Vlatos is the place that the famous eco traveller’s settlement of Milia is located . Ecotourism, agrotourism, ecology, the “great outdoors” and respect to humanity and its needs: simplicity, harmony, clean air, warm hospitality, relaxed atmosphere, home-cooking. This is what you will find in Milia, a small forgotten corner in Western Crete. Milia is an authentic 17th century mountain settlement which has been transformed into and eco-friendly tourist complex; it seems to have sprouted from the lands of Crete. A glorious location boasting exceptional rugged beauty in the area of Kissamos. Placed among plane trees, chestnut trees, and mountain tops reaching the skies, the area overwhelms visitors with its unique diversity.Milia is open all year round.
The village of Vlatos was at peak of its power around the Venetian occupation and from the presence of the Holy Spirit and St. John churches one assumes that the village also existed at the end Byzantine period as well.
The village used to be private property of the famous De Minotto family, a venetian family, where they built their three-storeyed house, the Arhontika Houses, which used to host Turkish officers as well during the Turkish occupation and can be seen nowadays. This Arhontika House is considered to be one of the samples of the Venetian architecture in Crete.
Vlatos village consists of many quarters, Bertiana, Korakiana, Koutsounara, Arhontika etc which maintain the original cretan style. There are some very nice trekking paths around and in the forest of "Peace" which has been characterized as a natural park.Near by is the "Park of Peace" that was founded in 1970 by the Cultural Association of Vlatos with the cooparation of Goethe Institute and the support of the Bavarian Department of Forests.
It is an experimental park with 150 species of plants, covers an area of 1,000,000 sq.m. and is part of an extended area of 20 which have been reforested.