Toló is probably the most touristically developed village of the wider area, mainly due to its exquisite, long, sandy beach, which is coupled by the equally majestic taverns, hotels, mini markets, all of them right on the waterfront. Indeed, every summer Toló sinks under the tourist weight, reminding scenes from North Crete, Corfu or Rhodes.
The settlement is quite new, built by Cretan refugees in the 19th century, who initially named the village Minóa. In other words, Toló is writing its history in our times!
Close to Toló lies the Homeric Asíni. Drýopes was the first race to arrive in most of the Hellenic territories between 2000 and 1600 BC., however over the next few hundred years they were expelled from everywhere by the military superior Dorians (the first to use iron for their weapons). One of the Drýopes largest settlement was on mount Parnassós and when the Dorians showed them what they were made of (iron), they fled left and right. A small group of them went to Peloponnese and reached the western tip of Toló bay, and there they built the town of Asíni (behind today’s Toló). The town was well built and fortified, which is why it lasted up until 700 BC. to the harashment of the Dorians. But, at last, the people of Árgos (Dorians) sieged and managed to penetrate the walls of Asíni and consequently, they ruined everything and the area was never inhabited again. The Asínians however, managed to escape, left by sea and went to the other side of Peloponnese, in Koróni.
