Crete Trip Report

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Crete Trip Report

Postby Gemma1 » 30 Sep 2017, 08:16

Crete September 2017

23 September 2017
Flew with Ryan Air from LBA to Chania. The flight left on time and arrived in Chania 10 minutes early. There were no queues at passport control and my luggage arrived very quickly so I was out of the airport in less than 20 minutes – very impressive. The Chania bus pulled in shortly after I walked out of the airport and I purchased a ticket to the bus station for 2.5 euros and sat enjoying the sunshine until the bus departed at 1330 for the 30 minute journey to Chania bus station. I’d pre-booked overnight accommodation at Diana rooms which is only a short walk from the bus station as wanted to be close by to catch the 0815 bus to Hora Sfakion tomorrow. Even with a map I wasn’t sure which direction to take but a local soon pointed me in the right direction and a few minutes later I was shown to room 2 along with a complimentary bottle of water which was a nice touch. The room is small with a narrow balcony and not much of a view but perfectly adequate for a one night stay.

After freshening up I made my way down to the seafront where I had an enjoyable stroll round the Venetian harbour before stopping off for a gyros and diet coke (5.5 euros) in one of the many eating places overlooking the pretty harbour. I meandered through the narrow streets of the lovely old town, getting hopelessly lost and ending back in the harbour, before eventually finding my way back to the bus station and my accommodation. This evening I will turn right at the bottom of the road rather than left as that is definitely a quicker way down to the harbour. I wondered if it was going to rain at one point as there were a lot of grey clouds around but it stayed dry and the clouds seem to have blown over now. When I walked round the harbour the temperature was showing 28 degrees outside one of the shops.

As I’m only in Chania for one night dinner had to be in the harbour so I made my way past the bus station and across the busy main road before taking the pedestrianized street lined with shops leading down to the harbour. Chania town was buzzing and it was nice to get away from the traffic as I made my way towards the harbour which looked beautiful in the early evening light. I wandered round the harbour taking a couple of pictures before deciding where to eat. You really are spoilt for choice and I walked right back round towards the old harbour before deciding to eat at Monsatiri with its lovely view of the Venetian harbour with the silver moon high above the buildings. After eating sandwiches on the plane and a gyros for lunch I decided to have the stuffed vegetables for dinner and was disappointed when the waiter came back to say they had finished. He recommended the boureki, which I’ve never had before, so I decided to give it a try and the courgettes and potatoes cooked in the oven with cheese were really tasty, though I left most of the pastry topping as it was just too much. I ordered a glass of rose wine to accompany my meal and as the price of wine wasn’t on the menu I checked the price before ordering another glass. I thought 4.50 euros for a glass of wine was a bit steep so decided to stick with the one until the waiter said he had a cheaper wine at 3.50 a glass. The cheaper wine tasted just as good as the more expensive one – hmm. The total bill including garlic bread was 18.80 euros and a complimentary dish of fruit and ice cream followed the meal. Chania harbour by night is beautiful and a great place for people watching, though I am looking forward to moving on to somewhere quieter tomorrow.


24/9/17
The walk to Chania bus station took all of 2 minutes and I arrived half an hour before the 0815 bus to Hora Sfakion was due to depart and purchased a ticket from the bus station for 8.30 euros. There were no bags allowed on the bus which was disappointing as I was planning on following the journey on my map and making notes so I grabbed my phone, purse and water and everything else went in the luggage compartment with my suitcase. The bus departed on time and after leaving Chania behind we made our way over the mountains where in parts the road was quite narrow and it took some manoeuvring getting the bus around corners. At one point a flock of sheep ran across the road in front of us and we passed several herds of goats at the roadside and a couple of villages – plus of course the start of the Imbros Gorge. From the bus we could see the path following the bottom of the valley far below us. The bus arrived in Hora Sfakion at 1000 and I walked down the hill to the harbour where I had no problems finding my accommodation as I spotted the large sign on the Samaria rooms straight away. As the room wasn’t ready I was given a large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice as a ‘welcome drink’ and sat reading my book for an hour listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore – bliss. After an hour I was shown to room 13 with a balcony overlooking the sea and stunning views of the harbour – I can see the sea from my bed, wonderful. The room is a decent size with a small fridge, though no kettle so I might go down and ask about that later as a kettle is mentioned on my confirmation. The only other thing lacking in the room is a mirror, though there is one in the bathroom. However the stunning view more than makes up for that – it definitely scores 10/10 for location.

