Matala Beach

Matala fait partie des coins les plus renommés des touristes en Crète. Située au sud de l'île, la ville, ancien port minoen puis romain, est devenue un village de pêcheurs, et enfin une station balnéaire très fréquentée par les étrangers. Elle jouit d'un magnifique panorama et d'une histoire assez singulière : Les grottes que l'ont voit en fond, qui étaient habitées par les populations locales au Néolithique, furent un hébergement de choix pour les hippies des années 60. Très joli coin si vous voulez profiter de la plage et des avantages des stations branchées. Par contre, attendez-vous à ne pas vous sentir seul, il y a du monde.

Matala is one of the most famous corners of tourists in Crete. Located south of the island, the city, ancient Minoan and Roman port, became a fishing village, and finally a seaside resort frequented by foreigners. It has a beautiful view and a singular story: The caves have seen in the background, which were inhabited by local people in the Neolithic were accommodation choice for hippies of the 60s. Very nice area if you want to enjoy the beach and the benefits of connected stations. By cons, expect to not feel alone, there are people.

Assurément, Matala possède une des plages les plus typées de Crète et même de Grèce avec sa falaise en "gruyère". Dans les années soixante, les hippies affluèrent en ces lieux. Les tombes d'époque romaine, creusées dans la falaise, leur fournissaient des gites proches de Dame Nature. Aujourd'hui, l'accès aux grottes est fermé dès le soir, et il faut au moins se contenter du terrain de camping. La plage de sable, bordée de tamariniers, occupe un site remarquable, tournée au couchant. A voir absolument.

Surely Matala has one of the more typical beaches of Crete and Greece even with its cliff "Swiss cheese." In the sixties, hippies flocked to these places. The Roman tombs carved into the cliff, provided them with cottages close to Mother Nature. Today, access to the cave is closed from the evening, and it takes at least settle the campground. The sandy beach, lined with tamarind trees, occupies a remarkable site tour at sunset. A must see.

La spiaggia di Matala si trova sulla costa sud dell'isola di Creta (in Grecia), facilmente raggiungibile dalla strada che da Heraklion va a Mires. E' diventata famosa soprattutto per l'invasione di Hippies che nel secolo passato ha subito e di cui tuttora possiamo trovarne segno. La caratteristica principale di questa spiaggia dorata e finissima, oltre al magnifico mare azzurro e blu (come del resto in tutta l'isola), è la grandissima scogliera che la circonda ai due lati creando un vero e proprio golfo.... Su questa scogliera infatti possiamo trovare decine di grotte più o meno piccole risalenti al periodo preistorico (e quindi protette dal Servizio Archeologico cretese),utilizzate prima come tombe romane, sfruttate poi dai pescatori ed infine usate da comunità Hippies che le avevano trasformate in abitazioni naturali. Finito il periodo hippy, le grotte sono state riportate al loro aspetto originale e oggi sono tenute sotto controllo e recintate, rimanendo però visitabili salendo direttamente dalla spiaggia. Alle spalle di questa baia troviamo infine un piccolo villaggio di pescatori, oggi attrezzato di ristoranti, hotel e negozi vari ma che mantiene la sua struttura originale e che ancora trasmette l'atmosfera hippy di cui è stato invaso.

The beach of Matala is located on the south coast of the island of Crete (Greece), easily accessible from the road that goes from Heraklion to Mires. E 'became famous primarily for the invasion of Hippies who has suffered in the past century and of which we can still find a sign. The main feature of this golden beach sand, in addition to the magnificent azure sea and blue (as in the rest of the island), is the great cliff that surrounds the two sides creating a veritable gulf .... On this cliff in fact we can find dozens of more or less small caves dating back to the prehistoric period (and therefore protected by the Archaeological Service Cretan), used first as a Roman tombs, then exploited by fishermen and finally used by community Hippies who had transformed into natural homes . Finished the hippie period, the caves have been restored to their original appearance and today they are kept under control and enclosed, while remaining open to visitors going directly from the beach. At the back of this bay we finally find a small fishing village, now equipped with restaurants, hotels and shops but maintains its original structure and that still conveys the atmosphere of hippy which has been invaded.

Très connue dans les années 70 par les bandes de Hippies qui venaient y séjourner , Matala est une plage du grand sud Crètois , baignée par la mer de Lybie . Petite plage bordée de falaises creusée de niches et de grottes troglodytes que l'on peut vsiter la journée . Attention le vent peut être absolument insupportable et être si violent que la plage est inaccessible . Mais ça ne dure pas .....

Famous in the 70s by bands Hippies who came to stay, Matala beach is a great Cretan south, bathed by the Libyan Sea. Small beach surrounded by cliffs carved niches and troglodyte caves that can vsiter day. Beware the wind can be absolutely unbearable and be so violent that the beach is inaccessible. But it does not last .....

Matala, settembre 2007

Matala, September 2007

Tramonto a Matala

Sunaet in Matala

Caratteristica per le grotte scavate nella roccia. La spiaggia è molto affollata e caotica .

Characteristic for caves dug into the rock. The beach is very crowded and chaotic