Dia Island

Dia is an uninhabited island off the nothern coast of Crete, approximately 7 nautical miles north of Heraklion. According to mythology, Crete is the birthplace of Zeus ( or Dias in Greek ), the father of gods.

According to mythology, the island was created by Zeus. Zeus looked down to his hometown Crete from Mount Olympus and saw the Cretans chasing his favorite goats (kri-kri). Those goats were Amalthia’s kids while Amalthia was the goat that nurtured Zeus as he was hiding from his father, Saturn, in the cave of Diktaion Andron. He was so mad about it and he decided to kill them all. So, he blew a lightning in the sea and a giant monster emerged. Then, Poseidon, the god of the sea, reminded him of the protection that Kourites provided him as an infant and as a result Zeus decided to throw two rusks to the monster and then with a lightning he turned the monster into stone while the two risks was turned into islands and in this way Dia, Paximadi and Petalidi were created
The perfect way to explore Dia, is one one of luxury yachts! If you are looking for a private boat to hire, look no further.

Enjoy an unforgettable day full of fun, music, sailing and sea on one of our cruisers. Dive in the turquoise waters of Saint George Bay. Discover Cretan cuisine’s secrets and aromas when lunch is served onboard.
Departure from Heraklion harbor at 9 am. Return at 5 pm

Enviromentally protected

Dia is also a key breeding ground for sea birds. It is one of the most important nesting areas of Eleonora Falcon in the Southern Aegean sea. Monk seals are often seen around the shores as well as a multitude of indigen goats and other wildlife.

Nowadays, Dia is integrated into the European Nature Network (Natura 2000) because of the vital biodiversty existing on the island. Dia is a controlled hunting area. There are are many protected species of flora and fauna such as Albinaria retusa snail, Pdacriserchardiischiebeli lizard, Oryctolagus wild rabbits, a hawk named “mavropetritis”, the well-known kri-kri and the Carlina diae plant.

Ancient port

In 1976 Jacques Cousteau explored the sea around Dia and found the remainings of an ancient port between Heraklion and Dia.