Viannos is one of the most mountainous and remote municipalities in Crete. Proud and rugged, it’s a land of wild beauty and deep historical memory.

A martyred municipality, marked by the 1943 Holocaust, when nearly 500 civilians were executed by Nazi occupying forces — a wound that still lives on and is honoured every year on September 14.

Mountainous by nature, with a landscape that mesmerises mountain lovers, Viannos is also open to the sea, with the longest coastline on Crete’s southern edge — about 50 kilometres.

It’s the kind of place that stands out. The only one where, within minutes, you can go from the snow-covered peaks of Mount Dikti to the beaches of the Libyan Sea.

The scenery shifts constantly — from rugged mountains and gorges to springs and fertile valleys. Traditional villages, historical monuments, and archaeological sites are scattered across the region. With its rivers, gorges and water-rich terrain, Viannos is ideal for nature lovers and travellers seeking the real Crete.

Ano Viannos, the historical capital of the region and birthplace of Ioannis Kondylakis, sits at the heart of an area whose roots go deep into antiquity.

But the true strength of this place is its people.
Welcoming, positive, and proud, always ready to open their homes — and their hearts — to visitors.

Viannos isn’t just another destination in Crete.
It’s a land of History, Humanity, Nature, and Memory.