Koutouloufari Pictures

Pictures of Koutouloufari near Hersonissos

The view from Koutouloufari, with the olive groves between Koutouloufari and Hersonissos, some of the hotels and houses in Hersonissos and the blue Sea of Crete.
The main street of Koutouloufari is pretty and picturesque with shops and restaurants to right and left.
The greenery outside the shops and restaurants of Koutouloufari makes for a pleasant stroll round the village.
If the hot summer sun makes you tired and thirsty, there are many cafes in Koutouloufari, like the one in the photo.
Enjoy you coffee or breakfast in the shade of the bougainvillea.
As for shopping in Koutouloufari, there are plenty of shops selling works of art and souvenirs
A tastefully-decorated taverna and next to it a large olive tree, the commonest tree in Crete.
In Koutouloufari you will discover many spots with a lovely view of the coast, like this restaurant in the village.
Another taverna in Koutouloufari offering customers pleasant surroundings.
The entrance to a small hotel in Koutouloufari, reminiscent of an old Cretan house with its vine, stone walls and flowerpots on the wall.
Not all the hotels and apartments in Koutouloufari are in traditional houses. Here is a tasteful modern hotel.
Let’s start our stroll around the narrow alleyways of Koutouloufari with the old houses whose walls are covered with climbing plants.
Koutouloufari is a small village and its alleyways are few but picturesque.
One of the Koutouloufari neighbourhoods at the end of an uphill road with a view of the sea. Avoid walking at midday because the heat will soon tire you out. The best time is either early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the sun is slowly setting, and the gentler light reveals the details of the old stone house walls.
An old house in the typical Cretan style.
An open gate allows us to see the inner courtyard of this traditional house in Koutouloufari.
Strolling along the paved streets of the village you will discover many pretty corners, such as this typical Greek picture of blue chairs, little table and flowerpots.
A little old house choked in greenery. The owner is obviously a man of taste, as he has managed, using simple methods, to make his house one of the loveliest in Koutouloufari.
Here is a detail of the decoration of the housefront in the previous picture: a pithos, part of a tree root and pots of colourful flowers.
Another photo of a different house in Koutouloufari, showing how with a little imagination an electricity meter can be transformed into a lovely artistic composition. Beauty and taste do not require money but sensitivity, good taste and imagination.
The church of Agios Vassilios in Koutouloufari. The larger building is newer, built in 1840, while the smaller one behind the sanctuary is part of a church many centuries older.
Photograph of the Sunday service in Agios Vassilios
This is not a very good picture of the icon of St Basil, but it is obviously in a different style to that of the Byzantine icons we see in Crete.
Another icon in the church of Agios Vassilios
Continuing our walk round Koutouloufari , we come across a house painted with a large olive tree and an window with a view of the sea. Well done to the imaginative owner.
The olive tree, the main feature of the Cretan landscape, is also beginning to be used as decoration, like this small olive tree in a pot outside a taverna.
It may not have any olive trees, but this taverna is also prettily decorated.
Just looking at all this greenery is cooling and relaxing.
A large ripe grape hangs from the vine outside the previous taverna. In Crete the vine is called a “krevvatina”, offering its precious shade to Cretan courtyards.
A taverna terrace with a glorious view of the village and the sea.
The courtyard of an old house with traditional blue doors and windows, bamboo shade and many flowers.
Another lovely stone house. In the 1970s Koutouloufari was nearly deserted, with only 150 inhabitants left. However, the development of tourism on the coast brought money and work to the area and the population grew. Koutouloufari also attracted city people who bought old houses and restored them.
Τhe chain on its old wooden door shows this house is empty, but it too contributes to the overall traditional image of Koutouloufari.
Pithoi were once the only way to store precious olive oil and grain. Today they decorate the courtyard of this house.
An old three-wheel digger, now rarely seen in Cretan villages, reminds us that the inhabitants of Koutouloufari were mainly farmers before 1980.
What can this elderly couple be talking about? Whether the season went well, what medication they’re each on, or the great changes to their village in recent decades?
Imagine how surprised the old couple of the previous photo must have been when they saw the mini golf course in Koutouloufari…
… or seeing the golden dragons of the Chinese restaurant in the village centre.
In the evening the tavernas and restaurants of Koutouloufari fill with hungry tourists who enjoy the delicacies of Cretan cooking.
Before or after dinner, people stroll through the pretty streets of Koutouloufari to window-shop and buy things.