<The village of Maheri on Crete
The village of Maheri is located southwest of Chania (23 km) and near the village of Neo Chorio (2 km). It is accessible via the Megala Chorafia - Stylos - Mehori route or from the other side coming from Neo Chorio. The small village is declared a protected national monument because of the many Venetian buildings that are found here. In and around the village new developments can no longer be built. Many of the old stone houses with the large Venetian arches and an olive-oil mill are beautifully restored. Other houses are painted white or in bright pastel colors. The village is built against a mountain like an amphitheatre. To the west of the village in a crack in the rock there is a small chapel. Maheri has sometimes narrow roads that are not suitable for a car.
To reach the village Maheri you have to drive over a narrow bridge that leads over the gorge of Agios Nikolaos. The village lies at 160 meters altitude between two canyons at the foot of the White Mountains with in the background a very high cliff that rises up from the landscape. It lies in a fertile area with many trees, olive groves and flowers. Most people live from agriculture and olive growing and a few of them rent out rooms. The inhabitants of the village come together in the square, under the shade of the trees, for a cup of coffee and to talk in in kafenion. From Maheri you look out over the Apokoronas plain and the bay of Souda.