Kalamitsi Alexandrou lies 139 metres above sea level, south of the hills of Vamos. The village also extends south of the provincial road connecting Vamos with Georgioupoli. This makes the elevation, the location in relation to the hills of Vamos and the position in relation to the road connection clearly distinct points of reference. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Kalamitsi Alexandrou, this geographical context gives you a concrete starting point for choosing your destination. The historic buildings add another consideration: which aspects of the village’s history interest you?
Location and historical name
The history of the name can also be placed in context. In Hourmouzis Byzantios’ 1842 work “Kritika,” Kalamitsi Alexandrou is referred to as “Kalamitsi Pera (Alexandrou).” This older form is a precise historical reference point: it records the name under which the village appears in this work. “Kalamitsi Pera (Alexandrou)” is therefore a historical form of the name; it complements the village’s present-day name without being identical to it.
Churches, rockwork and preserved buildings
Agia Triada in Kalamitsi Alexandrou is a cross-in-square church with a dome. This combination identifies specific features of its religious architecture and distinguishes the church’s architectural character from that of the Softas water tank or the old primary school. Agia Triada thus represents a clearly defined church type among the village’s buildings.
On the grounds of the cave church of Agios Antonios, south of Kalamitsi Alexandrou, there is a terrace carved out of natural rock. A head is carved at one end. It has been variously described as an animal’s head, a monster or a dragon. The head was probably made by a hermit who lived there as an ascetic. Both the differing interpretations and this attribution should be treated with caution. Unlike the church form described above, the focus here is a specific rock feature and its open interpretation.
Softas, the preserved water tank dating from the Turkish occupation, also adds a different function to the village’s built heritage. The name refers to this water tank; its historical period of construction distinguishes it from Agia Triada. The old primary school is also preserved. Together, the water tank and the school represent buildings associated with communal functions, while the church is characterised by its religious architectural form. The village’s history thus encompasses more than church architecture alone.
When choosing accommodation, this range of features can be translated into specific interests. If church architecture matters to you, Agia Triada, described as a cross-in-square church, provides a clear point of reference. If you are more interested in an unusual feature whose meaning is not definitively established, the rock terrace at Agios Antonios is the main attraction. The historical form of the name, Softas and the old school add further, distinct perspectives on Kalamitsi Alexandrou.
Discover more destinations: Falassarna, Sougia, Marediana, Sklavopoula, Mothiana, Pemonia, Marathi, Filippos
For the broader travel overview: Chania.
