Sunken City of Olous
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    "Olous" was considered one of the most important towns of Crete, the history of
    which was recorded in many ancient writings, flourished during the minoan era
    [3000 - 900 B.C.E.). The ruins of the ancient town are still visible today near the
    channel of "Poros". Pausanias, an ancient writer, reports that in his time, the 2nd
    century C.E., Olous was among the cities which worshipped the idol of Vritomartis,
    one of the sculptural works of Daedalos . One of the inscriptions (probably the 3rd
    cent. A.D.), mentions the treaty of friendship with the LATO city state, and
    another one reports the agreement of 134 B.C.E. between Olous, Lato and Knossos
    . Knossos was recognised as the arbitrator for any disagreement between them.   

    In 1937, the French archaeologist. H. Van Effenterre found upon the arch  of   the   
    early Christian basilica of Olous, a piece of inscription containing the end of the
    conventional alliance between Olous and Rhodes. In 1960, professor A. Orlandos
    found, in one of his excavations, the final piece of this inscription, which is now on
    show in the museum of Agios Nikolaos. This inscription was written in a common
    Dorian dialect.  By these agreements, Rhodes wanted to assure the control of
    eastern Crete to close the road to smugglers, which were supported by Philip 5th of
    Macedonia.   Later on, after the Dorians conquered Crete, the town of 30.000
    inhabitants, took their water supply from sources which are still there today. In
    Olous, they honoured Talleos Zeus, Mars [Aris] and Artemis Vritomartis. Olous,
    as a self-governing town and center for export to the east and to Ionian Ports, had
    its own currency. The historian Svoronos tells of several types of coins which
    represented either Artemis, Zeus holding an eagle, the dolphin or the star with 8
    points and the word "olondion".


    Some remains of the city can be seen from the shore in Elounda but snorkelling
     or SCUBA is the best option.