The Sfakians (or Sphakians or Sfakiots; Greek: Σφακιανοί) are the inhabitants of the region of Sfakia located in western Crete. The Sfakians hold themselves to be the direct descendants of the Dorians who invaded the island around 1100 BC. The inhabitants of Sfakia have faced numerous foreign invaders, to which fact they owe their reputation as courageous warriors that they have had for centuries as cousins of the Maniots and Souliots.
Read more about Sfakians: Sfakians and Saracens, Peace in Byzantine Crete, Sfakians and The Fall of Constantinople, Against The Ottomans, The Sfakian Dialect, Notable Sfakians