Peter Walker Crete Notes

05/29/2025

Time for my first post in months. I generally do not wish to "clutter" this page up with multiple posts on similar topics, but I just came across this excellent article on Agia Roumeli. Anybody interested in hiking should read it.

I also wrote about Agia Roumeli on my post regarding "ferry hopping" along the west end of the south coast. I have stayed overnight in Agia Roumeli on two different trips -- it is truly magical after the Samaria day-hiker crowds leave on the late afternoon ferries. I suggest you spend a few nights there. I stay at the Paralia; Nick has great rooms that are spotless and very reasonable.

I should add that there are easy ways to do portions of the E-4 coastal hikes without having to do the most difficult portions.

For the hike from Agia Roumeli to Loutro, stop at Marmara Beach for a pleasant swim. The difficult portion is from Marmara to Phoenix (Finikas) -- avoid it by catching the shuttle boat on to Loutro. Trying to remember, but I think it was 5 Euros when I did it in 2024.

For the portion of the E-4 between Sougia and Agia Roumeli -- I have always "chickened out" from doing it in total. It is rugged. But if you are staying in Sougia, you can catch a shuttle boat to the beach at Tripiti and hike back. A beautiful hike on a trail with few other hikers on it.

Agia Roumeli is a small settlement on the southern coastline of the prefecture of Chania in Crete. It is one of the most isolated villages of Crete, with access only possible on foot or by boat. An…

04/21/2025

Carol and I leave for Europe on a week today. If any follower of this page cross paths with us and recognizes me, introduce yourself. Give us some tips on great restaurants, tavernas, or pensions you have discovered.

The first stop (and, realistically, the only place we might possibly cross paths with any followers of this page) is Crete. It will be my 6th visit; this one is really just a stop at some beautiful places that are familiar because I am “in the area”. Who cannot stop in for a visit to such a beautiful place when one is close by? Hotel Rea in Heraklion A29-30. Then Paleochora A30-M2, Sougia M2-4, Loutro M4-6, and Chania M6-8. Then we move on.

The greatest portion of the trip will be spent in Albania. Our first visit, we are looking forward to exploring places like Gjirokastër, Berat, and Tirana. We will be in the Aosta Valley in Italy for a bit to research where we hope to spend 12 weeks in January, February, and March of 2026.

Why do we skip “the big names” like Paris, Florence, Barcelona and Rome when on our European trips? I just came across a note I sent to a young family friend about 5 years ago. Here is an edited version…………………………..

Europe can be very expensive. It can be very easy to “blow the budget”. But why? There are also lots of very inexpensive places that, in many cases, provide a much better experience because they are still “relatively unspoiled” and, most important, uncrowded. Don’t be afraid to get off the beaten path. You can both save money, which really means.... you can eat better, sleep better, and still have funds left over at the end to do it again and see even more.

So... don’t worry about seeing the big names. A week in Paris and Rome, or three weeks in Zagreb, Belgrade, Ljubljana, Budapest, and Krakow? NO CONTEST!!! Don’t forget England of course – but for sure..... see the Baltic Countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), the Balkans (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro for sure), and the major former iron curtain cities of Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, Krakow, and Warsaw.

Carol and I have had fantastic experiences in Turkey (the silk market in Bursa, Selcuk, Urgup, and of course Istanbul).

We spent two weeks in the Czech Republic; a week in Prague followed by a week seeing other places (e.g. Kutna Hora). At the end of our two weeks, we made our way to Cesky Krumlov (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), where we stayed in a room in one of the turrets of the original 14th C town walls.

Of course, we still visit a few of the “big name cities” that are expensive. From Cesky Krumlow we caught a shuttle bus to Linz Austria. From there we caught the train to Salzberg. Who can be that close to the city of Mozart and the Sound of Music and not visit? However, we then caught a train to the Balkans, and enjoyed food that was out of this world and very inexpensive. Slovenia is Slavic ethnically, part of the Austro-Hungarian empire for 500 years, borders Italy and was part of it between WW1 and WW2, and is coastal. The food was out of this world.

