Chania

Let’s start in Chania.  Nothing like a sunny afternoon relaxing in one of the tavernas.  Here we are amongst the blue chairs of the Amphora taverna, on the old harbour front.

Or the mountains or beaches

Or conversely, on the top of Pachnes, surveying the Madares – the high desert amongst the Lefka Ori.  Truly memorable to experience the alien moonscape. Here’s how to get there.

Can’t miss the beaches! There’s the wonderfully sheltered cove of Seitan Limania on the Akrotiri peninsula with that impossibly blue water.

Or have the beach completely to yourself – here at Frangokastelo (admittedly very early one late summer morning!)

Picnicking in the shade of a tamarisk, on the Kissamos beach, complete with Lyra beer, brewed in the town.

Gorges are a must do

Walking a gorge is not to be missed, and it needs a suitable reward at the end.  The Aradhena gorge opens out onto Marmara beach, where there’s a lovely taverna up in the rocks after you’ve cooled off with a swim. Choose between our favorites.

Georgioupolis can get crowded in the summer, but you can still get some solitude to see the full moon rising over the white chapel.

Far above it, the chapel of Profitis Ilias is a fair slog in a four wheel drive, or an even bigger effort on foot.  But here’s another of our pictures of Crete – the views are fabulous and the atmosphere special.

Talking of views, there’s a great place to see Chania, near to the Venizelos tombs, where you can also get a lovely chilled wine to savour whilst you watch the sun set – Koukouvaya is the place

Go to the South

Now we’ll move on to the south of the island. But there’s a gate keeper on the road!  Fearless, curious and strong willed.

That road is the easy way to drive.  For more of an adventure, try the route via Kalikratis to Patsianos. Give the driver’s arms some exercise anyway!

When you’re down there, visit Aradhena on the Anopolis Plateau. The ruins in Crete are often full of character and speak to the past. Sometimes with sadness, as here at the deserted Aradhena village in Sfakia.

Dilapidated buildings have a special feel, here I think in Margarites village.

Further along the south coast is Preveli monastery, in a particularly spectacular location.  There’s a very moving atmosphere here, and you can see the record of the recent history of bravery of the monks during the Second World War.

Kalyves and the White Mountains

The White Mountains are named for the brightness of the limestone peaks in the glare of the summer sun, but they are at their whitest in the midst of winter. Its an essential in any group of pictures of Crete.

Kalyves has some interesting sites – Koumos is the life work of a local man and a quite amazing array of stone decorations.  Not bad taverna either.

The beach is long and sandy, rarely crowded.  Though the shade of the tamarisks always fills up first.

Back in Chania, the Leather street doesn’t have many shops actually making and selling Cretan leather – this is one of the last two to survive here.

If you want a change from the centre, walk around from the harbour into Nea Chora, where there is a charming little harbour, beach and a taverna on the quai.

And after all that travelling, you deserve a beer!  Yamas! If Mythos is not your scene find out more about Greek beers here!

More about living in Crete

There is much more in our blogs. These show things to do in Crete, whether it be walking a gorge, hiking in the foothills of the White Mountains, or taking a drive to see the sites.  Chania is a great town to visit, particularly to go to the street markets, and of course you?ll want to get the benefits of the Cretan diet ? be it the yoghurt and cheese, or the olive oil.

Whats more there are the views! 

The villa is 400m above sea level and on top of the hill in Chiliomoudou village. 

Whats more the name means “thousand peaks”, and you can certainly see 9 mountains over 2000m from the terraces.

Views from Panokosmos

From the rooftop level you have terraces with views of Crete, facing all points of the compass.  The arm of the Lefka Ori, the White Mountains embraces you to the West and South.  The foothills of Tria Korfalia rise up to 800m, and are backed by Kastro, Agios Pnevma and Mavro. 

What’s more morning sunshine on the mountain tops can be stunning. The play of light on the ridges and valleys during the day is always changing.

To the south the plain of the Apokoronas region, the most green and fertile in Crete, stretches to the coast at Georgioupolis, and inland towards Kedros mountain to the right.  Mount Psiloritis, the highest point on the island is visible, with the curious reverse echo of its saddleback shape in Vrissinas right in front.

Panning left from Georgioupolis we come to the Mediterranean sea, beyond Drapanos.  

Here the bays of Almeryda and Kalyves are visible with the changing blues of the sea beyond.  In the evening and early morning the ferries to Piraeus and can be seen rounding the Akrotiri peninsula to Souda bay. 

Although the outline of the Malaxa ridge, concealing Chania is visible in views to the North but closer to, the neighbouring village of Samonas outlines the hilltop. 

Round to the west, the rocky outcrops and olive studded hillsides over towards Tsakistra and Kambi mark a closer landscape.

Panokosmos, at the top of the village, is surrounded by gorges

Down at the pool, the terrace stretches out over one of them, the Athimolakos gorge, diving 200m below. 

