Μέρη κοντινά με Παναγία
Μόλις 25 χιλιόμετρα δυτικά του Ηρακλείου βρίσκεται το φαράγγι του Σαντορινιού. Ένα όχι αρκετά μεγάλο φαράγγι το οποίο δεν έχει αξιοποιηθεί ιδιαίτερα, με αρκετά πυκνή βλάστηση και αρκετές λίμνες που κάνουν την πρόσβαση αρκετά δύσκολη.
Μπαίνοντας συναντάμε έναν αρκετά παλιό νερόμυλο και συνεχίζουμε ώστε να αντικρίσουμε την λίμνη Αζιλόκαμπο. Μετά από αρκετό ψάξιμο μπορεί να διαπιστώσει κανείς ότι μπορεί να συνεχίσει, αφού μοιάζει να έχει φτάσει το τέλος της διαδρομής και να συναντήσει έναν καταρράκτη που ονομάζεται Σαντορινιός του οποίου τα νερά χύνονται σε μία μικρή λίμνη.
Πραγματικά ένα αρκετά μαγικό τοπίο το οποίο κρύβει αρκετούς φυσικούς θησαυρούς.
The settlement Achlada, of Agia Pelagia belongs to the administration of the Community of Achlada, the picturesque village above the southern part of the bay, climbed on the north slope ol Mount’ Vasilikon, in 300 m. altitude.
Its residents, who are now over 550 people, are mainly occupied with agriculture, tourism and tanning. The name of the village has its origin in Hie tree agriachladia (wild pear tree) which grows naturaly around the area where the village was first built.
Achadia is known to us since Medieval times and witnessed by various sources between 1577 -1583 with its 63 residents for that time, inning the years of Venetian Dominance in Crete, Achlada was a feud of the brothers Giorgio and Francisco Modinos, with 35 homes of the villagers and two churches. In the north eastern side of the village are the ruins of another settlement belonged to Modinos brothers, of Kadanou; Its residents moved to Achlada after the attack and plunder by Turks during the war of 1645 – 1669.
It had the type of a fortress and is surrounded by wall. Next to the gate there is a built-in, marble inscription with the year 1977 (the establishment of the monastery is being located a few years before) and on the lintel there is an inscription with the year 1861 (that was when the great renovation was being made, by Neofytos Pediotis).
Outside the monastery, 100 meters west of the entrance, an arched water tank is being saved (it was built in 1866 as the built-in inscription indicates), with a very old fountain in front of it. The monastery of Agios Panteleimonas always had its gates open to the rebels and that’s why has repeatedly suffered destructions from the Turks.
In 1824, it was plundered and ruined by the Turk-Egyptians of Husein. At the second year of the revolution of 1866, it was burnt down by the men of Resit Efenti. Yet, in the biggest destruction of the monastery the Turks had no interference. In 1972, the abbey and all the cells of the monks were pulled down, except of two. It is said that the reason that prescribed this act was the… expectation that a treasure would be found, which was believed to be buried in the foundation of the monastery. Nowadays in Agios Panteleimonas lives only one monk.Contact Number: +30 28 10 52 13 41
It is found above Rogdia village. It was founded in the late years of Venetian rule. One of its Abbots was the well known scholar and important intellectual, Maximos Margounios.
Those of the monks that took part in the defense of besieged Chandax were slaughtered, or were transported as captives to Constantinople. In the monastery there are the graves of the of Kokkinidi family fighters.