Dionysades

Dionysades Διονυσάδες
The Dionysades group of islands seen from Sitia.
Geography
Coordinates:	35°21′11″N 26°10′26″E / 35.35306°N 26.17389°E / 35.35306; 26.17389
Island chain:	Cretan Islands
Total isles:	Gianysada, Dragonada, Paximada, Paximadaki.
Government
Greece
Periphery:	Crete
Prefecture:	Lasithi
Capital:	Agios Nikolaos
Statistics
Population:	0 (as of 2001)

The Dionysades (Greek: Διονυσάδες) or Gianysades (Γιανυσάδες) is a small group of islands off Sitia on the northeast coast of Crete. The group includes the islands Gianysada, Dragonada, Paximada, and Paximadaki. Administratively this group comes within the Sitia municipality in Lasithi Prefecture.

This island group is part of an environmentally protected area with many rare plants and animals including the falcon, Falco eleonorae, which finds sanctuary here.^[1][2]

These islands were once a place of worship of the ancient Greek god Dionysus. Archaeologists have found artifacts, from ancient and early Christian eras, indicating that the islands may have been inhabited in the past.

References

1. ^ [1] Βορειανατολικό άκρο της Κρήτης Διονυσάδες, Ελάσα και Χερσόνησος Σιέρο (Greek)
2. ^ [2] Chances and limits of floristic island inventories : The Dionysades group (South Aegean, Greece) re-visited.

External links

• Dionysades on the map

Coordinates: 35°21′11″N 26°10′26″E / 35.35306°N 26.17389°E / 35.35306; 26.17389