On one trip, we spent 4 nights in Budapest, 2 nights in Bratislava, and 5 nights in Krakow. In Krakow, there was a young grad student in music who had put together a series of 3 concerts/week that she presented all summer. A quartet or quintet. Each concert featuring a different classical composer. Three different historic (as in 400+ years old) churches as venues. We went to all three. About 25 to 50 people in the audience. Phenomenal.

Paris and Rome will always be there – and probably be very similar. Catch Eastern Europe while you still can – before it becomes the same as Paris and Rome, and as expensive as Paris and Rome.

One of the best sites we have visited anywhere on our travels was the Partisan Hospital in Slovenia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franja_Partisan_Hospital

The Lipica stud farm in Slovenia is fantastic. One of the most enjoyable afternoon’s Carol and I have ever spent. Home of the Lipizzaner breed, the farm was established in 1580 and is the world's oldest continuously operating stud farm.

You do have to research a bit before you get off the beaten path. Public transit is much better in Europe than in North America. You can get almost everywhere by bus or train. But not everywhere. It is very difficult to get around Slovenia outside of the capital (Ljubljana) without a rental car. You would likely be “trapped” into going to Lake Bled, whereas Carol and I found Lake Bohinj more beautiful and interesting. Driving in places like Slovenia is a piece of cake as long as you can drive a standard – and the places you can then get to are beautiful and fascinating.

Franja Partisan Hospital (Slovene: Partizanska bolnica Franja) was a secret World War II hospital at Dolenji Novaki near Cerkno in western Slovenia. It was run by the Slovene Partisans from December 1943 until the end of the war as part of a broadly organized resistance movement against the Fascist....

03/16/2025

This is not a post about Crete. Rather it is a post about "travel", an explanation as to why I will be making fewer updates to this page this year, and a request for help from others.

A.) About travel. I just came across this article on Rick Steves. I can relate. I express it as "I like to experience more than I like to observe." I want to be riding the buses with the locals, and the other backpackers from around the world. The most interesting meals I have had are in the small little out-of-the way nooks and crannies in places like rural Montenegro, Nepal, and Gavdos -- where I have no common language with the host but somehow manage to have a fantastic meal and exchange lots of smiles.

There is more to travel than visiting Orlando. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/rick-steves-hippie-trail-1.7450327

B.) Our spring trip to Europe this year will only include one week in Crete, and that will be to take my wife to some of the highlights I have seen but she has not yet. (Lissos, Irini Gorge, Aradena, Katholicko, Aptera). Then it will be off to Corfu, a brief stop in the Aosta Valley in the Italian alps, and then to Albania.

C.) Help from others ......... I will not have any significant updates to add to this page until at least the fall. So --- if anybody discovers some links that no longer work, or some "hidden delights" that I have missed, let me know so that I can make sure the tips on these pages still work.

D.) My wife and I are currently making plans to spend 12 weeks living in the Aosta Valley area of the Italian alps next winter. We are planning to rent a small house in a town of about 250 people about an hour north of Turin (Torino). We are having fun researching that area and will make a brief reconnaissance visit in May to confirm things. But we are Canadian, and hence "non-Schengen". So the 90 days in Italy next winter will mean we cannot visit Greece after September.

Hopefully, I will be able to visit Crete in September and be able to offer some updates to this page then; but our usual October travels will have to be somewhere outside of Schengen. England is our "old standby" (so many museums, history, and theatre.... and after all ..... nobody goes to England for the weather, so why worry about the weather). But Albania beckons. As does South-east Asia.

E.) In the meantime, my advice for visiting Crete. Get off the beaten path a bit. Consider getting away from the 4 and 5 star "beach resorts" along the north coast. Get down to the south coast in places like Sougia or Gavdos, and the little 5 and 10 room pensions and small tavernas where you are chatting directly with the owners. Don't worry -- it is not really "roughing it" -- the rooms are still spotless, if spartan. The beds are comfortable. And the food both authentic and divine.