After I’d unpacked I went for a walk round the small village, which took all of 10 minutes as it is quite small. I walked back down to the harbour and went to the bakery and bought some sort of chicken and sweetcorn sandwich/pie from the bakery which I enjoyed on the balcony with that stunning view. All the amenities are very close here, there is a supermarket right opposite the door to the rooms and the bakery is next door. There’s a pharmacy just up the road and a good selection of tavernas very close by.

After my early lunch I set off to go a bit further afield and walked past the bus stop and up the hill to the castle ruins on the headland with a good view of both harbours. I returned back down and walked to the other end of the village and up to the road where I started walking in the direction away from Chania. There was a pleasant breeze and the stunning blue sea on my left but once I’d left the village there wasn’t much to see apart from the road snaking its way up the hill for miles ahead. After passing a horrible stench from a poor dead goat halfway down the cliff below me, I retraced my steps and walked back towards the village. On my left a set of old stone steps zig zagged up the hill to a small church – St Anthony – so I decided to pay it a visit. The steps were quite steep and I was out of breath by the time I climbed up there but the views were lovely and I was delighted to find the church unlocked. There was a musty smell as I walked through the doors of the small church that is built into the cliff and I spent a few minutes admiring the icons and thinking about the history of this old building before walking back down and continuing on to the new harbour where the ferry to Gavdos departs from. As there wasn’t much to see I walked back to the harbour and treated myself to a slice of chocolate cake from Despina which I took away to eat on the balcony so I could enjoy the lovely view.

For dinner I was going to go to Delfini as the waiter was very nice when I looked at the menu this afternoon. However when I walked past it looked empty so I decided to stick with the Samaria, where I’m staying and try Delfini another night. I ordered half a litre of the house rose which was a very reasonable 3.5 euros and to eat I had the aubergine dip followed by a very nice moussaka. I turned down the complimentary raki and was brought a dish of apple and grapes which was much appreciated as I haven’t eaten much fruit since I’ve been here. It was a very pleasant evening, though a complete contrast to last night with the hustle and bustle of Chania. I could see the lights of a couple of boats passing by and 2 small boats pulled into the harbour but apart from that the main noise was the lapping of the sea on the shore – Hora Sfakia on an evening is very quiet in comparison to Chania. The total bill was 14.60 euros for a very pleasant meal in beautiful surroundings.

25/9/17
Woke to a lovely morning and after taking in the beautiful view from the balcony I made my way down to breakfast. There was some confusion over breakfast as when I booked on booking.com it clearly showed ‘breakfast included’ when it brought up the Samaria Hotel. However there was no mention of breakfast on my confirmation so I checked the Samaria website which showed that the price of 33 euros included breakfast. As I’d shown him a copy of the price on the website he said it wasn’t a problem and brought me breakfast which I really enjoyed. There was a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice with coffee, freshly baked bread that was still warm with a slice of ham and cheese, jam and a small plate of yogurt with honey. I did offer to make my own breakfast if he provided me with a kettle (which is showing on my confirmation) as I’m not entirely sure he was happy about it and it left me feeling slightly awkward.

After breakfast I booked a return ticket to Loutro for 10.5 euros. The ferry arrived around 9.30 and I was already sitting on board by the time the bus arrived from Chania. The journey took 20 minutes and I disembarked and walked past the restaurants / tavernas that line the pretty harbour, and the Porto Loutro hotel where the sunbeds were cramped together on the narrow pebble beach and the price of a single room is 65 euros – double my budget. When I reached the other end of the harbour I retraced my steps and took the paved coastal path past the small bar and ruined tower to the little church and cemetery with its lovely views down to the coast. After the church the path was a rocky track but easy to follow and relatively flat and 30 minutes after leaving the harbour I arrived at Fenix. After walking down to the beach I walked back to the taverna at Fenix for refreshments and sat there enjoying the peace and quiet. Suitably refreshed I took the shorter (though not necessarily quicker) route back over the hill and confess to losing the path at one point and ending up on one of the numerous goat tracks. After retracing my way to the marker, I was back on track and continued up the hillside on the rocky path and soon arrived at the ruined fortress which made it well worth the walk up the hill. After a walk round the fortress I walked back on the obvious path down to Loutro, taking the path behind the harbour rather than the one that went direct to the ferry. I contemplated walking on to Sweetwater Beach but decided that walking for an hour in the mid-day heat was not a good idea. I originally intended having lunch in Loutro but as the next ferry wasn’t until 4pm and the 1.30 Neptune was almost ready to leave I decided to have lunch back in Hora Sfakion. Looking at the scar on the barren cliff that was the track to Sweetwater Beach as we sailed past, I was happy that I hadn’t attempted the walk. For lunch I had a Greek salad with water and bread at Three Brothers Taverna overlooking the beach for 7 euros. The sunbeds on the beach are free for customers.

