Panagia church at Detis

South of Embaros rises the steep cliff of Detis on the range of Koupa and one can see from afar the white church of Panagia (celebrating on March 25 and August 23). The current temple is quite new, but was built  at the site of an older small church, to meet the religious needs of the visitors who flock here for one of the largest pilgrimages in Crete.

Thus, the main attraction is located a few meters above the church and it is the cavernous church of the Virgin Mary that was built in a rock crevice. According to tradition, the crevice hides the icon of the Virgin Mary, which escaped from the temple of Kato Kera inside the village of Embaros in order to avoid its destruction by the Turks.

When it arrived at this point the icon exclaimed " Let the cliff tear to get inside " and thus the crevice was formed. The icon has not been found, it is said to be hiding in the depth of the slot.