And oh yes -- you will probably be flying in and out of either Heraklion or Chania. So spend a few days in one or both of those. But stay "inside the walls" of the old town. Experience the ambience. Have an extra glass of wine in a back street taverna and don't worry about having to find a cab or worse yet drive your own rental car back to your room at the beach resort (the "legal limit" for driving in Greece is .05, not even .08 as in Canada or many other places).

Travel writer Rick Steves’ adventures on the Hippie Trail from Istanbul to Kathmandu made him think differently about the world. He says others should seek out mind-expanding travel, too.

01/25/2025

Why is the food so good in Crete?

The Greek islands have been settled since antiquity, and in many cases the original forests and vegetation were stripped for fuel, building (homes and ships), etc centuries (millennia) before we understood soil preservation techniques. Hence, the soil has eroded away and much of the terrain is rocky and quite "scrubby".

A lot of Crete is like that as well, but Crete is very large for an island. The size of Prince Edward Island in Canada. With many pockets of good farmland still to be found.

So..... on most of the Greek islands, the produce comes in on the ferry. I have been out walking in the small towns in Crete at sunrise. In most of Crete, when you eat at a small family-run taverna the produce that arrives on your dinner table that evening came off the farmer's truck that morning.

This photo of a load of tomatoes was taken (not by me) in Paleochora - a charming town at the west end of the south coast.

01/20/2025

Gavdos

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Update Feb 27, 2025..... the ferry schedule from Anendyk is now posted for dates until the end of October 2025. https://anendyk.gr/routes/
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I visited Gavdos in October 2024. My nephew and I arrived on Monday Oct 21 and departed on Friday Oct 25. The beaches were among the finest I have encountered anywhere. In late October, the air and water temperatures were fantastic and the beaches almost deserted.

Some comments:

1.) For those who do not know, Gavdos is the southernmost point in Europe. It is an island about 50km off the south coast of Crete. It is part of Crete for administrative purposes. At 32.4 square kilometres (12.5 square miles), it is large enough to have several hiking trails and some great beaches. Officially it has 142 permanent residents, but I understand many of these residents spend their winters elsewhere. I understand the school on the island has 2 students and 1 teacher.

2.) It has supported human settlement since Neolithic times, and is mentioned in the New Testament. It was part of the Roman Empire; population is thought to have peaked at 8,000 people around 900 AD. Unfortunately, this long period of settlement and high population led to deforestation and erosion. It is now very rocky with poor soil. While “forested” in relative terms compared to a lot of the Greek islands, the forests that are there are “scrubby” by standards I am used to in Canada. There is agriculture, but it is limited due to the rocky soil and general lack of moisture.

3.) As a tourist destination, I loved it and will likely go back. BUT….. it is not for everyone. I have watched the BBC series on Lawrence Durrell’s family when they lived on Corfu in the 1930’s; I can imagine that setting as being similar to Gavdos today. The “hippie culture” that permeated Matala and Hydra in the 60’s is alive and well on Gavdos – where hundreds of young people live in tents on and behind the beaches through the summer; some stay year-round as modern-day drop-outs from society.

In our case, my nephew and I stayed at a small 6-room pension overlooking the beach at Saranicko, did day hikes each day to various beaches and then did some snorkeling before heading back, and ate at small beachfront tavernas. But forget about 5 star. Or 4 star. Or even 3 or 2 star. Our host at the pension provided a shuttle service to the ferry. We climbed into the back of his small truck. His dog “Malta” came along with us for the ride. See the photos for “the hotel shuttle”.

4.) We did not rent a car. You can; there is a car rental establishment on the island that rents both cars and scooters. They keep your driver’s licence as “security”. That is no problem; the policeman on the island knows of this practice and knows which cars are the rentals, so he does not expect you to have your driver’s licence with you. He knows where to find it. There is no gas station on the island. If you run low, call the rental car company. They will deliver gas to you.

