On the eastern tip of the Rodopou Peninsula are the remains of a temple to Cretan goddess Diktynna. Diktynna was the goddess of hunting and she was worshipped fervently in western Crete. The most important religious sanctuary in the region under the Romans, the temple was desecrated after the collapse of the Roman Empire. Now you’ll find foundations and a sacrificial altar as well as Roman cisterns. There’s also a lovely sandy beach.
Diktynna is accessible only by dirt road from Kolymbari; travel agencies in Hania offer boat excursions.
Legend has it that Diktynna’s name derives from the word diktyon, meaning ‘net’. It was a fisherman’s net that saved her when she leapt into the sea to avoid the amorous desires of King Minos. The temple dates from the 2nd century AD but it was probably built on the site of an earlier temple.