Watching the eagles circling in the thermals is relaxing. 

The sound of the sheep bells echoing across the gorge attracts your eye to their queues along the sheep trails on the other side. You can come across flocks in the road as the shepherds move them to new pastures.

In the winter there is the rush of water from the mountains, but in summer it’s the sound of the birds and bees, a sometimes frenetic blizzard of sound.

The Church of Agios Nikolaos

The church of Agios Nikolaos, one of the oldest in Crete, is picture postcard perfect in the gorge below.  Particularly in the golden evening light the effect is magical, as the last of the sun’s rays shaft thru the gap in the mountains.

The White Mountains stretch out as a backdrop to the village 

More about living in Crete

There is much more in our blogs. These show things to do in Crete, whether it be walking a gorge, hiking in the foothills of the White Mountains, or taking a drive to see the sites.  Chania is a great town to visit, particularly to go to the street markets, and of course you’ll want to get the benefits of the Cretan diet – be it the yoghurt and cheese, or the olive oil.

Most of those who know Crete would say that it’s the start of the Aradhena gorge. In fact it isn’t, the gorge starts some 8 kilometres further up in the White Mountains. If you are looking to select a gorge to hike, check out our recommendations

Often unnoticed by hikers intent on getting down into the Aradhena gorge, is the abandoned village of Aradhena.

Seen here in the late afternoon sun, golden colours of the ruined stone houses have a charming and romantic feel. 

Why is it deserted?

But this wasn’t just a case of people moving away from the village as work dwindled. Or as so often is the case for these mountain villages, opportunities arose elsewhere and the younger generations left to seek their fortunes.

No, a quite different and darker fate befell Aradhena.  It all started in 1947 with a dispute between two boys about a goat bell.  The Sfakiots are renowned for their fiery tempers, the defence of their honour, their determination to revenge and avenge, and their obstinacy.  The dispute developed into a bloody feud.  This vendetta developed between the two families and all but wiped them out. The few remaining inhabitants of the village fled to Anopolis. 

How did the bridge get built?

And it seems strange that in this remote place, there should be a link with a business empire which spans petroleum and shipping, to banking and media, to real estate and hotels, to publishing!  The 1.8 billion euro empire of Vardis Vadinogiannis, in 1986 paid for the metal girder bridge which now links the two sides of the gorge.  And the reason? 

Agios Ioannis, a tiny village and the end of the road, was  their ancestral home!

Previously getting from one side to the other involved climbing down the zig zag path  to the floor, 138m below, and then climbing back up the other side.

It’s a short drive from Anopolis village to the head of the gorge.  There’s a little cantina there serving “local” yoghurt (it used to come from a dairy on the Anopolis plateau, but now is brought in from Vrysses in the Apokoronas in the north).  The honey is from these parts, though, and the combination is glorious.

But still the ruins have a silent poetry, elegant shapes and golden colours, infused with a quiet sadness.

The south coast is a good day out from accommodation in the North and if you dont want the rigours of hiking the gorge, you can see Aradhena village and have a relaxed time on the Anopolis plain – the Anopolis Taverna is a good place for a meal.

More about living in Crete

There is much more in our blogs. These show things to do in Crete, whether it be walking a gorge, hiking in the foothills of the White Mountains, or taking a drive to see the sites.  Chania is a great town to visit, particularly to go to the street markets, and of course you’ll want to get the benefits of the Cretan diet – be it the yoghurt and cheese, or the olive oil.

Stylos is a bit of a forgotten place. Its in the midst of the Apokoronas, but overshadowed by Kalyves, about 5 km away.  Discover a Cretan village here in Stylos. Amidst the shade of plane trees, the running water of the Koliaris river, you can get a feel for rural life in Crete. 

The village has an authentic Cretan character. This is because there’s a  mix of old stone houses, more modern concrete structures, bougainvillea and jasmine. 

Byzantine Church

The old Byzantine church of St John towers over the village centre. Its from a similar era to the Agios Nicolaos church outside Kyriakoselia. Its flanked on the other side by the plant which bottles the Samaria water.

The Koliaris waters feed fountains too, just outside the taverna Moustakies – the “Whiskers” of Google maps fame! – named apparently after the splendid moustache of the owner. Unfortunately the taverna has now closed, and we think the owner has passed away.

In the grounds of the church is a huge fossil sea cow from the Pleistocene era, 3 million years ago.  Very well preserved skeleton, its an ancestor of the manatees, and was discovered whilst widening the road.

Tavernas in the Village

There are many tavernas and cafes in the village, an interesting one being Treis kai O Cook.  Its run by three friends and their chef is from Thessaloniki.  The food has these influences which makes for some subtle changes from the local Cretan cuisine. Unfortunately this taverna didn’t survive the Covid era lock downs and is no longer there.

