WEATHER
Anogeia
Light Showers
11°C
Wind: 15 Southwest
Rethymno
16°C
Wind: 27 West
Spili
14°C
Wind: 06 West
Fragma Potamon
17°C
Wind: 13 West
courtesy of: www.meteo.gr
Gerakari - Aplitra (Toubotos Prinos Shelter)
Length: 22 km
Estimated time: 3-8 hours
Suggested period: January - December
Difficulty: Relatively difficult in the area of Fourfoura, near the shelter
Elenes
The village of Elenes belongs to the Municipality of Sivritos and is approximately 38.5 km far from Rethymno. It is built on a 640 m altitude. At the 1991 census the village had a population of 109 residents.
It was mentioned to belong to the county of Amari in 1577 by Fr. Barozzi (Fo 27v) with the name Selenes (probably meaning Sant.Εl.), by Kastrofilakas (Κ 176) with the name Εllenes, with 147 residents in 1583, by Vasilakatas (Monuments of Cretan History V, p.129) with the name Sante Εlenes in 1630, in the 1834 census with the name Elaines (Ρashley, Τravels in Crete, ΙI, 314) with 6 Christian and 4 Turkish families, in the 1881 census with the name Elenais in the municipality of Meronas, 91 Christian residents, in 1900 in the same municipality with the name Elenes, 127 residents, in 1920 with the name Elenes in the rural municipality of Gerakari, 155 residents, in 1928 124 residents, in 1940 with the name Elenai as the capital of the homonymous community, 134 residents, in 1951 158 residents, in 1961 111 residents and in 1971 78.
The findings of archaeological excavations, held in 1930, prove the existence of the Minoan culture.
In 1927, the scholar Spiridon Marinatos revealed a pre-historic cave entrance opposite to the village, which was known as "Margele hole" and had unknown depth, with stalactites and stalagmites. Later on, the French speleologist Paul Faure discovered traces of pre-historic life, which make Elenes be considered as on of the oldest dorps in Crete. The constant existence of life for more than 3000 years is attested by findings of the archaeological excavations and everything that comes to the surface due to the corrosive energy of water and the residents' farming activities. Chips of pre-historic vessels, stone tools and coins of the early Byzantine and post-Byzantine eras are discovered in various locations even today.
The traditional character of Elenes is retained in only few old buildings with arches, stone-built entrances and courtyards that have resisted in time.