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The name of the village comes from the herb myrtle ("myrtia" in Greek) that is grown in the area around the village.
Initially, the residents had built their village beside the sea which included a fishing jetty and a few houses, but later they were forced to move to the surrounding hills in order to protect themselves from the pirates' attacks.
The first historical reference of the village goes back to the 10th century, when the Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas (961 AD) built roads and bridges in order to link it to the next village called Sellia.
During the Venetian Occupation of Crete there was a venetian family feud. In the 16th century it was known as MIRTIO DI MEGAPOTA.
In our days, the village has gradually developed in the tourist sector, due to its natural beauty, the cretan traditional architecture, the location with the panoramic sea view to Plakias Bay and the short distance from the city of Rethymnon.
There are two roads from Rethymnon to Mirthios village through the mountain range which lies to its north, both of which run through gorges - to the north of Plakias, the Kotsifos Gorge, and to the northeast, the Kourtaliotis Gorge.
In a short distance away from Mirthios, the visitors can enjoy some of the most beautiful sandy beaches of Crete: the beaches of Plakias (1.3Km long), Damnoni, Schoinaria, Ammoudi, Ammoudaki, Souda and the amazing Preveli Palm beach. They can also visit some of the very interesting sights like the Preveli Monastery, the Gorges of Kotsifos and Kourtaliotis, the Old Mill of Mithios, the Rock Caves and the Cliff of Paligremnos, etc.
At the same time, the visitors will have access to many tourist facilities, such as restaurants and taverns, mini-markets and tourist shops. In Plakias village (2.5 Km away from Mirthios village) they can also find big super markets, restaurants, cafeterias, bars, pubs, banks, medical center, doctors and pharmacies etc.
| Distance to: | Description | Km or meters |
|---|---|---|
| Capital City | Rethymnon | 30 km |
| Airports | Chania International Airport Heraklion International Airport |
90 km 110 km |
| Hospital | Rethymnon General Hospital | 30 km |
| Ports | Rethymnon Port Chania port (Souda) |
30 km 85 km |
| Transportation | Bus and Taxi | |
| Sandy Beaches | Beach of Plakias Beach of Souda Beach of Damnoni Beach of Amoudi and Ammoudaki Beach of Skinaria PALM Beach of Preveli |
0 m 2 Km 2,5 km 3 km 4 km 7 km |
| Activities / Recreation | Diving in Plakias Walking through Kourtaliotis Gorge & Kotsifos Gorge Walking through the olive groves with the famous Cretan olive trees |
2,5 km 2,5 km 1 km |
| Sites of Interest | The old Mill in Plakias The traditional villages in the area The famous preveli Monstery |
2 km 2 km 7 km |
