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Istron 
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Places near Istron Stadium
An easy to access beach with sand and pebbles very well equipped and safe to approach the sea, ideal for the children. Very close to a first aid station, telephone and a well organized beach restaurant. There are also travel agencies, a TAXI rank, and a regular bus service and many hotels and apartments witch they guarantee to the visitors an unforgettable and pleasant living. Aghios Panteleimonas is a particular beautiful beach, quiet and isolated optically by a steep cliff of a sandy hill with sea pines and the little church of Aghios Pante-Leimonas just clamed above the waves. All these together make an exotic and romantic atmosphere unforgettable to the visitors. The way to approach the beach is very easy and there’s a big parking just before the beach.
Istro is no bustling tourist village, and those who come to visit will live alongside the local people. It is easy to relax in the warmly welcoming atmosphere of the Greek tavernas, restaurants and kafenions, and the shops in the village provide everything you might need on holiday.
In all directions there are excellent bus connections, which offer the possibility to see much of Eastern part of Crete on a series of day trips. Well worth seeing, if you rent a car, is the palm tree lined beach at Vai, the famous Minoan palace of Knossos, the Lasithi plain with its windmills, the island of Spinalonga, and Chrisi Island, or Matala with its ancient man made caves, and much much more.
Apart from these there are beautiful walks in the area, and Istro is full of archaeological interest. The new village of Istro sits on the site of the ancient town of Istrona, remains of which are still being found today. Because of this, the land closest to the sea has a conservation order and no new building may take place, which leaves the beaches uncrowned and un spoilt.
There is a regular bus service to Agios Nikolaos and other areas, a Taxi rank, telephone and internet facilities, Post Office, petrol station, grocery stores, restaurants, taverns, mini markets, souvenir shops, clubs, bars, travel agencies, cars and bikes for rent, etc. catering for the 2800 tourists staying in hotels, villas and apartments and for the visitors or day-tourists from other areas. Kalo Chorio (or Istron) is also a perfect place for windsurfers. Most of the days there is wind strong enough (specially in Agios Panteleimon beach) to take you in surfers paradise.
Church, 15th - 19th Century
The small, barrel-vaulted, single-nave church was propably rebuilt at the beginning of the 19th century, close to the commercial port of Kalo Chorio. The surviving inbuilt decorative glazed bowls on its exterior possibly testify to its being older.
The church was obviously destroyed by fire as only the cross and the damaged icon of St. Panteleimon survive from its once elaborate alter screen. As was determined after the icon's cleaning, it was used to paint the icon of Christ at around the beginning of the 2oth century. Outside of the small church are graves, not only of residents of Katevati but also of others who were slaughtered by the explosion of a mine from those that the Germans had placed along the coastline of Kalo Chorio. During embellishment work witch took place around the church,marble slabs were discovered that confirmed the tradition of the area known as "Marmara, marbles". The famous italian traveller, monk and geographer, Christopher Buondelmonti, during his visit to the area around 1415, mentions the port and the existence of large, rough marble slabs which were transported, suitably chiseled to the location "Marmaro", where there were the remains of an ancient pagan temple.
The church celebrates on July 27, feast day of the Great Martyr and Healer St Panteleimon, and constitutes the largest local feast. During Vespers, the procession of the Holy Icon of St. Panteleimon takes place, while on the dayof the feast, after the conclusionof the Divine Liturgy, the priest, according to an old tradition, blesses the waters and throws the Holy Cross into the sea, from where it is brought up by swimmers.
Kalo Horio is a village close to the known holiday village Istron and 11km southeast from Agios Nikolaos City in Lassithi prefecture. When the Eastern sun East daily shines on the land, the places and the people, its rays bless the hallowed ground and bestow upon it innumerable virtues. Every waking day, this blessed place of Kalo Chorio relates and reconnects its existence with the sun and the sea, the mountain, the forests and the plain, to its people and their spirited ways.
Its natural environment, its visual impact, and its physical beauty remain unchanged as many centuries ago. The people of Kalo Chorio are bound up with nature and their land, and from Minoan times they have fought and lived with the unique conditions that the wonders of nature has bestowed upon their bountiful place.