For dinner I went to Nikos where I had fava to start followed by chicken in wine sauce. The portion of fava was huge, I only managed to eat half of it. I do enjoy the starters in Greece but when I’m on my own they over face me, half a starter would definitely be enough. The sauce that the chicken in was very strong though quite tasty and I did wonder if I’d have been better going for the chicken in lemon sauce that had also taken my eye. I ordered half a litre of the house white wine which was very pleasant and cost 4 euros. The total bill including bread was 19.30 euros. I declined the complimentary raki but the plate of grapes was gratefully accepted. The service was very good and the views are lovely.

26/9/17
I decided against taking the ferry to Agia Roumeli and walking as far as the iron gates as thought it might be too hot by the time the ferry got there at 11.30. Also I would have had to stay there until 5.30 which I felt was probably too long. Instead I decided to walk to Komitades and the bottom of the Imbros gorge. After another excellent breakfast with the fresh warm bread and freshly squeezed orange juice I set off walking along the main road. It was just after 9 but already hot with very little breeze. After 25 minutes I took a turning to the right down a quiet lane as figured it was probably going in the right direction. However after walking for 20 minutes the road turned right and there was a sign for Filaki Beach naturist club – I had definitely taken the wrong turning! I retraced my steps to the main road and continued walking up the hill for another 15 minutes. This is a very barren stretch with quite a lot of plastic rubbish strewn on the hillside below me and I was pleased to see the turn off with the sign for Fragkokastello – at least I knew it was the right road. This was a much nicer walk with olive groves on my right providing some shade. When I reached Komitades I took the signposted path to St George with its uneven stone steps that turned into a dirt track. The little church had a modern UPVC door that was locked with the key in the lock. I let myself in for a look inside – 2 of the frescos looked as though they had been recently painted, though there were some very old paintings too. I retraced my steps and continued walking through the village to the start of the Imbros gorge. I walked up the gorge until I reached the pay booth but as I had no intention of walking 8km uphill in the heat of the day there seemed little point paying the 2.5 euros entrance fee so I walked back down to the road – at least I can say in all honesty that I have walked part of the Imbros gorge, even if it was only the last 100 metres! As the next village looked quite close I decided to walk on and before long arrived in Vraskas with its primary school decorated with a large drawing of children all holding hands in a circle – very cute. As there wasn’t much else in Vraskas apart from one taverna, and conscious of the distance I had to walk back, I retraced my steps to Komitades where I stopped at a very pretty painted taverna run by an elderly couple, with lovely views out to sea. There was a sign saying home cooked food and I felt guilty at only ordering a bottle of water but it was still quite early and grey clouds were moving in from the mountains so I decided to get back to Hora Sfakion before having lunch. The walk back down was much quicker – with no diversions - and I arrived back in the harbour and had a pork gyros for lunch from the kantina. It wasn’t the best gyros I’ve ever had as the chips were cold but it was ok. During the afternoon the wind picked up and at one point I was quite chilly sitting on the balcony in the wind but at least it blew the clouds away. At the moment the sea is very choppy and after watching one of the boats bobbing up and down and the sea crashing against the rocks, I’m quite pleased that I’m not on the ferry back from Agia Roumeli.

For dinner I went to Delfini. To start with I had fava again as it was only 3.5 euros and is a favourite of mine and for main I had the chicken in a mushroom sauce which was delicious – as were the home made chips that accompanied it. To drink I had half a litre of the house white wine and the total bill was 17.80 euros. A complimentary dessert followed the meal which was cake with golden syrup served warm and accompanied by ice cream. I was full after the meal but it seemed rude to refuse it (though I did refuse the raki that came with the dessert) and I returned to the room completely fit for bursting. It was an excellent meal and a shame that the restaurant was so quiet, apart from me I could only see another 2 tables occupied - though most of the restaurants in Hora Sfakia are quiet on an evening.

27/9/17
After eating my final breakfast overlooking the sea I went to pay the 99 euros for the 3 nights accommodation. Although it states on the booking.com website that Samaria accepts credit cards the owner wasn’t keen to take card payment and said he’d prefer cash so I withdrew the money from the ATM and asked for a receipt.

I went back to the room to pack and have a final half hour on the balcony with the wonderful view before purchasing a ticket for the 11.00 am Chania bus. The fare to Kalyves was 5.8 euros and there was no problem taking bags on this bus. A scenic journey up into the mountains followed and in the middle of nowhere an inspector suddenly appeared and boarded the bus – at least I presume he was an inspector as he came round and asked for everyone’s ticket though he was dressed in a shirt and jeans.