We walked if it was less than 45 minutes to the taverna we ate at or trail head we were headed to. Given the lack of population on the island, the night sky was phenomenal. I grew up in an area with no street lights, and am used to seeing the Milky Way. But never with the density of stars that I saw on Gavdos. I never used a flashlight; we had clear nights with no clouds and the starlight was plenty for the 30 to 45 minute walks back from the taverna.

If the walk to the taverna or trail head was more than 45 minutes, we would use a cab. Our pension host provided us the phone number. We spent less on the cab than we would have on a rental car.

5.) Getting there….

We went in “late shoulder season”. The air temperature was great for hiking, the water temperature was great for snorkelling. But only the Anendyk ferry was running, and not every day. Furthermore, it is cancelled whenever the winds are at or above Beaufort Force 6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale

In late October of 2024, when we went, there was no scheduled ferry service on Sundays. We scheduled ourselves to go to Gavdos on a Monday, and return on a Friday. If the winds were high on Friday and the ferry cancelled, Saturday was our “fall back”. As it was, the winds were high on Thursday, so people we met who had planned to return to Crete on Thursday had to stay an extra day and return on the Friday ferry with us.

If it is really bad weather for a few days, (which, fortunately, is rare anywhere in Crete), your return can be delayed for a bit longer. Never schedule your flight home from Crete too close to your planned return from Gavdos. We allowed 4 days, plus had paid for changeable airline tickets just in case.

AN IMPORTANT TIP REGARDING THE FERRY THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYWHERE ELSE….

The Greek government subsidizes the ferry fares to and from Gavdos. But….. on our return, the ferry route was Gavdos – Agia Roumeli – Loutro – Chora Sfakion. When we returned to Crete from Gavdos, we were headed to Sougia next. That involved disembarking from the Gavdos ferry at Agia Roumeli, waiting about 20 minutes, and hopping on the ferry from Agia Roumeli to Sougia.

It cost us 9.80 Euros each for the ferry ride to Gavdos. When I bought the ferry ticket to return from Gavdos to Agia Roumeli, it was 28 Euros. A whopping difference! I asked. It was because that fare was not subsidized by the Greek government. What if I went all the way to Chora Sfakion, I asked? Then it was 9.80 Euros; that fare was subsidized.

What if I bought a ticket to Chora Sfakion, but disembarked at Agia Roumeli? The lady at the ticket counter smiled. I bought the 9.80 Euro ticket to Chora Sfakion, then got off the ferry early at Agia Roumeli.

Other sources of information:

There is a Gavdos Island page. I started to follow it about 6 months before I travelled to Gavdos.

You can purchase a guidebook for Gavdos. It is available in either English or German. I purchased it about 6 months before going; it was very useful. This is a link: https://www.gavdos-travelling.com/post/gavdosguidebook

You can purchase a map of the hiking trails on Gavdos. I purchased it (from a small bookstore/map shop in Chania), but found I did not need it. The same map is given out free on Gavdos. The free map is printed on normal paper, not the heavier water-resistant stock my purchased map was printed on.

Where we stayed: Exoristoi Nature Suites https://www.exoristoi.gr/

Where we ate:

We did not have a “bad meal”. Everything was good. We especially enjoyed the smoked aubergine (eggplant) dip at Livykon; we ordered it as a side dish every time we ate there.

1.) Xelona, a small taverna at the east end of Saranicko Beach.

2.) Livykon Taverna at the end of the road to the beach at Agios Ioannis. We ate here several times; always pleasant. About a 35 minute walk from Exoristoi Nature Suites

3.) Gavdos Princess in Kastri. Very pleasant ambience. Had already eaten our main meal around the corner, so just ordered a couple of appetizers and drinks. But a great place to have a relaxing board game of Malefiz (also known as Barricade).

4.) Rakopagida Καστρι Γαύδος . Around the corner from Gavdos Princess. I “copied and pasted” the name from Google Maps, so it includes some writing in the Greek alphabet. It was a little roadside cafe in Kastri that “looked like nothing” and that we did not find written up in English anywhere. The people spoke almost no English; we depended on a fellow patron (an expat from England) to help us order. The grilled meat we ordered was simple, but one of the best meat dishes I have had anywhere. And “dirt cheap”. Glad we stopped. I have included a screen grab from Google Maps so you can find it if you want to give it a try.

