Souda: the little island that stands as a guard of the entrance of the gulf of Souda.In the northwest part of it and 7 Venetian steps away stands another little island almost round that is referred in venetians maps as Rabbit Island.

Before it was fortified with walls, the island was a monastery dedicated to S.Nicolas and was called Fraronisi.After the fortification it was named Souda by the name of the gulf. On the biggest island, the venetians built one of the most important fortresses of Crete in order to protect the gulf from hostile piracy. The fortress was undefeatable by the Turks and so it remained Venetian even half a century after the Turkish occupation. Until 1715 that it finally was given to Turks it was a shelter for chased Cretan patriots.