A week in South West Crete - September 2019

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A week in South West Crete - September 2019

Postby Gemma1 » 29 Sep 2019, 22:29

17/9/19
Flew with Ryanair from Leeds Bradford to Chania. The flight left on time and we arrived in Chania to sunshine and temperatures of 28 degrees. I paid 2.5 euros for a ticket for the airport bus and only had a short wait before the bus left for the 30 minute journey to Chania. At the bus station I bought a ticket for the 1600 bus to Paleochora - 8.30 euros. There are lockers where you can leave your suitcase for 3 euros if you want to go for a wander but as I only had a 2 hour wait I decided to keep my luggage with me and waited in the cafe at the bus station until the bus departed.

The bus took around 2 hours to reach Paleochora and once we left the coast we travelled through beautiful countryside. It took only a few minutes to walk to Savas Rooms from the bus station and as I'd requested a high floor I was allocated room 5, the 'penthouse suite', which is the only room on the second floor and has a huge roof terrace with stunning views of the countryside and a side view of the castle and sea. The room has a kettle and fridge, toaster, single hot plate and basic kitchen utensils if you want to make a snack. The room could do with a bit more storage space if there were two of you as there are only two small drawers in the bedside table, though the single wardrobe is fine for one person and the wonderful roof terrace more than compensates.

4. My roof terrace at Savas Rooms.jpg
Roof terrace


5. View from roof terrace, Savas Rooms.JPG
View from the roof terrace


8. Palechora sea front.jpg
Paleochora sea front


10. Palechora sea front.jpg
Paleochora sea front


After unpacking I went to the supermarket to stock up on a few basics before walking down to the seafront where I had dinner at Parasties. I ordered fava followed by chicken fillet and the portion of fava was huge - more than enough for two people. I only ate half my starter and was too full to finish my main course which was a large chicken fillet with grilled vegetables and homemade chips/potatoes. Complimentary dips arrived with the bread - though I didn't eat them as had ordered the fava which is one of my favourite starters. The bill including half a litre of the house white wine was 17.2 euros. A complimentary bottle of water was provided and after the meal I was given a complimentary dessert and raki. The dessert was very nice and had a yogurty/creme caramel taste to it. As I don't like raki I left the little bottle untouched but thoroughly enjoyed my meal in its lovely setting with a beautiful view of the lights along the bay in one direction and the coastal ferry almost opposite. If I return to Parasties I will definitely skip the starter!

18/9/19
After breakfast on the roof terrace I walked through the town and up to the castle with its stunning views over the town and beaches. After exploring the site I walked back down and took the coastal road round the headland, passing the marina and the sandy beach. I walked along the road until the beach ended and retraced my steps back to Atoli cafe where I stopped for lunch and ordered the Atoli omelette - a huge omelette stuffed with mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, ham, cheese and potatoes for 6 euros. The meal came with bread and a bottle of water. A complimentary dessert of fruit with ice cream followed the meal and once again I was stuffed. After popping into the large supermarket for a few more bits I returned to my room and spent the afternoon relaxing and reading my book on the lovely roof terrace. As I still felt full from lunch time and tired from my 3.30am start yesterday I decided to skip dinner and have a couple of glasses of wine on the roof terrace.

12. Paleochora Church.JPG
Paleochora Church


13. Paleochora castle.JPG
Paleochora castle


14. Paleochora castle.JPG
Paleochora castle


15. View from Paleochora castle.JPG
View from Paleochora castle


17. Sandy beach from Paleochora castle.JPG
Sandy beach from Paleochora castle


19/9/19
After coffee and fruit on the roof terrace, I set of walking down to the pebble beach and turned left in the direction of Anidri with the crocodile in front of me. Although it was only 9.30 it already felt very hot. When the beach ended I walked up to the rough road / track and continued walking until I reached Anidri beach - the walk took an hour. I took the signposted track to Anidri gorge and after just over half an hour walking up the pebbly track, clambering over a few larger rocks, I reached the section with the rope. At this point I chickened out and decided to retrace my steps back to the beach. There was a bit of shuffling on my bottom on some of the big rocks but I made it back down without any problems and stopped for some much welcome refreshment at the taverna on the beach where a large bottle of water and a ham and cheese toast cost 3.5 euros. In hindsight maybe it would have been better to take the road to the top and walk down the gorge instead of attempting to walk up. Suitably refreshed I walked back to Paleochora on the rough road and continued across town to the sandy beach where I stopped to read my book for a while before treating myself to a delicious slice of chocolate pie (moist chocolate cake) from the bakery for 2 euros and then made my way back to my sunroof.