The bus driver remembered to drop me at the Kalyves junction along with my suitcase – I did wonder if he’d remember as bus drivers have forgotten in the past, but he was very helpful and pulled in a the side of the road and helped with my case. My accommodation owner Janet had already given me her number and arranged to pick me up from the junction and she was there in a few minutes to take me to the Karoline apartments. I’d booked a studio but was given a one bedroomed apartment which is very spacious and has a shower curtain and a shower that fixes to the wall – no problems with water all over the floor and struggling to wash my hair with one hand tonight. The apartments are up a hill (good exercise) and have a lovely view of Kalyves bay.

After unpacking I made my way down to the sea front, smiling as I walked passed the train in the car park as it reminded me of the noddy train on Symi. I walked to the end of the long beach which has plenty of sunbeds, most of them seem to belong to the local restaurants and are free for customers. I retraced my steps and had a tuna salad for lunch at ll Forno which cost 6.20 including a small bottle of water. There was a big plateful of tuna with sliced egg, tomato and lettuce and I really enjoyed it, though it was a little heavy on the dressing. There are some interesting things on the menu and I plan to return on an evening.

After lunch I walked through the back streets away from the traffic and past the school where I turned left down a road and was soon in semi countryside. Before long I could hear the loud hum of traffic from the main highway so retraced my steps and turned down a quiet narrow lane past 2 playful pups in an enclosure with their mother and on towards a rubbish dump / farm. There were several fridges and piles of other stuff (maybe a scrap merchant?) and in the next field there were chickens, geese, turkeys and goats. At this point the lane ended in a field so I walked back to the big church in the town centre and took a narrow lane opposite which came out at another church before rejoining the main road. I walked along the road past a butchers, post office, bakery and then a cake shop where I treated myself to a chocolate cake in the shape of a mouse. Although the town is a complete contrast to beautiful Hora Sfakon it is already starting to grow on me and I quite like the main street with its different shops – though I’m not keen on the busy traffic. I popped into one of the supermarkets to buy a few essentials and returned to the apartment.

For dinner I was considering returning to ll Forno but could hear live Greek music coming from O Gyalos a bit further down the beach so decided to give that a try. As I’m always over faced with a starter and a main I ordered 2 dishes off the starter menu – beetroot salad and meat balls along with a glass of rose wine. The wine was 2 euros a glass or 4 euros for half a litre so I thought I’d start with a glass and could always order another later on. The rose wine was really nice and pre starters of 2 dips came with the bread. The plate of beetroot salad was lovely but too much for me and when the meatballs came I was expecting half a dozen meat balls on their own and there were 10 meatballs plus chips. I ate half of the meatballs and most of the beetroot salad and left the chips. I was enjoying the music and would have stayed a bit longer if it wasn’t for the two women (I'm pretty sure they were Greek) sitting at the table next to me who arrived slightly after me and chain smoked their way through my meal.

When I asked for the bill complimentary raki (which I declined) and a very nice dessert which was like chocolate mousse on pastry accompanied the bill. The total bill was 12.5 euros, my cheapest evening meal so far – though I did only have one glass of wine. I am now sitting on my balcony looking down at the lights of Kalyves and listening to the music in the distance without cigarette smoke wafting in my direction.

28/9/17
After breakfast on the balcony (no freshly squeezed orange juice this morning, I had to make do with orange juice from a carton) I set off up the hill in the direction of Almryrida and Plaka hoping to get back before the rain came. I walked along the road with views of the lovely green countryside and the mountains in the distance. It would have been a very pleasant walk if the road hadn’t been so busy. It only took 30 minutes to reach Almryrida which has a pretty seafront with a good selection of tavernas and is quieter than Kalyves – though I did notice a sign mentioning karaoke at Captain Jack’s. I walked round to the harbour where a large motorhome was parked and sat on the harbour wall to admire the view. After leaving the harbour I took the quiet lane uphill to the left that looked to be going in the direction of Plaka. This was a traffic free lane with some nice villas and a very friendly white horse that came over to say hello. I re-joined the main road for the walk up the hill to Plaka. I was initially quite disappointed with Plaka as there are quite a few large unattractive (in my opinion) apartment buildings. However when I turned off the road at the main square, the centre was much nicer and as I strolled down the quiet street I imagined how it must have been 40 years ago before mass tourism and the increase in traffic. I wandered down a side road where there was a lovely smell of jasmine and a pomegranate tree in one of the gardens, before walking back to Almyrida and on to Kalyves. Half way back I left the main road and took a quiet traffic free lane signposted Kalyves, walking down a steep hill and past an apartment building. This was a much nicer alternative to the main road, though quite hilly and after passing a turn off for some apartments the road turned into a rocky track which made its way uphill before joining the main road only a short walk from the road back down the hill to the Karoline apartments.