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And finally – a “head’s up” for some readers of this page.

Europeans will be used to this and nonchalant, but Facebook tells me that 35% of the followers of this page are North American, where cultural norms are a bit different than in Europe.

Gavdos is a “naturist haven”. Most of the beaches are “textile optional”. A lot of us who go off the beaten path around the Mediterranean are used to that. “Optional” means optional, so if you are like me – Canadian, not a skinny-dipper, and not tanned at all in some regions, there is no problem. Just choose the “textile option”.

The difference on Gavdos can be on the hiking trails. For example, we are hiking back from Lavrakas beach and meet a fellow coming the other way on the trail. He is wearing hiking boots, socks, a shirt, and a backpack. That is it. The visual of this coming down the trail towards you is “different” to us North Americans. Oh well. That’s the hiking trails on Gavdos. That was the only incident of that sort in the 5 days we were there; I am not sure how common that is. Maybe we just caught the exception.

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For another "take" on Gavdos, I found this article from 2015. I cannot comment on the coffee -- I only drink mine "Americano black" or "Greek", and only first thing in the morning -- but everything else seems pretty unchanged in the 9 years since. I note she went in June; I never travel to Crete between June and September to avoid the heat (and because our home is in a UNESCO World Heritage site where the best weather here is between June and September - the Rideau Waterway in Ontario Canada.)..... https://www.roamfarandwide.com/gavdos-island/

06/24/2024

June 2024

This will likely be my final post of this initial series. It is a “catch-all” of sites and attractions that I have not already posted about but that my wife and I have found interesting.

Keep in mind that I have only been to Crete for 4 trips of approximately 2 weeks each, and have always gone in either May or October and so have avoided the heat and crowds of mid-summer.

I have not visited anything east of Spinalonga, and so my comments start with Spinalonga.

Grouped in two sections – those we visited from a base in Heraklion and those we visited from a base in Chania.

I have posted photos to go with the comments. Almost all are photos I have taken, but some may be from other web pages..... sometimes my visit to a site was on a cloudy day, and my photos were pretty bland.

Easily Visited from a Heraklion base.....

Spinalonga.....

Definitely our favourite site to date. We caught a morning bus from Heraklion to Agios Nikolaos. Waited briefly (about 10 minutes) at the bus station, and then hopped the bus to Elounda. We used Elounda as the mainland base to catch a boat from.

You can also catch a boat from Agios Nikolaos or from Plakia. In one case the boat trip is longer, in the other case shorter. The typical visit from Elounda is about 90 minutes on the island; then catch a boat back to the mainland. Keep your ticket if you think you wish to spend longer on the island and catch a much later boat back; we spent about 2.5 hours there and still did not see everything.

Knossos Palace......

Knossos is a world-class attraction, and a “must see” for visitors to Crete. You can do it as part of an organized tour (for which you will likely have a guide), or you can do it on your own. It is easily reached by municipal bus from the main square in the old town portion of Heraklion.

We purchase bus tickets for the municipal bus to Knossos (and for the bus to the airport) from the small mini-market/coffee shop just to the right of the Capsis Astoria Hotel (looking at the hotel from the street) that faces Eleftherias Square (the large square near the Archaeological Museum). I did a screen grab of the mini-market/coffee shop from Google Maps Street View and have included it in the photos accompanying this post.

If you go on your own, go first thing in the morning in order to avoid the hordes of tourists from the organized trips and the cruise boats. You can sign up with a guide at the site if you wish, but it is quite expensive. I suggest you buy a guide book before going and take it with you. The gift shop at the Archaeological Museum or the gift shop at the library are both good sources for such books.

Archaeological Museum.....

“Inside the walls” in the historical sector of Heraklion, this museum is definitely world class and worth a visit for anybody remotely interested in history. It focuses on the Minoan period of Cretan history. If you have time to visit both the Archaeological Museum and Knossos Palace, visit the Museum first – it will help you appreciate what you see at the palace. There is also a reduced price on a “joint admission ticket”.

