Souda and Leon

Souda and Leon are two islets in Souda Bay on the northwest coast of Crete.

Souda island's location is strategic because it offers the control of the entrance to the anchorage of Souda Bay. So it was fortified by the Venetians. Despite the fact that the rest of Crete fell to Ottoman control in the Cretan War (1645–1669), the fortress of Souda remained in Venetian hands until 1715, when it finally fell to the Ottomans. During this time, the island served as a refuge for Cretan rebels.

Leon (also known as Nisi) is situated on the northwest side of Souda, from a small distance away. It was called “Rabbit Island” on medieval Venetian maps. This islet is almost round in shape.

In ancient times these two islets were referred to as “Leukai” that means "white ones" in Greek. Their name came from the ancient Greek myth about a musical competition between the Sirens and the Muses, on which wrote Stephanus of Byzantium. 

There are two versions of this myth : In the first one, the Sirens having lost, they would have withdrawn their wings of sadness. Their white wings falling in the bay of Souda would have formed the different islets of the bay. The other version is that, for fear of losing the competition, the Muses plucked their rivals' feathers from their wings. The Sirens turned white and fell into the sea to form the islets.

Nowadays, nobody is living on these islets. But ruins of the fortress remain on the island and can be visited ! So what are you waiting for ?