Village of Gavalohori

Gavalohori is a charming village on the Drapanos peninsula named after the Gavalas family who lived here during the reign of the Venetians. Gavalohori is located in the Apokoron region of the northwest coast of Crete and is only 4 kilometres from Almirida Beach.  It is a very old village with an interesting history explained in the local Folklore Museum. The population is around 350 but this number swells in the summer months as relatives and visitors arrive. The village has many shops including two tavernas, two cafenions, The Sweet Cafe, a pastry shop with cafe bar, the village pre-school, bakery, three grocery stores and a wonderful Folklore Museum which is well worth a visit. Pikilo Handcrafts is a wonderful shop full of amazing, original handcrafted items.There are numerous Greek Orthodox churches in and around the village as well as Venetian arches and wells, Roman tombs and an ancient olive oil factory. Many interesting walks exist around the village. A nice pleasant day can be spent just sitting outside one of the cafenions, listening to the locals discuss current affairs or playing the traditional 'tavli'.
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