Tris Ekklisies

By John Freedman

June 2, 2021

Tris Ekklisies is a place, a description and a dream. As a location this little village stuck snuggly between Southern Cretan cliffs and the Libyan Sea is called Tris Ekklisies, or Three Churches. You now know why I say it is also a description, for its name is drawn from the area's claim to fame - the three 14th century churches in its environs. As for why I call it a dream, just look at the photos I have gathered here. The village, located in the southernmost reaches of Heraklion prefecture, is quite small but packs a punch. First of all - the sea, the water, the beach. You'll be hard-pressed to find anything better anywhere. If you have read other posts on this site, you will know that I invariably write about the Libyan Sea only in superlatives. That won't change here. The water is crystal clear, deep blue, as pure as a baby's tear, and as beautiful as they come. It falls away from the shore at a relatively steep rate, meaning that after you take 3 or 4 steps into the water you are up to your chest or neck in gloriously refreshing, salty water. The swimming here is absolutely unparalelled. The beach is a combination of small gray rocks and sand, that is easy enough to navigate with bare feet, although a pair of sea slippers may suit some. The town area has a nicely-stocked little grocery store that is open in season, and there are four or five tavernas lined up one after the other under comforting tree branches where the lazy breeze and the rustle of the waves on the shore will come close to putting you to sleep - especially if you've just enjoyed a big Cretan meal. We stayed in a spectacular, cozy hotel built into a cliff - one room on top of the other - on the outskirts of town. From there a narrow stairwell wraps around an enormous rock all the way down to a beach area that is far enough east of town that you will rarely run into anyone else swimming out here. You can read here and there about the so-called "harrowing" drive to get here. Pshaw! In fact, a beautiful new road was put in a few years back and it's now a snap to get here. Sure there are a few hairpin turns, but that just adds to the fun and provides new, breathtaking views with every turn of the steering wheel. And then there is the history of the place, the three churches that were built to serve what most likely was a fishing village. I will admit that we missed the Church of the Transfiguration, the first you encounter upon entering the village. You don't see it from the road, and so you have to know where to stop (on a narrow, winding bit of pavement) in order to go find it. We passed it two or three times and finally gave up and went on our way. More accessible are the two little chapels (for that is what they are now) down in town, both about a block from the sea. The current Sacred Church of the Annunciation stands on a small open space which once was filled with the walls and rooms of a larger structure. You can see the foundation of some of the original walls encircling the front and sides of the present-day church. One enters the chapel from the only door located on the back side of the building. The Church of St. George is nestled under some trees in a tiny square behind the town's tavernas. It is believed that all of these churches actually existed long before the 14th century date we now use, although there are precious few relics now to prove it. According to one local we talked to, the two stone columns standing in front of St. George are thought to be remnants of the Roman period on Crete (67 BC to 330AD). You love to hear things like that, it makes the imagination spin with excitement, but I'm not going to be able to verify it for you. Finally, I can verify that the name Tris Ekklisies is actually a misnomer. First let's consider the fact that locals tell you there were at least 7 churches in town at one or another time. That, however, as far as I can discern, remains in the realm of legend. But, in fact, I can tell you that the village should actually be called Tessera Ekklisies (Four Churches) at the least. The scattered remains of an "unknown," unnamed church are still to be found on the cliff side of the road just as you come upon the first house in the village. There, unlike when you get into town, it is easy to pull your car over and wander up the foothills for a minute or two to find the ruins. On the left side of the final photo below you can clearly see what was surely the tightly-curved back portion of the apse.

All texts and photos in this post are © copyright 2021 by John Freedman. All rights reserved. Should you wish to use some text or photo/s, please ask - it will most surely be possible.

The road approaching Tris Ekklisies from the mountains.

This and the following two photos show the Sacred Church of the Annunciation.

This and the following four photos show the Church of St. George.

Gusty winds "rough up" the surface of the Libyan Sea, even creating whirling columns of water leaping up into the air.

Here and below you see the remains of a fourth ancient church in the environs of Tris Ekklisies. The remains of the apse are clearly visible at the left in the photo below.