Ferma

Our first day with the car, we decided to head for Ierapetra and decide there what to do next. We had a very quick look round, then carried on to place called Ferma that where it was indicated there were 'Ancient Fish Tanks'. This sounded good so we thought we'd go and see. U-turned to get on the road down to the site we missed and found quite a nice beach. It was hot too and naturally I quite fancied a snorkel.

The beach for paddling about on was nice and sandy, less interesting for snorkelling however, but there were numerous gobies and small flatfish. The rocks around the headland had looked more promising from a distance but these to me seemed very bare, having only a very thin encrusting layer and sparse small plants. There was a little more to see in the sheltered nooks and beneath overhangs. On the way out I saw small school of young needlefish and the usual bream and painted wrasse. I swam around and had a look around some extremely large boulders just off the headland and came back. On the way, either side of a wrecked motorbike were a couple of huge garfish (1m). They were still for a short while then I blinked and they were gone.

Feeling better for the swim I sorted out the kit and we decided to look over the other side of the headland for the fish tanks - where the map symbol actually was. I was very curious and we'd come along way so it would have been a shame not too have seen them. Drawing a blank I asked some friendly ladies at a beach taverna where the 'old fish boxes' where (I didn't at that point know the Greek for 'archaic fish tanks'. One knew what I was on about and and directed us over some orchard to the rocky promontory, and from some higher rocks I saw it. Right at the low cliff's edge carved out of the rock is a large rectangular recess (15ft lengthways perhaps) with steps cut into the side. Somehow I'd missed it on my swim, but discovered it is actually possible to snorkel into it.