Almost opposite this is Pissas, where the family of the butcher have for the last 6 years run a taverna.  Because much of the outside space is on the edge of the newly developed park of the village, this has lovely shade and cool breezes.

  Due to this as you could imagine, the meat here is the principal attraction – biggest pork chops you ever saw!, and tasty lamb.  They do charcoal barbecue with meat on the spit, its well frequented by the locals.

Stylos in WW2

It seems hard to imagine as you sit drinking your beer in this pleasant quiet and sleepy environment that Stylos was the scene of fierce fighting in the second World War.  Australian and New Zealand forces held up the advance of the invading German army, in order to enable allied troops to escape to Sfakia and the south.  Some of these troops were hidden at great risk by the villagers.

In Minoan Times

Yes, there is more to discover in a Cretan village! Closeby the village, up the hill towards Megala Chorafia, is the site of a Minoan settlement.  There’s a well preserved tholos tomb, nearly 5 metres in height, with perfectly cut huge stone blocks making a perfect circular structure. 

Maybe this was a burial site of an important Minoan ruler in the late Minoan period (1400 BC).  Get in by walking the 20 metre long dromos, which drops down from ground level, flanked by stone walls.  The site is marked from the road, in an olive grove. 

Its not obvious where is the tholos – enter the site (tho padlocked, the key is conveniently hung on a chain next to the padlock!) after that keep left up the hill. 

Take the second track off to the right, and the tomb entrance is 30 metres or so on the left hand side.

Nearby via another marked entrance is the rest of the settlement, where the foundation of a pottery kiln is visible, surrounded by a fence and roofed over.  This area may have been the main site of Aptera which was an important town in the Minoan era.

More about living in Crete

There is much more in our blogs. These show things to do in Crete, whether it be walking a gorge, hiking in the foothills of the White Mountains, or taking a drive to see the sites.  Chania is a great town to visit, particularly to go to the street markets, and of course you’ll want to get the benefits of the Cretan diet – be it the yoghurt and cheese, or the olive oil.

There’s so much to see in west Crete its difficult to decide what to see and do!  Make a start with our “Ten things to do” blog to give you ideas.  We don’t single out the monasteries amongst these, but the Preveli monastery drive is such a great wide ranging experience its really not to be missed!

What’s in the drive…

You get the benefits of a green and shady walk with freshwater pools to swim in, a beautiful (if a bit crowded) beach. 

The views from the monastery out over the Libyan Sea are spectacular, and there is a special feel about the place.  The commemorative statues of WW2 set in an equally stunning setting on the way to it are bold and dramatic.

Kato Preveli

Shortly before the end of the drive from the North coast you will pass by Kato Preveli – these are the ruins of the original monastery. 

The monks moved up to the more remote new site which was more easily defended against pirate raids.  This monastery was sacked by the Turks, and then again by the Germans.  This was in retribution for the part the monastery, and particularly the abbot, played in getting allied troops off the island after the battle of Crete.   The troops were fed and hidden by the monks and then ferried out to submarines waiting off the coast.

Next comes the turning to the parking above the beach, but before this we recommend driving on to the monastery.  It’s a winding climbing road which levels out at the site of the commemorative statues of the war. 

The War Memorial

A highly arresting juxtaposition of a full size allied soldier and a gun toting Greek abbot stand overlooking the sweep of southern coast and the sea.  The statues were funded by the Australian government, whose soldiers were amongst those saved by the monks.  The site is fenced off, and often locked, but the fence is low and simple to step over – enough said!

Drive along the road and the monastery comes into view, a tight cluster of buildings and huge Aleppo pine trees perched high on the hillside overlooking the sea.   

Preveli Monastery

The site can be crowded, but generally it’s a coach load of tourists, who descend for their 15min, and then take off again.  In between it can be delightfully quiet so you can your way to the courtyard, under the shade of the tree to sit and contemplate, to take in the special atmosphere of the place, calm, protective, full of positive energy.

In the grounds is a beautiful mosaic of the baby Jesus…

…and the bougainvillea spills out over some of the ruined buildings. 

The cats are watchful and protective of their space, but not so much as the patrolling monk in the church who calls out anyone with the temerity to lift a camera.

Turn back up the road, take the turning off to Preveli beach.  There’s a carpark (actually with a car park attendant to collect fees!) high above the beach.

The Beach and the Freshwater swimming

From there it’s a 15-20min walk down well maintained wide steps, mostly with handrails too, to the beach.  

Here you may find it a bit crowded with sunbeds, but you can take the well kept path back up along the river.  This flows all year round and creates a lush green valley of palm trees, very unusual in Crete. 

Walking up this path you will come to several freshwater lakes and plunge pools which make a great place for a swim or a dip. 

You may not be entirely alone, but there’ll not usually be more than one other party there.