26. The crocodile.JPG
The crocodile


22. Delicious chocolate pie.JPG
Delicious chocolate pie from the bakery


In the evening I wandered down the main street, purchasing tickets for the 0830 Samaria 1 to Sougia tomorrow (14 euros return) before walking on to the seafront and stopping for dinner at Caravella below the castle. After a tour round the kitchen to see what was on offer, I settled down at my table to enjoy dinner of aubergine salad followed by beef stifado with potatoes from the oven. I was offered a choice of chips or potatoes from the oven so for me it was no contest as I love potatoes from the oven. The food was delicious and the bill including half a litre of house rose was 14.80 euros. A bottle of water was provided and a complimentary dessert of melon followed the meal. Raki also arrived but was refused. This was a busy restaurant with attentive staff and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal.

32. The Samaria 1.JPG
The Samaria 1 in Paleochora


20/9/19
After coffee and orange juice on the roof terrace, I set off for the short walk to the ferry. Several vehicles were waiting to get on as I boarded and climbed on deck to sit in the pleasant breeze for the 40 minute journey to Sougia.

33. On board the Samaria for Sougia.JPG
On board the Samaria 1 for Sougia


36. Sougia.JPG
Sougia


After disembarking, the first stop was the bakery where I treated myself to a cheese and ham pie for breakfast, which I enjoyed on the wall overlooking the beach. I was soon joined by one of the local cats who thoroughly enjoyed a few morsels of ham. After I'd finished eating I set off to explore, walking along the track at the back of the long beach, passing several campers, before walking back to the village for a stroll round the quiet side streets.

38. Sougia beach.JPG
Sougia beach


After stocking up on water I set off on the E4 and through the gorge to Lisos. There was a little bit of clambering over rocks but the stony path through the gorge was well marked and easy to follow. After 50 minutes walking, I was up on the plateau and Lisos came into view below. The climb down to Lisos was much steeper than the walk up the gorge had been, but I was assured by a couple that I met that there was a boat back from Lisos to Sougia, so I wouldn't have to climb back up the steep path in the heat. After refilling my water bottle at the spring, I had a wander round Ancient Lisos before making my way down to the beach for the 1.30 ferry boat back to Sougia - which was well worth the 5 euro fare. After relaxing with my book on a bench next to the beach, I went to Kyma for a late lunch of tuna salad with bread and a bottle of water followed by a very large portion of yougurt and honey for 11.40 euros. I returned to the bench to read my book until the Samaria 1 arrived back. The ferry was slightly late so it was 7.30 by the time we arrived back in Paleochora. Dinner tonight will be a couple of glasses of wine and some snacks on the roof terrace.

39. Walking to Lissos.JPG
Walking to Lissos


41. Walking to Lissos.JPG
Walking to Lissos


42. Lissos beach.JPG
Lissos beach


47. Ancient Lissos.JPG
Ancient Lissos


49. Ancient Lissos.JPG
Ancient Lissos


21/9/19
It was very windy overnight with a lot of clattering and noise on the roof terrace and both chairs had blown over when I went out this morning. After rescuing the chairs and eating breakfast on the roof terrace, I set off, turning right away from the main road, and followed the quiet road until it ended at a gravelled car park area. After crossing this area, I walked through the back streets before emerging next to the sandy beach and turning right towards Grammeno. The road was a mess as they are doing a lot of construction, laying new pipes I think, and a truck went past spraying the road with water, which turned it from a dusty mess into a muddy mess. A little over an hour after leaving, I reach Grammeno beach and turned down the lane to the beach, stopping for refreshment at the beach bar and relaxing in the sun with my kindle. I contemplated walking on to Krios beach for lunch but as it was still quite a long way I stopped at Houmas Taverna overlooking Grammeno beach and ordered a Greek salad which came with bread and a carafe of water. A complimentary delicious moist orange cake and a plate of grapes followed the meal - along with a small jug of ouzo. The bill was 5.20 euros which was fantastic value for what I had - even if I did leave the ouzo. After lunch I continued walking towards Krios but turned back after half an hour due to the high winds which were making walking difficult. I walked back to Paleochora, being sandblasted or mud blasted by passing vehicles. The taverna and beach were well worth a visit but it wasn't very pleasant walking along the road today. I made my way through the town and went to try and book a ticket for the 0850 boat to Agia Roumeli tomorrow morning. The agent wasn't sure if the boat would be running due to the wind and advised me to check after 8am tomorrow morning. I couldn't check if the Samaria is running as the office was closed but I will check on my way out to dinner. Tomorrow is my last day in Paleochora and I'd really like to visit Agia Roumeli and walk to the Gates if possible.

