Elafonisi:

Directions to drive to Elafonisi: Elafonisi is the farest beach, located in the west part of Crete, and south of Chania region. Elafonisi is one of the most beautiful beaches of Crete, its location shows the wild and most attractive place to visit.
Elafonisi is close to Paleochora village, the nearest city which is located south of Chania city.Driving to Elafonisi will take 1hour and 55minutes from Chania city.

The direction is very attractive. From Chania you will have to drive west and through the villages of Agia Marina, Platanias, Maleme, Kolimbari and before Kastelli of Kisamos, turn direction to villages :Kaloudiana, Potamida, Voulgaro, Topolia, Katsamadatos, Vlatos after turn to Milia, Rogdia, Aerinos, Felesiana, Vathi, Simadriana, Piokamiana, Stomio, pass Moni Chrisoskalitsas and arrive to Elafonisi.

The direction to Elafonisi is pleasant, although the road is not helping to drive fast especially with small size cars, you will meet difficulties due to some parts of the road that are not asphalt.
Elafonisi beach is clean and very beautiful. The water of Elafonisi is white blue colour and you can walk inside the sea for more than 250meters. Its depth is its main beauty, as most visitors who visit this part of the island know the place looks like a fantastic one. The only way to visit this place is by car, a rental car will do this journey safe and easy.

Paleochora:

Paleochora village-city is located south west of Crete.Its location is one of the western parts of E.E.

Paleochora is claimed to be one of the most attractive places to visit as well as to stay. Paleochora visitors have the chance to explore the quiet and beautiful side of Crete. Paleochora is opposite of Gavdos village. It is close to Sougia area in the east which is close to the end of Samaria Gorge, Agia Roumeli, located by the end of Samaria Gorge to the sea. These places are “connencted” with small boats-ferries. Visitors have the ability to join groups of people and spend wonderful times sailing to these amazing places.

Paleochora holds the biggest south port of Chania region. It is connecting Gavdos island as well as Gavdopoula island with small ferries at least day by day. In the summer time, the connection is more often, everyday small ferry boats drive between Paleochora and Gavdos island.

Samaria Gorge-Crete:

Samaria Gorge is the longest Gorge of Crete.It is 16km long to walk.The gorges length is 13km +3km to walk from the exit of National park to Agia Roumeli . Its beauty is incredibly charmy. While walking from the beginning, Omalos mountain, you will find many animals leaving in it. Wild goats, rare spieces of birds, great sounds, saures, mountain views, cypress trees, one of them is 2000years old, young agrimi animal-goats, kri-kri goats, river crossings and bird sounds you have never heard before!

How can you go there?

You can visit Samaria Gorge with an organised tour excursion, this way is the one we recommend you to do. It is very difficult to go with your own hire car or private car, as walking the gorge at once and come back will take more than 12hours straight. No one has managed to try this, but only very fit and athletes who can “survive” under difficult circumstances. The most of people-all-do onw way walking and lasts 4-7hours.

Visit the nearest tourist agency of your area and buy your tickets.

What to take with you on this walk?

•   A water bottle which you can refill on the way.
•   Sun cream, hat.
•   Good sport shoes. These don’t have to be hiking boots .
•   Have with you some food,a sandwitch or a croissant or a milk.There is no food available inside the National Park.
•   A jacket for the early morning: it can be cold at 1200m.
• A mobile tel.device,just in case you may get lost.

what kind of shoes to wear ?

this is a very \good question,the ideal shoes to wear,in order you pass paths with stones,stones,smaller stones,bigger stones are the sport shoes.They will not make you feel very hot,as the boots,but will help you have a very good walking.

Who visitors should not go to walk the Gorge:

Visitors who will start withe their own or hire car (it is impossible to walk all the Gorge down and walk back again).

Visitors who have health problems,heart problems, knee problems,heat problems,

Taking Children?

i recommend you not to take children younger than 8-9years old.You may have to carry them in a part of the walk .

Taking my dog?

it would be a good idea to take your very well fit dog with,if your dog is a house dog,better donot make the effort to take it.

How many stops can i make?

• The village of Samaria, situated roughly at the halfway point is the place where most people will take a longer rest. Avoid resting for more than half an hour (especially if you are not used to this sort of walk) because your muscles will start to stiffen up and you will find it hard to get going again.

Agia Roumeli-Crete:

Agia Roumeli is a very special and unique place with its genuine cretan background. It has strong character and soul surrounded by breath taking, wild mountains and a long beach of fine pebble by the clear Libyan sea.
The village is remote and a little isolated. You can only reach it on foot or by boat.
There is no road.

