The historic Moni Preveli stands in splendid isolation high above the Libyan Sea. Like most Cretan monasteries, it was a centre of anti-Ottoman resistance and was burned by the Turks during the 1866 onslaught. Inside stand the stunning, ornate chapel and small museum packed with icons and portions of a 13th-century fresco. The monastery is active, with out-of-bounds monks’ quarters; women who aren’t covered up will be given skirts and shawls to wear.
Look out for the Benedictine Cross, believed to be miracle-inducing (particularly for eye ailments) and carried at the front of battles since its creation in the 18th century. After the Battle of Crete in WWII, many Allied soldiers were sheltered here before their evacuation to Egypt, commemorated by a monument overlooking the cliffs just before the monastery.
