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Thread: Crete

  1. #1
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
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    Crete

    Never been but always fancied.
    So the wife and I like walking when away and wondered if anyone had a good base in Crete to recommend where can get some varied walks in 10-20 miles without having to get in a car each time.
    Richard Taylor
    "William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
    Sid Waddell

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    Master Wheeze's Avatar
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    Go anywhere. It's not big. Hire quad bikes not cars. Great fun!

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    I went to Crete two years ago and stayed at Rethynno on the north coast. It has a nice old town and harbour. My wife is not much of a walker so we didn’t do that much. We did go on a trip to a medieval monastery in the mountains and a nearby palm beach at Preveli which was well worth doing.

    I think there are a lot of good walks near Rethymno though as friends of ours went with their rambling group precisely to do that. I think the most famous trip is the Samaria Gorge Trek.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Muddy Retriever View Post
    I went to Crete two years ago and stayed at Rethynno on the north coast. It has a nice old town and harbour. My wife is not much of a walker so we didn’t do that much. We did go on a trip to a medieval monastery in the mountains and a nearby palm beach at Preveli which was well worth doing.

    I think there are a lot of good walks near Rethymno though as friends of ours went with their rambling group precisely to do that. I think the most famous trip is the Samaria Gorge Trek.
    Seen a couple of nice places to stay there, so is on the short list.
    Richard Taylor
    "William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
    Sid Waddell

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    Master Travs's Avatar
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    From what I recall, Crete has an almost continuous mountain spine. but the western part, the White Mountains in particular, are stunning.

    However to walk in them from the door I think you would have to stay inland. I think you would seriously be missing out on some beautiful coastal towns. Rethymnon as mentioned above is great but Chania a bit further west is perhaps even more stunning. Although both are crowded throughout the summer. But then you’d have to drive into the mountains although it’s not that far... you can cross the island from north-south on the windy mountain road from Chania in around an hour.

    On the south coast, the other end of the north-south road from Chania, is a little village resort called Hora Sfakion which is beautiful with some lovely little restaurants and enough in the way of facilities to see you through a week. I would imagine the walking from there is much more convenient from the door (although I only visited on the day).

    Cicerone do a book on Western Crete and it might be worth checking out for locations to stay.

    Be warned, Crete is HOT! It’s absolutely baking in the north, but as you cross the mountains into the south you actually pass from the Mediterranean to the North African climate zone, and it’s hot down there.

    It’s a beautiful island and my fave place in the Med.

    I would tend to disagree with Wheeze above... it’s a large island, too large to actually feel like an island, and I’d not advise quad bikes... however I spent two weeks whizzing round on a scooter everywhere from the coast road “motorway” to some distinctly hairy mountain tracks, so I’m no-one to talk about safety...

    My advice would be to stay in Chania and make do with driving... but definitely check out Hora Sfakion and the cicerone guide...

    Pete

  6. #6
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Travs View Post
    From what I recall, Crete has an almost continuous mountain spine. but the western part, the White Mountains in particular, are stunning.

    However to walk in them from the door I think you would have to stay inland. I think you would seriously be missing out on some beautiful coastal towns. Rethymnon as mentioned above is great but Chania a bit further west is perhaps even more stunning. Although both are crowded throughout the summer. But then you’d have to drive into the mountains although it’s not that far... you can cross the island from north-south on the windy mountain road from Chania in around an hour.

    On the south coast, the other end of the north-south road from Chania, is a little village resort called Hora Sfakion which is beautiful with some lovely little restaurants and enough in the way of facilities to see you through a week. I would imagine the walking from there is much more convenient from the door (although I only visited on the day).

    Cicerone do a book on Western Crete and it might be worth checking out for locations to stay.

    Be warned, Crete is HOT! It’s absolutely baking in the north, but as you cross the mountains into the south you actually pass from the Mediterranean to the North African climate zone, and it’s hot down there.

    It’s a beautiful island and my fave place in the Med.

    I would tend to disagree with Wheeze above... it’s a large island, too large to actually feel like an island, and I’d not advise quad bikes... however I spent two weeks whizzing round on a scooter everywhere from the coast road “motorway” to some distinctly hairy mountain tracks, so I’m no-one to talk about safety...

    My advice would be to stay in Chania and make do with driving... but definitely check out Hora Sfakion and the cicerone guide...

    Pete
    Thanks Pete. Probably would go in May as neither my wife and I would be comfortable in the height of summer.

    In terms of walking, doesn't need to be mountains. We have been up some in the Pyrenees, in Tenerife... but the coastal paths and lower lying trail walks are fine.
    Richard Taylor
    "William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
    Sid Waddell

  7. #7
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    In that case, I'd stay as far west as possible. If you look on the the map there are two peninsulas strutting out north from the main part of the island. They are stunning (and quiet).

    There's a string of resorts heading out west from Chania which almost merge into one continuous resort... Kolymvari is closest to the peninsulas and quite pleasant... it was a favourite lunch stop of mine after a morning scootering round the peninsulas.

    However nowhere near as pretty a place to actually stay as Chania (although vastly quieter!).

    On the other side of Chania is a resort called Georgoupolis... this is quite well developed and has a pleasant beach, little stream and a lovely old kind of pier stretching out into the sea with an ancient church/monument at the end, and a pleasant little village square, plenty of restuarants etc. Good low level walking around there, and again if you look at the map, the coast north around to Almyrida is littered with great views and coves (I actually stayed in a villa in Almyrida and it is nice enough without being stunningly attractive as a resort).
    Last edited by Travs; 20-11-2019 at 09:37 AM.

  8. #8
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
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    Booked now.
    Flying to Chania early morning.
    3 days Chania - about 2 miles East and 1/2 mile from coast.

    3 days in Triopetra - which is on the South but a little bit East of the recommendation from you Travs as we are flying back from Heraklion (it was about half the price of the same day flight from Chania and a late flight, so allows us a full final day in Crete.

    will have one day in Heraklion before flying home.

    Looking forward to it.
    Richard Taylor
    "William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
    Sid Waddell

  9. #9
    Master Wheeze's Avatar
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    So you gotta do Knossos then!
    Simon Blease
    Monmouth

  10. #10
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wheeze View Post
    So you gotta do Knossos then!
    Well my wife is partial to old relics so why not
    Richard Taylor
    "William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
    Sid Waddell

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