Ancient Aptera, a City State Steeped in History and Myth

Ancient Aptera is the ruined city state on a hill 230 metres above Souda Bay, about 15 km east of Chania in western Crete. Aptera looks out over the whole plain of Chania, and its ruins include city walls, a theatre and huge Roman cisterns.

How Aptera Got Its Name

Legend says the goddess Hera urged the Sirens to challenge the Muses to a singing contest, and the Sirens lost.

In victory, the Muses plucked the Sirens' feathers and wore them as a trophy. Without their feathers the Sirens could no longer fly, and half of their body turned into a fish tail.

Some believe that is how the ancient city of Aptera got its name, in tribute to that episode from Greek myth, because a creature is apteros when it has no wings. Others, less romantic than we are, say the name comes from Pteras, the king who first founded the city!

Visiting Aptera

Aptera is signposted off the New National Road about 15 km east of Chania, near the beach resort of Kalyves. Aptera sees far fewer visitors than Minoan Knossos at Heraklion, so you can explore without the crowds, even in high summer.

We came across the site without knowing much about it. On our first visit, one November years ago, we were the only visitors. A solitary attendant sat in the cabin at the entrance, staring across the plain, and he cheerily told us that entry was free.

Opening Hours and Fees

Aptera now charges €10 full price and €5 reduced, according to the Greek Ministry of Culture's Odysseus listing for Aptera (checked October 2026). The 2026 listing gives these hours:

• Summer to 31 August: 08:00 to 20:00.
• September: 08:00 to 19:30 in the first half of the month, then 08:00 to 19:00.
• October: 08:00 to 18:30 in the first half of the month, then 08:00 to 18:00.

The listing gives no winter hours, and its Greek version says the site is closed on Tuesdays, so check the Odysseus page before you go. Last entry is 20 minutes before closing. Entry is free on the first Sunday of each month from November to March, and on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, 28 October and the last weekend of September.

The History of Aptera

Aptera was once one of the most important city states in Crete, fully independent from around the 6th to the 4th century BC and minting its own coins.

Aptera sent soldiers to help the Spartans in the Second Messenian War (668 BC) and was later an ally of Knossos in the Cretan civil war of 220 BC.

The city had 2 harbours. The first is believed to have been at Minoa, at the northern entrance to Souda Bay, where Marathi beach is today. The second was probably at either Kalami or Kalyves.

Aptera remained an important city in the Roman and early Byzantine periods. An earthquake badly damaged it in the 7th century AD, and the Arabs destroyed it in 823 AD. The Venetians later built a fort there, which the pirate Barbarossa destroyed, and the site was eventually abandoned.

The Germans excavated the site in 1942, during their occupation of Crete. Further excavations took place in 1986–87 and 1992–95, and systematic work continues today.

What to See at Aptera

The main sights at Aptera are the city walls, a small Temple of Demeter, a small Roman theatre, Roman baths and 3 enormous vaulted Roman cisterns. The site is remarkably well preserved, much remains to be discovered, and we found it at least as interesting as Knossos.

The temple of Demeter dates from around 100 BC. The cisterns are the most spectacular remains: 3 arched vaults enclose a huge reservoir that fed the Roman baths. A small doorway lets you into the central chambers. When we went in, the eerie sound of pigeons' wing beats echoed round as we disturbed a flock roosting high in the vaulted ceilings.

The Turkish Fort Near Aptera

The Ottoman fort of Izzeddin stands on the ridge below Aptera, built in the late 19th century with a commanding view of Souda Bay and the plain. When we visited, we turned right on leaving the site and followed the gently curving road down to the fort. It's certainly a spot where I'd have built my fort!