Gavdos (, ) is the southernmost Greek island, located to the south of its much larger neighbour, Crete, of which it is administratively a part, in the regional unit of Chania. It forms a community with surrounding islets and was part of the former Selino Province. The island is situated at the southern tip of Greece; it is the southernmost point of Europe. Name Gavdos has been known by a wide variety of names. For example, it appears in the biblical account of Paul's journey to Rome in Acts 27 as "Clauda" () or "Cauda" (). The island was also referred to as "Cauda" by Roman geographer Pomponius Mela, and as "Gaudos" by Pliny. Ptolemy called Gavdos "Claudos" (). The Venetians called it "Gotzo", perhaps in imitation of the Maltese island "Gozo". From the 17th to the 19th centuries, the island was known as "Gondzo". A Turkish name of Godzo was "Bougadoz". Geography The island is south of Chora Sfakion. The area of the municipality, which includes the small island Gavdopoula, is . The island is roughly triangular in shape. Its highest point is Mount Vardia, . The southeastern corner is a rocky peninsula with a natural arch carved by the elements, called Trypiti. A concrete sculpture of an oversized chair, built by a group of Russians who came to the island in the 1990s, sits on top of Trypiti. Environment There is an islet called Gavdopoula (Γαυδοπούλα, "little Gavdos") to the north west of Gavdos. Gavdos and Gavdopoula are covered with phrygana (φρύγανα), low-lying shrubs. Both are important stops for migrating birds. Local birds include the Eurasian scops owl and the European shag. Both Gavdos and Gavdopoula have been designated by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA). Gavdos also has a variety of other vegetation, such as maquis as well as forests of pines and junipers. Climate Gavdos is the southernmost island in Greece and all of Europe. The island has a hot summer Mediterranean climate. Summers are constantly hot, with daily temperatures reaching in July and August. Extremes are occasional, sometimes reaching up to , and it has extremely mild winters by European standards. January, the coldest month, has an average temperature of . The Mediterranean Sea is an important thermal regulator that surrounds its island in all its directions, while maintaining the high temperature of the sea, especially in summer passing from . The mild