53. Grameno Beach.JPG
Grameno Beach


55. Grameno Beach.JPG
Grameno Beach


57. Lunch at Houmas Taverna Grameno.JPG
Lunch at Houmas Taverna, Grameno


58. Houmas Taverna.JPG
Lunchtime view from Houmas Taverna


59. Grameno with Paleochora in the background.JPG
Grameno with Paleochora in the background


Before dinner I purchased return tickets to Agia Roumeli on the Samaria 1 tomorrow and the girl in the agency assured me that it would sail. For dinner I went to Portofino where I ordered garlic bread followed by chicken katsatore. The pizza garlic bread was huge and I only ate half. My penne pasta with chicken, mushrooms, peppers and onion in a creamy tomato sauce was delicious and the bill including half a litre of rose house wine was 14 euros. A carafe of water was provided and dessert of grapes and melon followed the meal. Ouzo and raki were also offered but declined as I don't like either. It was another excellent meal in lovely surroundings and a trio of Greek singers stopped to sing a few songs in front of the restaurant.

62. Singers at Portofino.JPG
Singers at Portofino


22/9/19
After a quick coffee and orange juice on the roof terrace I set off for the 0830 Samaria 1 to Agia Roumeli. The sea was still quite choppy and it was very windy on deck so I decided to sit inside. By the time the ferry reached Agia Roumeli the wind had dropped and after leaving the ferry I went for a walk round the village, stocking up on water from the supermarket. I was disappointed to find that there wasn't a bakery so stopped and had a gyros for breakfast - 3 euros - as I needed something inside me before my walk. It was pork rather than my usual chicken and a little salty for my liking but it was tasty and a carafe of water was provided with the meal. Suitably refreshed I followed the quiet road to the gorge. This was a lovely section of the walk with no dust or mud and no passing traffic. I passed some very friendly goats and some chickens and the odd early walker coming from the gorge. 35 minutes after leaving the village I arrived at the gorge entrance and paid my 5 euros entrance fee before continuing up the gorge. This was a lovely stroll until I reached the stepping stones which I crossed with some trepidation - relieved to reach the other side with dry feet. Shortly after the stepping stones I reached the imposing 'gates' and after stopping for the photo opportunity, I continued walking, crossing a couple of rickety bridges, until I reached Christos resting place with its toilets, spring and picnic benches, where I stopped for a while for a drink and to use the facilities. As it was still several hours until I needed to return for the ferry I decided to walk on a bit further. My main problem was that I was walking 'the wrong way' against the traffic and had to keep constantly stopping on narrow sections of the path until there was a gap in the traffic. When I reached the section with the sign 'walk quickly falling rocks' there were hoards coming in the opposite direction and with the ranger shouting "no stopping falling rocks madam" I decided it was best to turn back . It would have been nice to walk a bit further but seeing the gates was my main objective and I returned to Christos where I stopped and read my book until the crowd dispersed a bit before walking back to Agia Roumeli. There was a mini bus waiting for those who had had enough walking and the fare was 2 euros. Back in the village I stopped at the cocktail bar / cafe as they were advertising cheesecake on the menu. Sadly when I asked for a sandwich followed by cheesecake I was told cheesecake had ended so I had to make do with the sandwich. After my late lunch, I had another walk round the village and along the road at the back of the beach, before treating myself to an ice cream from the shop and returning to the harbour until it was time for the Samaria to leave at 5.30. The Samaria left more or less on time and arrived back in Paleochora shortly before 7.30.

