Dia

Dia also pronounced locally Ntia , is an uninhabited island off the northern coast of Crete. Dia island is located about 6 nautical miles north of Heraklion city. It is 5 km long and 3 km wide and covers an area about 12 sq km, extending from west to east. The highest peak is 220 meters, and some sections of the shore are bordered by great cliffs, some over 50 meters in height. Α number of small beaches are located on the northern axis of the island Aginara , Agrielia, Kapari, and Panagia. The island has one port Agios Giorgios where the church of Analipsi is located. The port offers a wonderful perspective of Heraklion and its gulf across the way. Dia Island is a marvelous nature preserve & is surrounded by very deep water. 

This tiny island is packed with fascinating history. Dia & Its strategic location played an important role in navigation during antiquity, particularly in Minoan and Medieval times. For the precocious seamen that sailed in the open Cretan Seas, it constituted the best possible natural "signal", indicating the approach of the Cretan coast with its natural harbours, while at the same time it helped in the anchoring of the ships, effectively blocking the strong northern winds. During the Minoan Times the island was populated and, near the bay of Agios Georgios, a harbour settlement was established.

The fascinating history of Dia was largely brought to light by the great oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. while searching for the lost Atlantis between Crete and Santorini, with a special bathyscape, he made a marvelous discovery:  the waters beneath these ancient ports yielded seven shipwrecks. In 1976, Cousteau discovered some squared and rectangular rocks in the seabed that made up an artificial breakwater, which researchers named Cyclopean Walls. According to Cousteau, it was the largest and most important port of Knossos. Achilleas Tagaris in Illustrated History (vol. 143, 1980) states that the island was highly overgrown with rich forests and crystalline springs. Unfortunately, the forests were destroyed for the construction of ships and the springs died out. In addition to this, the eruption of the volcano of Santorini, around 1450 BC, destroyed Dia completely, as huge tidal waves ravaged every trace of life in their path.

Nowadays, Dia is integrated into the European Nature Network (Natura 2000) because of the vital biodiversity existing on the island and it is a controlled hunting area. There are many protected species of flora and fauna such as Albinaria retusa snail, Pdacriserchardiischiebeli lizard, Oryctolagus wild rabbits, a hawk named “mavropetritis”, the well-known kri-kri and plants such as Carlina diae.