Ancient Aptera – Key Things To Know For A Great Visit

One of most remarkable things about Crete is its ancient history. For thousands of years, Crete has been home to a succession of civilizations and cultures – the Minoans, the Mycenaean Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Moors, the Venetians, and the Ottomans. This rich cultural history has resulted in an amazing collection of archeological sites across the island. Any trip to Crete would be incomplete without exploring some of these. Let me show you one of my favorites from our recent stay in Crete – the ruins of a city called Ancient Aptera.

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What is Ancient Aptera

Ancient Aptera was founded by the Minoans thousands of years ago – sometime in the 2nd millennium BC. But it wasn’t until Mycenaean Greece ruled Crete in the 3rd and 2nd century BC that Aptera came to prominence. In fact, it was then considered one of the most important commercial city-states of its time.

In 67 BC, Aptera was invaded by the Roman Empire. However the Romans didn’t destroy Aptera. Instead, they committed to expanding its public works and increasing its prosperity.

Sadly, Roman Aptera was mostly destroyed by a large earthquake in 365 AD.

Where Is Ancient Aptera

Ancient Aptera is located in western Crete near the city of Chania.

Chania is Crete’s second largest city. And I personally think that Chania is Crete’s most charming and picturesque city (as I’ve outlined in this blog post specifically about Chania). Aptera is about 10 miles from the center of town. So it only takes about 20 minutes to get there from Chania.

Ancient Aptera is situated on the plateau of a hill, just up from a naturally protected bay in the Aegean Sea, with Crete’s White Mountains as a backdrop This location is not only beautiful, but also offered this powerful city a great strategic benefit during ancient times.

How To Get To Ancient Aptera

The easiest way to get to Ancient Aptera is by rental car. You won’t find any options to get there via public transportation, and Uber (or other ride share platforms) does not operate in Crete. Taxi is a possibility, though you would need to arrange for a return trip.

We rented a car to help us better explore Chania’s surroundings. Car rental in Crete is relatively inexpensive and driving in Crete is not difficult. If you would like to learn more (including my recommendation for a great Chania car rental company), then be sure to check out my blog post about Driving in Crete.

If you ultimately aren’t comfortable with the idea of driving yourself, then you could consider taking a guided tour to Aptera – like this one on Viator.

Parking and Admission

When you arrive at Ancient Aptera, you will find a generously-sized parking area and a short walk to the main entrance.

On your way to the parking area from the main highway, you will pass through a small village. You’ll want to be aware that as you leave the village, you will pass the ruins of what was once Ancient Aptera’s main gate and some of the original city walls. I missed it on our way towards Aptera – it’s not well marked. (I thought about stopping on the way back, but there really isn’t a great place to park.)

After you’ve parked in the main lot, you’ll walk the short distance to the ticket kiosk pictured below. You won’t find a visitor’s center at the site. We were given a brochure with a map – but that’s really all we needed anyway. And don’t worry – there are restrooms inside the Site.

The current ticket cost for admission to Ancient Aptera is 10 Euros. Note that the site is closed on Tuesdays.

What to See in Ancient Aptera

Aptera is a fairly large site. The ruins that remain are somewhat spread out. But as I mentioned earlier, the location is quite beautiful. We visited in early spring, so the Site’s many trees were green and plenty of flowers were in bloom. Various pathways will take you from one spot to another – including the ancient paved road in the photo below.

The Two Room Temple

The Two Room Temple is the oldest of the main ruins at Ancient Aptera. It’s the first site you will see as you enter Aptera and is pictured in the foreground below. It was built in the 5th century BC. Only the foundation remains. The Greek Gods Artemis and Apollo were probably worshipped jointly in this temple.

The bigger building in this photo is the newest structure at Aptera – a Venetian Monastery.

The Monastery of St John the Theologian

Centuries after Ancient Aptera was laid to ruins by the earthquake – in the 12th century AD – a monastery was established on the Site. The current buildings were constructed by the Venetians during the 16th century. These include a large main building, a courtyard, and a small chapel. This is where you will also find that restroom I promised.

Three-Aisled Cistern

This is one of most impressive ruins that you’ll see when visiting Ancient Aptera. It’s one of two large cisterns constructed by the Romans for storing rainwater (ruins of the other cistern are also located nearby). The plateau doesn’t have any natural springs and there’s no evidence of aqueducts from the mountains, so these cisterns supplied the city’s water.

While you can’t actually enter the cistern, you can stand at the entrance and gain a greater appreciation for the ancient Roman architecture. It’s very impressive!

Then as you descend the hill below the cistern towards two Roman bath houses, you can further appreciated the ancient ingenuity used to connect these various public buildings.

Roman Baths

As you continue exploring Ancient Aptera below the cisterns, you can walk right up to each of those two bath houses. You can even walk inside one of the them. I’ve seen plenty of Roman baths throughout our travels. I’ve never been inside the walls of one. Pretty cool!

The photo below shows the inside of the Bath 1 (the bath house you cannot enter). One of its rooms has been fully excavated and really gives you a decent idea of its “plumbing”. You’ll also see a series of brick pillars. These supported a floor under which warm water flowed…an ancient spa!

The Theatre of Aptera

I would consider this Amphitheater to be Ancient Aptera’s other top site (along with the 3-Aisled Cistern).

Its construction was started by the Greeks in the 3rd century BC and finished by the Romans during their rule. The setting here is perfect. Imagine what it would have been like to watch a performance with those white-capped mountains as a backdrop.

It’s small by the standard of other amphitheaters found through the ancient Mediterranean, but that just adds to its charm.

The Roman House

The final major site within the grounds of Ancient Aptera are the ruins of a Roman house built in the 1st century AD. You will have to walk a bit away from other sites to see it. It’s interesting to see all the columns strewn about – probably due to that destructive earthquake. But if you are short on time, I think it’s probably the least interesting set of ruins at Aptera.

Also…Koules Ottoman Fortress

As you walk around Ancient Aptera, you cannot help but notice a large fortress off in the distance. This fortress is not part of the Ancient Aptera site itself. But you really should go check it out when you are finished exploring Aptera.

This is Koules Fortress (sometimes called the Castle of Aptera). This Fortress was built by the Ottomans in 1867 as part of a broader defensive network around the island. You can easily access the fortress by leaving the Aptera parking lot and driving down the main road.

The castle is open to the public and only cost 2 euros to visit. Inside its large main room, you’ll find an exhibit explaining the castle’s history. And the views from its northern walls out across the bay and coastline below are awesome. Plus you’ll find restrooms here as well.

How Much Time At Ancient Aptera?

As is often the case, I underestimated the amount of time we needed to explore Ancient Aptera. I was surprised by how much there was for us to see. And then there was the unexpected bonus of Koules Ottoman Fortress too. I think you should plan on a visit of at least 1.5 hours.

Final Thoughts

If exploring unique ancient archeological sites is a highlight of your usual travel itineraries, then Ancient Aptera needs to be high on your list of things to do in western Crete. And if it’s not your usual jam, maybe you should stop and check out Aptera anyway. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

If you want to read about another great archeological site in Crete, then be sure to check out my post about Kritsa Crete. Kritsa is where we discovered our overall favorite archeological site in Crete – Ancient Lato.

If you want to have an unforgettable dining experience near Chania, then check out my post about eating at Ntounias