<The village of Neapoli or Neapolis in Crete
Neapoli (new town) was the capital of the Lassithi prefecture until 1904 when Agios Nikolaos took over this position. On the main square, next to a park, stands the imposing and beautiful cathedral of the Virgin Mary, escorted by two big palmtrees. It stands on the spot where there used to be a Turkish mosque, which was destroyed in 1827. This church is the headquarter of the bishop. The square is the center of all the activities and somehow when you drive into Neapoli you always seem to end up here. There are a couple of Kafenions, some places where you can eat and there is a pharmacy. Signs point you to places of interest in the area and to the museums. Aside of this the Neapoli has lots of narrow streets and small shops and it feels more like a larger village than a small town.
Neapoli is build in the middle of a valley with beautiful mountains surrounding it. It is situated 15 kilometers west of Agios Nikolaos. There's also lots of history to be found in Neapoli from Venetian and Byzantine times. In the small village of Kares (now a part of Neapoli) the probably most famous person of the town was born, Petros Philargos, who was appointed Pope Alexander V in the year 1409.
Driros Snack Caf� has a terrace with comfortable chairs on the main square of Neapoli. You can have a drink, coffee or a simple snack like a toasted sandwich or a hamburger. It's very cheap here. The cappuccino is Lavazza and comes with a glass of water. The coffee is very good and with whipped milk (as it should be) instead of cream. The toasted sandwich with ham, cheese and tomato costs only 1 euro and 50 cent and the very generous hamburger is 2 euro (2010).
Our verdict: very good for what it is: an 8 out of 10