63. Agia Roumeli.JPG
Agia Roumeli


69. Samaria Gorge.JPG
Samaria Gorge


70. Samaria Gorge.JPG
Samaria Gorge


71. Samaria Gorge.JPG
Samaria Gorge


73. The Gates.JPG
Samaria Gorge - the Gates


75. Agia Roumeli beach.JPG
Agia Roumeli beach


For my final dinner I had a walk along the front and decided that I'd go to Odyssey. The restaurant was busy and after I'd sat there for a while without being approached I decided to go back to Parasties. This time I skipped the starter and ordered swordfish for the main course. I enjoyed the complimentary dips with bread whilst I waited for my swordfish - a delicious fillet accompanied by grilled vegetables and rice. Water was provided and the bill including half a litre of house white wine was 16.10. The same delicious dessert of yogurt/creme caramel followed the meal, though the raki was declined.

77. Swordfish at Parasties.JPG
Swordfish and grilled vegetables


I feel as though I need another week in Paleochora as there are so many more restaurants that I'd like to try - I don't feel as though I've done the place justice.

23/9/19
After a final breakfast on the roof terrace I packed and set off for the 1100 bus to Chania. There were a lot of people waiting as the bus arrived and reversed down the street blocking the narrow road. The bus was soon full and I wasn't sure that all the luggage would fit on but they managed it and I settled back to enjoy the scenery. Less than 2 hours later we arrived in Chania bus station and it was only a few minutes walk to Diana Rooms where I've stayed on a previous trip. After settling in and unpacking a few essentials I set off for a walk down to the harbour, stopping for a chicken gyros for lunch - 2.8 euros. Chania was very busy but I had a pleasant stroll round the harbour and to the lighthouse before making my way back to get ready to meet some friends who are staying in Vamos. They picked me up in their hire car at 5.30 and suggested we find somewhere out of the city to go and eat. After driving for a while we stopped at Souda Bay and went to Meltemaki, where we sat facing the sea with the Blue Star ferry clearly visible across the bay. After a good catch up and drinks we shared starters of fava, courgettes and Greek salad followed by meatballs and chicken souvlaki and I had half a litre of the house white wine. A complimentary dessert of pastries and fruit followed the meal, together with raki. It was a very pleasant evening in good company and lovely to catch up with our friends who I first met when solo island hopping in the Dodecanese in 2001 and last saw on Kalymnos in June last year. Eventually we found our way back to Chania and they dropped me outside my accommodation.

78. Chania.JPG
Chania


80. Chania Lighthouse.JPG
Chania Lighthouse


85. Souda Bay and the Blue Star ferry.JPG
Souda Bay and the Blue Star Ferry


24/9/19
After breakfast on my small balcony I walked the short distance to the bus station and bought a ticket for the 10.30 airport bus – 2.5 euros. Half an hour later I arrived at Chania Airport and had to wait for about 10 minutes until check-in opened for the Ryan Air flight. I’d already checked to see if the plane had left on time and noticed it was 45 minutes leaving – apparently this was due to fog at Leeds Bradford. This had a knock on effect and meant we were delayed by 30 minutes which wasn’t a big deal and much better than the 3 and a half hour delay we had flying back from Santorini to Manchester in June. I arrived back to LBA to rain which was a bit of a shock to the system after the glorious weather in Crete and not great as there was no air bridge and no cover on the walk to the car park for my lift but then this is Yorkshire!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Paleochora and exploring the surrounding area – and am delighted that I got to see the ‘Gates’ and the bottom section of the Samaria gorge. I’d definitely like to return and explore the area further and get to Anidri as I’m gutted that I missed out on the cheesecake at the old school taverna!
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Gemma1
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Re: A week in South West Crete - September 2019

Postby silverfox » 06 Oct 2019, 12:29

Great report Gemma!

Some great pictures too to bring back memories.

We had a fantastic holiday in Crete before we got hooked on Symi and we managed to stay a few days in Paleochora where we managed to complete the Samaria Gorge which is awesome and well worth the effort.

I agree that it's a place worth going back to but Crete is so big with so many nice places.

Symi calls on Wednesday! :)
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Re: A week in South West Crete - September 2019

Postby Gemma1 » 07 Oct 2019, 08:35

Thanks Silverfox :)

After Symi (which I've stayed on 8 times since 2007 - not counting when I 'found' Symi on a day trip in 1991), Crete is my most visited Greek island and my favourite of the larger islands as it offers so much diversity and really does have something for everybody with 2 international airports, cities and towns plus the many smaller villages and some fantastic walking opportunities. I don't think it will ever replace Symi in my affections but it's somewhere that I'd like to explore further as there is still so much of the island that I've yet to see.
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