As there was still no sign of the rain I went to speak to Janet to ask if she knew of any local walks avoiding the busy roads and Janet very kindly lent me her copy of ‘Discover Almyrida & Kalyves… on foot’ which has 10 local walks. After lunch of a cheese pie from one of the bakeries, which I ate sitting on a bench looking out to sea, I started off on the walk to the Koiliaris river and an old Venetian watermill. This followed the same road that I walked on yesterday, which goes under the busy national road before continuing through the countryside. However the walk is quite lengthy at 11km and at one point I wasn’t sure if I was going in the right direction so I decided to turn back. There were some thick grey clouds forming over the mountains and I didn’t want to get caught in the rain miles from anywhere. If the weather is fine tomorrow I might try another shorter walk from the book.

I returned to the apartment and relaxed on the balcony with my book and some yogurt and honey that I’d bought from the supermarket. I’m happy to report that there has been no rain so far today.

For dinner I went to Icarus where I ordered the courgette balls followed by beef stifado. I only intended ordering one glass of wine but with a glass of house rose at 2 euros and half a litre at 3 there was no contest – half a litre it was. The courgette balls were delicious – 5 tasty fritters accompanied by 2 slices of tomato and a lettuce leaf. Three courgette balls/fritters would have been ample for me and I did consider saving 2 for lunch tomorrow, but they would only have got squashed in my handbag. The stifado was melt in your mouth and came with rosemary potatoes that were equally delicious. I left half the potatoes as was over faced but it was my favourite meal so far. I sat looking out to sea with the lights of the opposite bay – Almyrida? twinkling in the distance. I could see the lights on a large ferry as it sailed past, I asked the waiter and he said it was the nightly ferry to Piraeus. As usual I declined the complimentary raki but the grapes (phew no dessert as I was full to bursting) were gratefully accepted. Shortly before I left several local cats congregated on the beach, whether to fight or party I have no idea but I left them to it and made my way back up the hill. Now I wonder if they could ship a few litres of that rose wine back to the UK… The total bill was 18.30 euros.

29/9/17
I woke to the sound of heavy rain which continued throughout the morning. At 1.30 the rain had eased off and I ventured out with my umbrella to get some lunch and a couple of items from the supermarket. For lunch I had a chicken gyros in the main street, next to the supermarket, which was very good and excellent value at 2.30 euros – including water. After the heavy rain the car park was water logged and parts of the main road were under water. I returned to the apartment, avoiding puddles, where I spent most of the afternoon reading my book. Just before 4pm the rain stopped, though the sky was still very grey, so I decided to risk going for a walk – complete with umbrella and my cagoule in my back pack. I walked down to the church and through the back lanes of the village and then along the road to the big supermarket on the corner. I was going to continue walking up the hill and under the main highway to try and find the Koumos (one of the walks in Janet’s book) but as it had started raining again I decided to head back and took the narrow road to the left that runs parallel to the national road before rising about it, with lovely views over Kalyves and the bay. The road made its way back down towards Kalyves and I turned left and down a narrow lane before emerging at the church.

The weather stayed dry for my final dinner which I had at II Forno where I started with mushrooms a la crème, followed by a pasta dish with mince, mushrooms and cream and a quarter of a litre of rose wine. I was over faced yet again and could only eat half the pasta though both starter and main were very nice. The bill was a very reasonable 14 euros. A small dish of complimentary ice cream followed the meal along with a small bottle of honey raki. As I’ve had honey raki before and really liked it I had a small glass and gave the rest to the couple on the next table who enjoyed it so much they had already asked for another bottle. Due to the weather the sides were down in all the tavernas which was disappointing as I couldn’t really see the sea, though I could hear the waves crashing on the beach. However I still managed to make out the lights of the Anek ferry as it sailed past on its way from Chania to Piraeus. It was a very nice meal, though my favourite meal was still last night’s dinner at Icarus.

30/9/17
Woke to evidence of more rain overnight and overcast skies but it was starting to dry up. Had my final breakfast sitting next to the balcony doors looking over Kalyves bay as it was too wet to sit outside. After breakfast I finished my packing before having a last walk down the hill and along the sea front. Parts of the car park were still water logged and the sea was crashing against the shore but it was a vast improvement on yesterday. Popped into the supermarket for some fruit for the journey before making my way back up the hill for the last time. There were patches of blue sky amongst the clouds and the sun has made now an appearance. Fingers crossed it will be a better day for those who are still here or about to arrive on their holidays.