A few lucky visitors have discovered that Agia Roumeli is a superb place to spend their holidays in and they tend to return again and again.
In Agia Roumeli and its surroundings you can relax, you can switch off the outside world. You almost forget it exists. Here you can watch all the stars, the galaxies. The natural geographical position of Agia Roumeli aids this tranquil sensation.

Here you also find the point where the canyon ends.
Many people pass through our village every summer and the majority even forget its name. Agia Roumeli lies in the shadow of this great gorge!

Every person who has made the long walk through the gorge of Samaria knows that this spectacular experience in nature combined with sore feet and exhaustion are a little too much for them.
Agia Roumeli becomes merely a place where you get some refreshments. Here you wait for the ferryboat to take you back to a tour bus which will bring you to your departure point.

But Agia Roumeli is so much more than this!!

Hora Sfakion-Crete:

Getting there:  Superb drive over the mountains on a very windy road. It will take you about an hour from the northern village of Vrisses (unless you are familiar with the road in which case you can make it in much less time). There are a few public buses from and to Chania every day.

Atmosphere:   Hora Sfakion is laid back and very traditional. It gets busy a couple of times in the afternoon when the ferry-boat from Agia Roumeli (and the gorge of Samaria) arrives and disgorges hundreds of exhausted hikers. They generally go straight to the awaiting buses and are gone within minutes.

Accommodation:   Plenty of nice simple accommodation. All of it is family run so no package tours here.

Restaurants:   Several good restaurants located right on the sea front and also one right above the beach.

Shopping:   There are several shops which will provide most of your basic needs but if you want more (a pharmacy for example) you will need to get it on the north coast.

Nightlife:   None but you can make your own! A few cafés stay open late.

Beach:   There is a small, quiet beach with fine pebble in the village. The nice beaches of Ilingas, Filaki and Sweet Water Beach are located within walking distance.

Frangokastello:

Getting there:The nearest city is Georgioupolis.The way to Frangokastello is very interesting.Although the road was made many years ago,the various villages you meet make you feel driving and driving without ending…

Athosphere:The surroundings are wonderful.The area of Frangokastello is very famous for its fish taverns,the friendly people and clean sandy beach.

Accommodation:The place is hosting many apartments, hotels .It is not difficult to book accommodation.

Restaurants:Many good fish taverns, fish is the best food you can choose to eat.The mediterranean cuisine will surprise you, taverns in such places cook home made food for their guests.

Nightlife: The beach front bars are ideal for a cool drink with the fantastic view of Libyan sea, just opposite of Africa continent.

Beach: the beach is very beautiful, the warm climate in combination with the clear sea waters and the sandy beach, make your day pass incredibly fantastic.

Plakias-Crete:

Plakias is a very small village, located in the south of Rethymnon .

Plakias area combines the modern hotel amenities with the old fashioned village houses architecture.The warm climate,one of the warmest on Crete influenced from the Libyan sea and African climate, will make your feeelings excited.

It is true many people buy property close to Plakias village,where traditional villages are ready to host many foreign people.

The most exciting of Plakias is the long bay stretching along the coast with a Sandy beach of 7kilometers long.This beach is close to another 5-6 smaller ones ,sandy.Among them is the famous “Rude beach of Plakias”.

Getting to Plakias from Heraklion is pretty easy.

If you arrive in Heraklion airport or port, hire a car and find Plakias 1 hour and 30minutes far from the Heraklion airport/port.The hire car company will provide you a road map and instructions how to drive fast and safe.From the airport,take the direction to Rethymnon,55minutes far-west of Heraklion.When you reach Rethymnon follow the signs direction to Spili village. Before arriving to Spili and when meeting the village Koxare,drive the road down to the South and you will be in 15minutes to Assomatos and in 5 minutes after to Plakias.

If you choose to go to Plakias without hiring a car,you will then have to catch the bus from the port of Heraklion,the station is opposite the port main entrance-KTEL-and leave the public transportation drive you there safe.

Getting to Plakias from Chania airport :

You will definitely have to hire a car,better book one via internet.If you will not hire a car,the transportation from Chania airport is very bad,as you will have to hire a taxi until Chania souda bay port and wait for the first bus to pass until Rethymnon and after until Plakias to drive.With the hire car you will have to drive from the airport of Chania direction to Souda port and after tamke the road driving to Rethymnon city,from where will turn right down to Plakias. A drive of 1hour and 45minutes.

