions when the German troops left the region in the summer of 1945.
Nearby Beaches
Almirida (9,7 km), Georgioupoli and Kalivaki beach (12 km), Kalyves (7,8 km), Kera (7 km), Kiani Akti (7 km), Ombrosgialos (8 km)
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