At a mountainous, precipitous site, in the west mountain slopes of Dikti, at an altitude of 550 m above sea level and at 2 km from the village of Malles, is built the village Christos (GR: Χριστός – Christ). Christos is a beautiful, verdurous village, with many running waters, traditional, unchanged by time, with narrow sloping cobbled alleys.
According to the tradition, its first settlers would see every night at the spot where the village now stands, a light. They went there, and they discovered an icon of the Christ hidden in the bushes. After that they settled there and named the village Christos(Christ). To its every visitor, the village causes feelings of admiration about how man, armed with his faith in God, can live, prosper, take roots in a place which is almost hanging in mid-air. most of the residents of which have “emigrated” to Xerokampos of Ierapetra, to work in the early vegetable production. Today’s settlement of Christos is old, possibly from the 11th century. The church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, in the south of the village, dating from the18th century, was founded on an older little Byzantine church. There is also evidence of the ancient inhabitation of ancient Malla above the little church of Saint Paraskevi. There are inscriptions from ancient Malla, buildings, mosaics, ancient tombs, grave goods and offerings, coins that represent Zeus, the Labyrinth, the eagle and the word MAL.A peak sanctuary, the temple of a goddess or god, an acropolis or a fortress of ancient Malla, the site above Saint Paraskevi of Christos is one of the most beautiful places in Crete. The picturesque little church, the sources with clear, icy waters, the square with the tavern, the gigantic planes compose a paradise on earth. The tour in the landscapes of Christos is breath-taking. The cliffs, the gorges, the narrow pass through the rocks, the huge rocks, the karstic landscapes reflect the violent changes of the geological formation of the Cretan landscape. The plateau of Selekanos also belongs to the Local Department of Christos. It is a valley of fairy tale beauty, with the largest uninterrupted pine forest of Crete, the church of Saint Eustace and the Panagia (Our Lady) Selakaniotissa, Stella’s coffee house and the private events hall of the cultural association of Selakanos and the luxurious stone-built mansions of the residents of Christos who invest and spend there their whole summer. The gorge of Selakano sis also famous, and so are the routes to the peaks Afentis and Lazaros of Dikti. The Selakanos green beans are also renowned, served with wild goat. The settlement of Christos, the surrounding area and the plateau of Selakanos present an exceptional touring interest for anyone who wishes to escape from the urban routine. The natural beauties, the optical contrasts of the Cretan mountainous landscape are deified in Christos of the area of Ierapetra.