Written by: Irini Lefkoritissa
February ’17

Just underneath the actual village you can find the springs that attract many visitors who enjoy the refreshing water, the shade of large trees and the possibility to have a meal in one of the many restaurants.

You will see a steep slope with a lot of vegetation and different terraces on which some of the restaurants of the area were built. On the left side of this slope the water comes running down, at some places really like waterfalls. By climbing up you can visit the small church of ‘Agia Dynami’ or ‘Sacred Power’ That was built partly by people and partly consists of a natural cavity in the rock formation. You can follow the path further up to visit the upper part of Argyroupoli where the traces of Ancient Lappa can be visited. If you are not a capable walker you can also drive up by car.

The amounts of water cascading down vary, depending on the time of the year you visit the area. Many other water systems like rivers, streams, lakes, springs and waterfalls elsewhere on Crete are subject to fluctuating levels of water. In spring the levels are very high and they get less and less when the end of summer approaches. The climate of Crete and the three main mountain chains are responsible for this. The White Mountains, Mount Ida and the Dikty Mountains all feature peaks well above 2000 meters and during the winter months they are all covered in snow. If you visit Crete in April May and the first half of June you can still see the snow patches. In early spring the snow starts to melt and turns many gullies and gorges into rivers. The White Mountains which are nearby, towering over Argyroupoli, consist mainly of limestone. As this is a soft and porous type of rock there are many larger and smaller caves in this mountain range. Actually the entire formations works like a huge sponge, taking up vast quantities of this melting water to release it slowly and steadily throughout the summer months until at the end of summer when it gets less.

Thanks to the abundance of fresh water it was possible to found fish farms around the springs. In many of the restaurants you can find large fish tanks with trout and other sweet water fish. Another specialty that is offered in most of the establishments is Antikristo, a traditional shepherd’s dish. These are large chunks of mutton, skewered and placed around the fire or coals. They are turned continuously and are again and again brushed with salty water and oil to prevent the outside from burning. Often you can see this process taking place in the yards of the restaurants.

The site of the springs is a very green, lush and beautiful place to be, children usually really enjoy a splash of the fresh water, a look at the large fish in the tanks and of course the good food!