Preveli Monastery drive – the Return

The downside is the climb back up!  But there is the consolation of the taverna at the top, just above the carpark.  Taverna Rousolakos, a little place with a charming shady terrace overlooking the views, and an eclectic but sophisticated selection of drinks – Greek microbrewery beers, and “3 Cents” sodas with their highly unusual flavours!

On the way back, stop off in Rethymno, we love Prima Plora, where you can dine literally on the rocks by the sea, with the townscape over the bay in the background.

More about living in Crete

There is much more in our blogs. These show things to do in Crete, whether it be walking a gorge, hiking in the foothills of the White Mountains, or taking a drive to see the sites.  Chania is a great town to visit, particularly to go to the street markets, and of course you’ll want to get the benefits of the Cretan diet – be it the yoghurt and cheese, or the olive oil.

The Chania harbour front, created in Venetian times, is special, quintessential Crete partly because the iconic lighthouse adorns the cover of many a guidebook!

The Venetian Lighthouse

Though originally Venetian it was rebuilt 1825-32 by Egyptian troops in the form of a minaret. They were in Crete defending the weakening Ottoman empire.  That’s the reason people often refer to it as “Egyptian”.  Most recently a complete renovation in 2005 has straightened its lean and smartened its appearance!

Great place for selfies too!

From there we can see the sweep of restaurants and bars, backed by the, now well restored, Venetian merchants’ houses. 

Chania harbour front

We love the gentle slap of the waves against the harbour walls. The sounds of the swifts swooping over the harbour and amongst the buildings. The enticing smells of fresh food from the restaurants.

We are often in town in order to get provisions, sorting issues and searching for things. 

After we’ve done our chores and shopping we like to stroll the Chania harbour front, so that we can check out some of the sites, chillout in one of the bars, and end up with a meal.  Here are some of our favorites.

Our Favourites

Al Canea is a wine bar on the edge of the first harbour. Its across from the lighthouse and next to the Maritime Museum.  A quiet relaxed place which is set a little bit back and up from the main harbour front. We like to watch folk stroll by, so it’s a great place for people watching.

Right at the other end of the second harbour is the Apostolis Taverna.  Its a place to come because here the fish is delicious, the views are out over the posh boats, and they serve Lyra beer, brewed in Kissamos and one of John’s favourites!

Things to see

The old mosque now houses temporary exhibitions and markets, so its worth popping in to see what’s on.    

In the second harbour, in a restored Arsenali, you can see a life sized and fully functional vessel modelled on the Minoan oared vessels.  Its fascinating to look into this ship, with its tiny cabin aft, the rows of benches for the oarsmen, all in the open, its primitive sail, and finally the elegant leaping dolphins on the bows.

The row of seven arsenali, have been heavily modified for use as warehouses. But they are still a vivid reminder of the Venetians naval prowess.  At the time their floors were at sea level so that the Venetian sailors could haul their galleys to be repaired and worked on..

Choosing a restaurant

Many of the restaurants on the waterfront are still very touristy.  They have toned down the greeters, now “we don’t press you, we don’t stress you”.  However, at one time they had become quite intrusive and bothersome to strolling tourists, trying to bully them into eating at their establishment.  A place we like is the Amphora, with friendly staff and interesting and well cooked food.

After that we go back to the square with the Venetian fountain where we often get Tshirts from Kostas, who can print anything you have electronically on caps, mugs, Tshirts, you name it!

And what place would really claim to be on the map without a (S)tarbucks!  We don’t like the coffee they brew but their range of single origin coffee beans is great.

After that you may be hot and tired, so just off this square is Lets Spoon, where you can finish off with delicious frozen yoghurt and a good range of flavours of creamy rich ice cream.

In the Evening

In the evening, as the sun is setting, Pallas is great for cocktails.  Partly because its first floor bar and restaurant have great window views of the harbour lighthouse.   

And although their restaurant is good, we prefer Salis, in a fine location on a corner in the second harbour.  Its partly because at this place you can get top class dishes with Cretan notes but also because there is a more friendly atmosphere.

Afshin is co owner, an Iranian/Swede chef/sommelier married to Alex, who owns the Manousakis Winery.  Therefore, as you would expect, the restaurant has a great (and huge) wine list!

After a long day in the City

Chania is a wonderful experience, but the intensity of the city with its busy bustle, its frenetic (particularly two wheeled) traffic, and its noise and pace need to be balanced against the quiet and peace of rural Crete.  So its great to be able to come back to a place in the country to relax and chill out.

More about living in Crete

There is much more in our blogs. These show things to do in Crete, whether it be walking a gorge, hiking in the foothills of the White Mountains, or taking a drive to see the sites.  Chania is a great town to visit, particularly to go to the street markets, and of course you’ll want to get the benefits of the Cretan diet – be it the yoghurt and cheese, or the olive oil.