I’ve really enjoyed my week on Crete and the contrast between my 3 destinations of Chania, Hora Sfakion and Kalyves. I’ve already booked to go back to Symi next September but have no doubt that I will be back exploring more of Crete sometime in the future.
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby Deborah » 30 Sep 2017, 23:37

Thank you for this Gemma. We are going to Crete on Tuesday 3rd October. We are regular visitors to Symi but this year we needed to stay at home to look after our beautiful dog who was called Symi-dog. Very sad to say we lost her 2 weeks ago so we needed to get away. We know very little about Crete, but we are very much looking forward to it. We have also booked into Frank and Eva's next September for 28 nights. A month on Symi, that will be lovely, Deborah x
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby D and E » 01 Oct 2017, 07:32

A wonderfully descriptive narrative of your time on Crete.
You are doing a great job of tempting us to explore other parts of wonderful Greece and perhaps once we are both fully retired we will.
Thank you Gemma.
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby D and E » 01 Oct 2017, 07:38

Deborah wrote:Thank you for this Gemma. We are going to Crete on Tuesday 3rd October. We are regular visitors to Symi but this year we needed to stay at home to look after our beautiful dog who was called Symi-dog. Very sad to say we lost her 2 weeks ago so we needed to get away. We know very little about Crete, but we are very much looking forward to it. We have also booked into Frank and Eva's next September for 28 nights. A month on Symi, that will be lovely, Deborah x


So sorry to read of your loss.
We hope your visit to Crete provides some restorative time.
And a whole month in Taxiarchis next year sounds idyllic.
Take care.
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby Gemma1 » 01 Oct 2017, 08:37

Deborah wrote:Thank you for this Gemma. We are going to Crete on Tuesday 3rd October. We are regular visitors to Symi but this year we needed to stay at home to look after our beautiful dog who was called Symi-dog. Very sad to say we lost her 2 weeks ago so we needed to get away. We know very little about Crete, but we are very much looking forward to it. We have also booked into Frank and Eva's next September for 28 nights. A month on Symi, that will be lovely, Deborah x


So sorry to hear about your loss Deborah. I've lost 2 dogs myself and it really does break your heart when you lose one :( I can fully understand why you need to get away and hope you enjoy your break on Crete. The weather is due to pick up again next week so should be sunny again when you get there. I love Symi but it is nice to discover new places too.
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby Gemma1 » 01 Oct 2017, 08:54

D and E wrote:A wonderfully descriptive narrative of your time on Crete.
You are doing a great job of tempting us to explore other parts of wonderful Greece and perhaps once we are both fully retired we will.
Thank you Gemma.


Thank you for your kind words, unfortunately my dining experiences can't compare to yours as it's limiting what you can order when you're travelling solo and I do seem to eat quite a lot of gyros ;)

I've stayed on 43 Greek islands and am still discovering new ones but Symi remains my favourite as there are contrasts within the one small island from the hustle and bustle of Yialos to the quiet village of Pedi and of course my favourite Horio which is still very much a traditional Greek village. Symi has everything that I want from a Greek island, but there are lots of other beautiful islands out there too and like you I'd like to explore further once I'm retired - providing I'm still fit enough by the time I get to that stage of course!
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby silverfox » 02 Oct 2017, 19:48

Thank you so much Gemma for sharing your time on Crete with us.

It is indeed a wonderful island that has everything...interesting large towns, great beaches, awesome gorges, loads of history and great inland and coastal villages.

We did the Samaria gorge walk a number of years ago so stayed down south for a few days as well as up near Rethymnon.

You have just ignited my interest to go back some time....Symi again next year though.

Thanks again Gemma!
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby Pollychops » 05 Oct 2017, 10:43

Hi Gemma, we really enjoyed your trip report and reminded us of our visit to Crete which was back in the 90's. We have considered over the years trying other Greek islands but we feel we are spoilt by Symi and even after our many visits, there are still many things to do and see there. We have looked at visiting again next year and it will be September for us as we did enjoy our trip this year at that time. It is a long way off but reading reports and dipping into the forum during the winter months makes it come quicker.
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby Gemma1 » 06 Oct 2017, 07:51

Pollychops wrote:Hi Gemma, we really enjoyed your trip report and reminded us of our visit to Crete which was back in the 90's. We have considered over the years trying other Greek islands but we feel we are spoilt by Symi and even after our many visits, there are still many things to do and see there. We have looked at visiting again next year and it will be September for us as we did enjoy our trip this year at that time. It is a long way off but reading reports and dipping into the forum during the winter months makes it come quicker.