Phaistos Palace......

The second largest known Minoan settlement, it is south of Heraklion near Matala. I preferred it to Knossos, and know others who agree. There is no “reproduction” additional work like at Knossos; it is more authentic. While it is reachable by bus from Heraklion, I have visited twice and used a rental car both times. On one trip, we combined it with a visit to Gortyn and Matala; on the other trip we combined it with a trip to Matala and Red Beach. Both trips made very pleasant days.

Gortyn......

The site of the capital of Crete during Roman times, this is close to both Matala and Phaistos. A smaller site than either Knossos or Phaistos, it is an interesting stop for an hour or so. It makes a nice addition to a day trip to Matala and Phaistos.

Matala....

Quite “touristy”, but a pleasant day trip from Heraklion. The town fronts on a very pleasant beach; it is also about a 30 minute hike to the Red Beach – considered one of the best sand beaches in Crete.

Cretaquarium......

On the north coast on an old abandoned US Air Force base east of Heraklion. If you or somebody in your family likes aquariums, this is a very good one. Accessible by bus from the main bus terminal in Heraklion.

Visited from a Chania base.......

Katholicko Monastery. This site is close to Chania. It is on the north coast of peninsula to the east of town. We used a rental car to get to it, but I see buses in the parking lot so you may be able to reach it without a rental car. Not sure though. It is about a 90 minute walk on a cobblestone path to an 11th century monastery with cave dwellings in the hills around it. If you are relatively nimble, you can carry on a bit further on a more rugged trail and get to the small cove on the coast that served it. The cove is complete with the remains of an old stone boathouse that served the monastery.

There is a small charge for access, cash only. Note also that the monks manning the ticket booth will ask women wearing shorts to cover their legs, so have a wrap with you and be prepared.

I have found a Facebook link to a great loop hike from Stavros. Stavros also has a nice beach to cool off at after the hike, and a couple of great tavernas.................

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid031De2KPG9q2q2E1rVHrUGDMURXU5j6LSsbtMfnyDkjqcTdZpWHPwbQbxykUZQubHLl&id=100084589673938

Aptera......

These are ancient ruins near Chania. We were told about it by a local. It was fascinating. Excellent interpretive signage and video presentation. We used a rental car for access. The site is very close to the main highway along the north coast, just a bit east of Chania. https://www.west-crete.com/aptera.htm

Botanical Gardens....

South of Chania on the route to Sougia, these gardens provide a pleasant interlude. They are best in the spring; we went in May and lots of the plants were in full bloom. A friend went in the fall and told us that not nearly as many plants were in flower. They also have a nice restaurant that provides pleasant lunches in gorgeous surroundings overlooking the valley. Easily reached by bus from the main bus terminal in Chania.

Stavros (Zorbas Beach).....

A small community on the north coast of the peninsula just to the east of Chania, this was a filming location for the movie Zorba the Greek. It has a pleasant little beach that is well protected from wave action. It makes a great place for a "beach afternoon" if the sea is too rough at a lot of other beaches along the north coast. Easily reached by bus from the main bus terminal in Chania.

Stavros also has some pleasant tavernas for an interlude. You can use the town as the start and end point for a hiking day that includes a visit to Katholicko Monastery.

A word of warning..... the water at the beach is usually crystal clear, but we were at it one day immediately following a torrential rainfall the day before. There is a small stream that empties into the bay; it had carried a fair amount of silt into the bay with the runoff from the rainstorm and the water at the beach was very cloudy that day.

Sougia....

A very nice small community with a "laid back vibe", Sougia is on the south coast. It makes a very pleasant day-trip from Chania, either by bus or by rental car. It has some great tavernas, two beautiful gorge hikes (Irini and Lissos), and a long beach ("Textile optional" at the east end furthest from town, "textile" in front of the town itself where all the beachfront tavernas are.) Lots of small pensions and hotels and enough to do that you could make it a multi-day trip. Some people return for lengthy vacations every year for years.