The accommodation of Plakias,

a fast and well organised area to host more than 2500tourists is of the most cheap of Crete.Plakias has many 3-4-5 star hotels.It is easy to book accommodation via internet or your own tour operator.Donot forget in case the tour operator denies finding a hotel in Plakias,there will be for sure available room all year.serch this via internet.

Restaurants,traditional taverns,souvenir shops,leather and casual shops are open all year.The nightlife becomes very attractive ,especially the summertime with the open night clubs and seaside bars,for all visitors.

Plakias is one of the most quiet places to spend your holidays.Not only the people friendliness but the climate will make you love this place.

Moni Preveli-Crete:

Preveli Moni of Crete is a place east of Plakias village,located 40 minutes south of Rethymnon.

The name Moni means monastery,Preveli is hosting two of the oldest Monasteries on the island-Kato Moni Preveli and Piso Moni Preveli.

the direction to drive there is easy.You can hire a car and go with your hire car,from Rethymnon city drive direction to Spili,before arriving to Spili,turn direction to the village of Ano Mixorouma-pass Frati village-signs will help you arrive there quickly.

The area is fantastically beautiful.The driving from Rethymnon to Preveli is exciting,especially at the last 10kilometers that you pass through the Kourtaliotiko Canyon .The road stops just 2km before the seaside,people have to make a pleasant walk until they get infront of a fantastic view,the river going in the sea-the Palm trees along the beach-the green blue waters of the sea-the quitness of the area make you think you want to stay there forever.

People who visit this Cretan place find themselves very lucky.

Agios Pavlos – Crete:

Getting there: Agios Pavlos of Crete is obviously one of the places many couples choose to spend their days.Driving there is fast and easy ,either from Rethymnon city or from Heraklion city too.From Rethymnon city is 40minutes driving far.The direction is Spili village,Kissou kampos,Platanes village,and after Nea Kria Vrisi village to turn right down,pass between Saktouria villages and arrive in Agios Pavlos beach.From Heraklion city you will have to drive direction to Agia Varvara, Gortys place-make a stop to visit the archaeological museum and the palace of Gortys, Moires, Timbaki, Xirocambos area and turn direction to Saktouria villages.The village of Agios Pavlos is a bit isolated,this makes it keep the traditional style as well as the clean and beautiful beaches.

Accommodation: There is only one hotel to stop and spend the night. A very good Tavern owned from the owner of the small hotel.There are two taverns in total.

Beach: The main beach is clean and clear waters make you stay in the sea for hours.There are another two beaches left and right of the main beach.The one of them is a famous rude beach.

Nightlife: The nightlife cannot be more quiet than in another place of Crete.You can drink coktails in the restaurant, afetr a delicious dinner.

Agia Galini-Crete:

Agia Galini of Crete is a typical sea side village with a small port.It is by far the biggest south city of Crete. Its people main profession is agriculture ,tourism and fishing.

Getting there: From Rethymnon city is 62 km far.The direction of Spili Village is the correct direction.From Heraklion is 75km far to drive,the direction is Gortys,Moires,Timbaki,Agia Galini.

Accommodation: In Agia Galini of Crete are located many apartments, hotels and villas.You can easily find accommodation during the summer months.

Beach: The beach of Agia Galini is sandy with small colourful rocks.

Nightlife: The nightlife is very interesting.There are plenty of open bars facing the ocean of Libyan sea as well as night clubs.

Shopping: The area is full of souvenir shops where you can find traditional Cretan art paintings as well as souvenirs to buy.Casual shops,footwear shops,mini markets and other shops cover all visitors needs.

Restaurants: Fish taverns by the sea side are the first choice of every visitor.

Matala of Crete:

Getting there: Matala of Crete is the well known place of hippies.The area many European found as home for years.Its physical gulf with the sea side caves were the house of many hippies.Nowadays people visit this place for its unique Cretan hospitality.Getting there is very very easy.Everyone can help you driving there.It is located south of Heraklion city,the distance is 72km to drive.There are few busses to and from Heraklion-Rethymnon cities everyday.

Accommodation: Matala of Crete has plenty of small and simple accommodation as well as luxury villas and hotels.

Beach: Matala beach is of the most beautiful beaches.The main beach is the famous “Matala beach” where 90% of tourists who visit Crete go.

Restaurants: The place of Matala is famous for its traditional fish taverns and gastronomic delicious Cretan restaurants.

Nightlife: Matala has plenty of night clubs,pool bars, sea side clubs.The nightlife is incredibly interesting.