Even today we see the same great effort, the same positive outlook, the same striving of the people for the best.The people of Kalo Chorio are generous and hospitable, possessing a calm yet decisive soul, with a rare purpose that aspires to quietly achieve the progress of the area as well as their own, just as the quiet waves of the Mirambello seashore caress the northern end of the fertile plain of Kalo Chorio with its white foam.The well-known archaeological history of the place starts with settlements from the Minoan era found over a large area. Between 1910 and 1912, the American archaeologist Edith Hall uncovered the un-named small agricultural and cattle-breeding settlements on Brokrastre Hill. Next to here there is the settlement of Istrona, which has retained its name over many centuries (from the 6th century B.C. until the 18th century A.D.).
More details have been made available from the 1834 census, when Istrona had 20 Christian and 4 Muslim families. In Roman times until the 9th century, when the Saracen Arabs reveled in their destruction of all Crete, Istron, later called Istronas, became the only main settlement in the area. A ruined ancient Greek temple is found near Pirgos, which might reveal some elements of the history of the place during its excavations. It could have been a temple dedicated to Bachuus (Dionisus), and thereafter the church of Saint Sergios, as has been reported by historians.
In the Venetian era, the entire valley was cleared and was desolate until 1450-1500A.D., when it was planted with olive trees and covered with watermills. It was in 1639 that the area was first called Kakon Chorion (euphemistically) because of the unfavourable climate and the malaria which was dredged up from the stagnant flood waters in the Kalochorian plain. From 1680-1720 it appears that the new settlement "Arnikos"was inhabited. From these olden times, it seems that Istronas was the Pirgos of today.
From 1867, Kalo Chorio was a community settlement belonging to the Local Council of Kritsa, until 1925. During the years of Turkish domination between 1669-1898, Kalo Chorio was abound with stories of adventures between the local inhabitants and the Turks. In recent times, the agrarian and tourism industries have been developing, which will hopefully continue as this place is deserving of such progress.The well-known archaeological history of the place starts with settlements from the Minoan era found over a large area.Between 1910 and 1912, the American archaeologist Edith Hall uncovered the un-named small agricultural and cattle-breeding settlements on Brokrastre Hill. Next to here there is the settlement of Istrona, which has retained its name over many centuries (from the 6th century B.C. until the 18th century A.D.).
More details have been made available from the 1834 census, when Istrona had 20 Christian and 4 Muslim families.In Roman times until the 9th century, when the Saracen Arabs reveled in their destruction of all Crete, Istron, later called Istronas, became the only main settlement in the area. A ruined ancient Greek temple is found near Pirgos, which might reveal some elements of the history of the place during its excavations. It could have been a temple dedicated to Bachuus (Dionisus), and thereafter the church of Saint Sergios, as has been reported by historians.
In the Venetian era, the entire valley was cleared and was desolate until 1450-1500A.D., when it was planted with olive trees and covered with watermills. It was in 1639 that the area was first called Kakon Chorion (euphemistically) because of the unfavourable climate and the malaria which was dredged up from the stagnant flood waters in the Kalochorian plain.
From 1680-1720 it appears that the new settlement "Arnikos"was inhabited. From these olden times, it seems that Istronas was the Pirgos of today.
From 1867, Kalo Chorio was a community settlement belonging to the Local Council of Kritsa, until 1925. During the years of Turkish domination between 1669-1898, Kalo Chorio was abound with stories of adventures between the local inhabitants and the Turks. In recent times, the agrarian and tourism industries have been developing, which will hopefully continue as this place is deserving of such progress.Kalo Chorio now has 1125 inhabitants in its four settlements. The hotels and many rental apartments in the extensive area of Istron and Forti accommodate thousands of visitors every year. During recent years, the local inhabitants, together with their agricultural activities, have been actively involved in tourism, and in the Arts and Literature, and have gained an enviable reputation in matters of culture and athletics.
These include The Cretan and Popular Dance Academy, and their admirable Cretan nights, and sports activities in particular, football, where the youth of Kato Horio have been playing a leading part since 1982 in Lassithi football with their local team, A.S. Pirgos.This place has been bound together by its country churches with their history and legends and festivals, and by popular stories about the Turkish agas and local heroes, about Venetian rulers and millers, about wonderful clergymen and monks, and with memories of feasts lasting over many days from the golden days of the past.
The Folklore Museum operates in the Istron area and offers a detailed exhibition of life in the past. It was built in 1999 by The Folklore Association.
This museum declares a great love of and attention to the local popular culture. It is an important source of information of folklore and the history of the inhabitants of the Mirambello Gulf.
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