Day trips around Agia Pelagia - Suggested Sightseeing
Three villages near Agia Pelagia – Rogdia, Achlada and Fodele – are worthy of a visit, each for different reasons.
ROGDIA or RODIA
 The village of Rogdia, high above the bay, stands out for the unique view it affords of the cove below and the entire city of Heraklion in the distance. The tavernas offer good food, along with the beautiful vistas, and they attract Heraklionites along with the tourists. The village streets are narrow, dotted with traditional Cretan homes, and there is the Monastery of Savathiana, which is one of the most beautiful Cretan monasteries.
There are three ways to get to Rogdia:
- From a short dirt road which begins in Agia Pelagia.
- Leave Agia Pelagia and drive towards Heraklion. After about 10 kilometres take the exit towards Amoudara. At this point you will start seeing the Rogdia signs.
- You may also get there on a road from Ahlada, which is a passable dirt road for about five kilometres – the total distance betweenRothia and Ahlatha is about seven kilometres.
ACHLADA
 The area of Agia Pelagia is almost totally owned by people who came down from the high village of Achlada. Most of this occurred in the 1970s, a time when tourism began to flourish in this part of Crete. In fact, as early as 1965 some perceptive locals foresaw the touristic development of the area and began purchasing land around the bay for 17 euros for 1,000 square metres. Today, Achlada is inhabited almost exclusively by elderly people, and the ruined houses and empty streets give it the appearance of a phantom village. This, of course, is a pity, since this quaint village is situated on top of the mountain over Agia Pelagia, offering an incredible view of the Fodele bay and the sea beyond.
FODELE
 Heading west on the national road from Agia Pelagia, turn off at the sign for Fodele village. The road running from the Fodele beach to the actual village is a short one, but quite interesting as it makes its way through a valley full of colourful orange trees. The village is built in two sections, the upper and the lower, and a river, which maintains some degree of water even in the summer, separates them.
Other than its oranges, Fodele is known as the birth place of painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos, better known as El Greco, due to the fact he first became famous in Spain. The house where he was born is now a museum, featuring copies of his work. The nearby Monastery of Aghios Panteleimon is also worth a visit – it is situated in a beautiful location about five kilometres after the village, on a dirt road of good quality.
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