| Chrysi Χρυσή |
|
|---|---|
| Geography | |
| Island chain: | Cretan Islands |
| Highest mountain: | 31 ( m (0 ft)) |
| Government | |
| Greece | |
| Periphery: | Crete |
| Prefecture: | Lasithi |
| Capital: | Agios Nikolaos |
| Statistics | |
| Population: | 0 (as of 2001) |
Chrysi (Greek: Χρυσή, "golden"), also transliterated as Chrissi, and alternatively known as Gaidouronisi (Γαϊδουρονήσι, "donkey island"), is an uninhabited Greek island approximately 15 km south of Crete close to Ierapetra in the Libyan Sea. Approximately 700m east of the island is the island of Mikronisi. Administratively these islands fall within the Ierapetra municipality in Lasithi Prefecture.
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It is possible to visit Chrysi by sea from Ierapetra and from Myrtos. There is a nudist beach on the north coast of the island. The highest point on the island is called Kefala ("head") and it is 31m above sea-level. On the western part of the island is the chapel of Saint Nicholas (estimated to date to the 13th century). There are also a salt pan, an old port, some Minoan ruins, a lighthouse and a Roman cemetery. Due to the shallow waters around Chrysi, snorkelling and diving is a popular pastime. The Belegrina, Hatzivolakas, and Kataprosopo bays have a wide diversity of shells.
It is possible to reach the island from Ierapetra between middle of May and late October.
Chrysi is protected as an "area of intense natural beauty". The island hosts the largest naturally formed Lebanon cedar forest in Europe. There is no fresh water on the island. The majority of trees have an average age of 200 years and average height of up to 7 metres, some of the trees are up to 300 years old and 10 metres tall. The density is approximately 28 trees per hectare.[1]