Paleochora....

A larger community on the south coast, to the west of Sougia. Two beaches right in town – a sand beach and a stone beach. Lots of tavernas and accommodations. Worth a day trip, either by rental car or by bus. Some people base their entire vacation there. The small hotel I used has guests who return for a month every year.

06/20/2024

A “Ferry Holiday” Along the West End of the South Coast (Link to the ferry website at the end of the text)

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Update Feb 27, 2025..... the ferry schedule from Anendyk is now posted for dates until the end of October 2025. https://anendyk.gr/routes/
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I have visited Crete 4 times in the past 24 months. Every visit was 10 to 15 days. Not nearly enough to see all of Crete; I will be arriving again on Oct 16; staying until Nov 1. Probably about 1/3rd places I have already been, 2/3rds new. Hoping to include Gavdos this upcoming trip.

Of the four trips so far, my favourite may have been my “ferry hopping” trip this May.

We arrived in Heraklion mid-afternoon May 9, after a day spent travelling including an overnight flight “across the pond” (over the Atlantic). We had left for the airport in Toronto at 11:00 a.m. the day before, so we planned on “staying put” for a night at the Hotel Rea in Heraklion to catch our breath – and catch up on some sleep.

On the 10th, we had a “day of rest” that included some relaxation time on the comfortable buses so ubiquitous in Crete. We caught a morning bus to Chania. Lunch in Chania, poked around the old town a bit. Then the 4:00 p.m. bus to Paleochora. The trip then began in earnest.

3 nights in Paleochora. Then caught the 8:30 ferry for the short ride to Sougia. Then 3 nights in Sougia before a morning water taxi to Agia Roumeli. 3 nights in Agia Roumeli – then the morning ferry to Loutro. 2 nights in Loutro, then a morning ferry to Hora Sfakion to catch the bus to Heraklion for our last 3 nights. The boat trips were all relaxing interludes – see some of the photos with this post.

The four towns – Paleochora, Sougia, Agia Roumeli, and Loutro – were all different and all delightful. My wife was not with me on this trip, but I suspect she will prefer Paleochora. I know of a guy who returned to Sougia every year for years – it was his favourite place. I think Agia Roumeli might be my favourite – although Sougia is a close second and the restaurants there are my favourite. I know of a lady from Switzerland, now in her 70’s, who has been going to Loutro every year for years.

The region has a way of growing on people.

Every day we were there, we hiked. In that area, the E-4 hiking trail runs along the coast and is beautiful. If it is hot, just take a break and jump in the sea for a 20 minute swim. (Maybe I should say.. "if it is warm"; if it is as hot as it has been for the last week, I would definitely not be trying to hike at all -- I would be snorkelling for the day instead.) There are remote “hike to” beaches all along the coast. I hike with my mask and snorkel in my day-pack. There are also gorge hikes to do – we hiked Lissos Gorge, Irini Gorge, Samaria Gorge, and Aradena Gorge.

Lots of old "human-built" history -- Roman, Venetian, Ottoman, and more recent.

No “All-Inclusives” along this stretch. We were staying at small independent pensions and eating in small restaurants and tavernas where we were chatting directly with the owners – typically long-time locals who had grown up in the community. Very “laid-back vibe” to the entire region. Somebody said to me, “This is what it was like to travel in Crete in the early 70’s”.

Very easy on the budget as well. We in no way scrimped, and we ate like kings. Still, our total costs for our 15 days in Crete came to $75 Canadian/day – about 50 Euros per day per person. Including a rental car one day (to go to Phaistos and Matala on one of those final days we were staying in Heraklion) and a few transfers when the bus or ferry did not go where we wanted to go. And when we bought our Metaxa, we bought “7-Star”. No 3 or 5 Star for us. (For those of you unfamiliar – Metaxa is a brand of Greek brandy.)

Some photos from the trip are included with this post.

If you wish to look into it, here is the link to the ferry service…. https://anendyk.gr/routes/