I agree it's difficult to drag yourself away from Symi and I did miss it this year though thoroughly enjoyed seeing new places on Crete :)
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby Allan » 30 Oct 2017, 14:54

Can I (belatedly) add to the thanks for your Crete trip report Gemma.

It is a very interesting report and felt even more "personal" to read it whilst sat on a balcony in Kalyves, only a few hundred yards away from the place you were staying a few days earlier! :shock:
The rain you experienced continued on and off for a few more days after you left before brightening up considerably. It was rather cool in the evenings though.

Your report has certainly got me thinking about the possibility of visiting the south west of Crete. Possibly next year if we can fit it in between the obligatory trips to Symi. ;)
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby Gemma1 » 31 Oct 2017, 08:42

Allan wrote:Can I (belatedly) add to the thanks for your Crete trip report Gemma.

It is a very interesting report and felt even more "personal" to read it whilst sat on a balcony in Kalyves, only a few hundred yards away from the place you were staying a few days earlier! :shock:
The rain you experienced continued on and off for a few more days after you left before brightening up considerably. It was rather cool in the evenings though.

Your report has certainly got me thinking about the possibility of visiting the south west of Crete. Possibly next year if we can fit it in between the obligatory trips to Symi. ;)


Thanks for your comments Allan. A return trip for me is definitely on the cards sometime as despite the bad publicity (most of it well deserved) that Ryan Air get, I was very happy with my flights and they were a reasonable price. I'd quite like to visit Paleochora next time and could combine that with somewhere different on the north coast, though a return trip to Hora Sfakion to do the walk through the Imbros gorge before I get passed it ;) would also be good.
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby Allan » 05 Nov 2017, 19:04

I agree about the Ryanair flight and I didn't use it to save money, they seem to be the only way to get to western Crete from airports in the north of England. Maybe that will change. Both times I've used the route I found the flight rather less unpleasant than I was expecting and Chania airport is a delight compared to Heraklion! (or Rhodes for that matter)

I was surprised when reading your report by how much tourist infrastructure there seems to be down on the south coast. I think I assumed that with the villages being so small and so cut off they wouldn't have the choice of tavernas and bars that tourists expect. It seems I was wrong and Hora Sfakion appears to have everything needed for a few days break and I'd really like to try it one day.

I love the mountain roads in Crete and I'm toying with the possibility of exploring the south coast by hire car, possibly combining that with a few days in a north coast resort. Kalyves again perhaps.

There is so much to see!
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby Jan » 06 Nov 2017, 12:26

Paleochora is a huge village now with more accommodation than you can shake a stick at, but even if you hire a car you're a long way from anywhere. You can 'do' Sougia (also plenty of accommodation and tavernas but still a small village) as a day trip by boat and Elafonisi (island at high tide, beach formed of tiny pink shell fragments) ditto. The South Coast boat service is its lifeline and is a good option for hopping along the coast to places which have no road access. Early season there's no need to book accommodation ahead on weekdays but the villages are certainly becoming more popular so perhaps better to err on the safe side and make reesrvations after early June.
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby plee » 06 Nov 2017, 17:25

Hi, I have been to Crete twice this year. April was wonderful with flowers everywhere. Myself and a friend stayed in cheap studios near Heraklion and travelled a lot by bus to the the west coast. We also had friends staying in a villa near Aptera. They had a car and we drove over the snow topped mountains, walked the Imbros gorge and went to the stunning ancient site of Aptera.
The second break we stayed in Bali on another budget package. The focus of this visit was to see a friend who is a Greek Orthodox nun. She lives in a restored monastery above Channia. The monastery is built on ancient caves used by hermits and no doubt by the resistance in the 2nd world war. I felt I had walked into a film set from Lord of the rings! Such beauty everywhere. We spent the day with the nuns, finished by being invited to vespers. It was such a heart opening experience. On this trip I also stayed in Chania, then went down to Palochora on the south coast. I went by bus and was struck by the stunning scenery and the villages. Lots of memorials and signs saying 'this is the martyred village of...'.
I felt very much the history of the Island on this trip and since returning have read The Cretan Runner by George Psychoundakis. Its his account of being a runner for the British. Its horrific and fascinating. I would love to go back with a car (and somebody to drive it!) to explore some of places towards the south coast.
Next year I am trying Mainland Greece for a week in spring - Parga as I want to go to Meteora and then because i miss Symi and haven't been for a couple of years Symi in the Autumn funds depending...
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby Gemma1 » 07 Nov 2017, 08:50

