Kokkino Chorio lies at an altitude of 152 meters on the northeastern edge of Apokoronas, west of Cape Drapano. To get your bearings, it helps to distinguish the village from nearby places: Kokkino Chorio is known for its old houses, while the lighthouse stands at Cape Drapano and Drapanokefala is home to traces of wartime history. Together with the Elephant Cave and Koutalas Cave, the area of interest ranges from village history to paleontological finds. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Kokkino Chorio, these highlights can help you choose a destination that suits your interests.
Two stories behind the village name
There are two local stories about the name Kokkino Chorio. According to one, it refers to the red soil in the area. Another explanation links it to the blood shed by local people in their battles against the Ottomans. Both interpretations coexist, connecting the place name either with the landscape or with local memories of conflict. For travelers interested in cultural background, this contrast offers a tangible way into the village’s history: the explanations of its name alone tell different stories about the place.
Church and underground shelter
The Church of Saint George stands at the foot of Drapanokefala and dates back to the 16th century. During the German occupation from 1941 to 1945, the Germans converted it into an explosives depot. Next to the church was an underground shelter that served German forces as an administrative office for the southern part of Souda Fortress. The church’s construction date and its use during the occupation mark different periods in its history. The shelter also forms part of this local context, but it had a different function from the church: it was part of the military administration.
Traces at Drapanokefala and the cape
After the Battle of Crete in May 1941, German forces used forced labor by local people to build machine-gun positions, fortifications, and underground shelters in the Drapanokefala area. During the war, a cable car connected the entrance to the main German underground headquarters in Kokkino Chorio with the summit of Drapanokefala, at an altitude of 527 meters. The positions and shelters attest to the area’s fortification, while the cable car provided a connection from the headquarters to the summit. The lighthouse at Cape Drapano offers a different historical reference point: it was built in 1864 by the French Society of Ottoman Lighthouses. Its construction date places it in a much earlier period than the military installations from the Second World War.
Caves and different timescales
The underwater Elephant Cave lies near the lighthouse at Cape Drapano. In 2000, fossilized bones of deer and elephants that lived on Crete about 60,000 years ago were found there. The cave is 160 meters long and of particular paleontological interest. Its length and the approximate age of the animals give two different measures: 160 meters describes the extent of the cave, while about 60,000 years indicates how long ago the animals lived. Natural history thus sits alongside the construction and wartime dates that shape other places in the area.
Koutalas Cave is also nearby, northeast of Kokkino Chorio. The road network through the village provides access to the area. This distinguishes its location from that of Elephant Cave: Koutalas Cave is northeast of the village, while Elephant Cave is located near the lighthouse at Cape Drapano.
Discover more destinations: Kalives, Rodopos, Keto Kefalia, Kontomari, Filippos, Anopoli, Kontopoula, Neriana.
For the main travel overview: Chania.
