The Holly Monastery of Panagia Pantanassa is on the 14^th kilometer of the Heraclion-Rethimno national road. The female monastery is dedicated to the Birth of Theotokos (i.e Virgin Mary) and is celebrated on the 8^th of September.

The church (with three aisles) of the monastery is dedicated to Virgin Mary, Agia Anna and Agios Nikolaos. The cells are perimetrically of the monastery, in a place full of pine trees while the large building, where the Orphanage was in the past, can be also seen.

The monastery was found in 1963 by the Metropolite Nikolaos Ksenos in order to work as a charity institution.

The Pantanassa port is also close to the Monastery with the picturesque taverns and the beautiful beach.

PANTANASSA BEACH

The beach is organized and pebbly. A small port, that was built recently, is next to it. Some picturesque taverns are in front of the small port.