plee wrote:Hi, I have been to Crete twice this year. April was wonderful with flowers everywhere. Myself and a friend stayed in cheap studios near Heraklion and travelled a lot by bus to the the west coast. We also had friends staying in a villa near Aptera. They had a car and we drove over the snow topped mountains, walked the Imbros gorge and went to the stunning ancient site of Aptera.
The second break we stayed in Bali on another budget package. The focus of this visit was to see a friend who is a Greek Orthodox nun. She lives in a restored monastery above Channia. The monastery is built on ancient caves used by hermits and no doubt by the resistance in the 2nd world war. I felt I had walked into a film set from Lord of the rings! Such beauty everywhere. We spent the day with the nuns, finished by being invited to vespers. It was such a heart opening experience. On this trip I also stayed in Chania, then went down to Palochora on the south coast. I went by bus and was struck by the stunning scenery and the villages. Lots of memorials and signs saying 'this is the martyred village of...'.
I felt very much the history of the Island on this trip and since returning have read The Cretan Runner by George Psychoundakis. Its his account of being a runner for the British. Its horrific and fascinating. I would love to go back with a car (and somebody to drive it!) to explore some of places towards the south coast.
Next year I am trying Mainland Greece for a week in spring - Parga as I want to go to Meteora and then because i miss Symi and haven't been for a couple of years Symi in the Autumn funds depending...


Wow, the visit to the monastery sounds amazing plee, what a moving experience! Whilst the bus service on Crete is very good you can see so much more if you hire a car. However as somebody who only drives in the UK when necessary, the idea of driving on the narrow roads in Crete is something I couldn't even contemplate - though a car with someone to drive it sounds good ;)

I initially wanted to stay in Sougia on my September trip Jan but accommodation was quite expensive and I was very happy in Hora Sfakion. If I stay in Paleochora I could visit Sougia on the ferry and I've heard there are good walking opportunities in that area too.

A return to Crete is possibly on the cards for 2019 as I've booked a week in Kalymnos for next June and 12 nights on Symi in September. Then there are other islands that I've not yet visited - Syros is top of my list. There are so many islands and not enough time to fit them in round work.
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby plee » 07 Nov 2017, 22:43

I agree Gemma1, so many islands and not enough time!! I am sure I will meet you one day on one of these islands - maybe Symi. I thought next September I will stay on tilos for a couple of nights as a little extra trip whilst on Symi. I love to stay on Symi alone. As a single woman I feel safe - I can walk, paint, swim, eat lots of wonderful food and go home feeling rejuvenated. I started coming 20 years ago and even though I love to explore other places, I pine when I have missed a couple of years.
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby Gemma1 » 08 Nov 2017, 08:41

plee wrote:I agree Gemma1, so many islands and not enough time!! I am sure I will meet you one day on one of these islands - maybe Symi. I thought next September I will stay on tilos for a couple of nights as a little extra trip whilst on Symi. I love to stay on Symi alone. As a single woman I feel safe - I can walk, paint, swim, eat lots of wonderful food and go home feeling rejuvenated. I started coming 20 years ago and even though I love to explore other places, I pine when I have missed a couple of years.


I had 3 nights on Tilos as a side trip from Symi in 2008. I agree with your comments about staying on Symi alone, I always feel completely safe. I've stayed on 40+ Greek islands but Symi remains my favourite and most visited island :)
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby Jan » 08 Nov 2017, 11:27

Sougia - try Zorba's rooms on the seafront. No online booking though Pavlos (the owner) does have a fax machine(!). Cheap and good quality for what you pay. Contact info for that and other Sougia accommodation at http://www.sougia.info/accommodation.htm
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Re: Crete Trip Report

Postby Allan » 08 Nov 2017, 14:18

This is an interesting thread. Lots of useful information about an area I know little about but want to visit one day.

I like the Cretan bus service but I still think I'd feel 'trapped' in a small village on the south coast. Having a hire car would avoid that feeling and I really like the narrow twisting mountain roads. There is so much to see up there and so many tiny villages. Being able to stop and look around whenever I want is wonderful. I found driving around the small roads in eastern Crete a couple of years ago fascinating and not at all stressful. The National Road, on the other hand, was no fun at all and best avoided if possible!

The mountain roads are narrow in places, yes, but I found them to be in very good condition (they put some of our country roads to shame) and incredibly quiet. I could drive for half an hour without seeing another car in some areas!

I don't know if I'll get back to Crete next year but it is a possibility and if I do I'll be taking note of all the suggestions here.
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