Walking and Cycling in Crete

Detailed contour maps of Crete are now available for download. New: Many pictures added to walking pages Plus: Flowers of Crete More Walking Pages Messageboard for Crete Contents Author's introduction Contents Why go to Crete? Introduction to Crete Getting to Crete Getting to Rethimnon from Iraklion Airport Getting to Plakias Airport departures from Iraklion Hania Airport Travel in Crete Travel within Rethimnon region Hire cars Bicycles Accommodation Food and drink Shopping Telephones Medical care Climate Water Toilets Flowers and wildlife Photography Roads, tracks and paths Information for walkers and cyclists Where to start walking or cycling - Plakias 1. Plakias to Selia 2. Selia to Plakias 3. Plakias to Souda Bay - Sweet Water Bay 4. Finikas Monastery from Selia 5. Finikas Monastery to Souda Bay 6. Plakias to Mirthios via the old mill 7. Mirthios to Plakias 8. Souda Bay to Rodakino 9. Rodakino to Finikas Monastery 10. Plakias to Kakomouri 11. Plakias to the quiet beaches 12. Timeos Stavros from Lefkogia 13. Timeos Stavros to Plakias 14. The aqueducts 15. Plakias to Preveli Monastery 16. Lefkogia to Preveli 17. Preveli to the Lower Monastery via the Valley of Palms 18. The Lower Monastery to Lefkogia 19. Selia to Kanevos 20. Kanevos to Plakias 21. Kanevos to Mirthios over the col 22. Selia to the high ridge west and Krioneritis 23. A loop around Frati 24. Koxare to Koredo Castle and Atsipades 25. Koxare to Agios Ioanis via the valley 26. Koxare to Kanevos via the high mountain ridge 30 Selia to the Imbros Gorge 31. Up the Imbros Gorge 32. Imbros to Asfendos 33. The Asfendos Gorge 40. Kanevos, Kali Sikia, Alones, Vilandredo and Argiroupoli 41. Kali Sikia to Velonado and west 42. Kali Sikia to Moundros 43. Velonado to Moundros 44. Moundros and two more gorges 45. Saitures to Malaki 46. Moundros to Kato Poros 47. Kato Poros to Argiroupoli 48. Saitures to Kaloniktis, Kastelos and Armeni 49. Kato Poros to Zouridi, Roustika, and Saitures 50. A loop from Agios Ioanis 51. Epano Malaki to Angousseliana 52. Ano Valsamonero to Monopari and Malaki 53. Ancient Fortress 60. Armeni to Koumi 61. Koumi to Malaki 62. Agios Vassilios to Fotinos 63. Fotinos to the main road south 64. A loop from Fotinos 65. Armeni to Fotinos 70. Ampesali to Mirthios 71. Exploring Oros 73. Seli to Geni 74. A loop from Mirthios 75. Geni to Karines 77. Mirthios to Patsos via the road 80. Frati to Mixorouma 81. Spili to Mourne 82. A high level loop from Mourne 83. Mourne to Drimiskos and Kerames 84. Mourne to Mixorouma 85. Kerames to the sea 86. Drimiskos to Preveli 87. Xiron Oros 88. Drimiskos to Spili via Ardaktos, Vatos and Aktounda 90. Mixorouma to Lambini, Karines and Patsos 91. Patsos to Spili 92. Spili to Gerakaki 93. Voleones 94. Pandanassa to Meronas 95. Patsos to Messonisia 96. Kissu Kambos to Spili 100 - 103 Circuit of Samitos 100. Kardaki to Amari 101. Amari to Petrohori 102. Petrohori to Drigies 103. Drigies to Vrisses and Kardaki A walk round Rethimnon Guided walking tours in Greece- a note for guides Useful addresses and telephone numbers in Crete Mountain refuges Useful addresses and telephone numbers in the United Kingdom Useful Greek phrases A historical summary Hotels in Plakias: telephone numbers

Where to start walking or cycling - Plakias

For those new to Crete Plakias is recommend as a starting point. This is a small resort on the south coast of Crete which is an excellent base for both walking and cycling with a wide range of paths and tracks in quiet countryside. These are within easy reach of the village and range from level tracks alongside the aqueducts to mountain ridges. Private transport is generally not needed.

The best time to visit this area is in April and May when the spring flowers are in full bloom. Early March can be wet and cold and July and August can be very hot with strong winds developing every day. The summer migrant birds arrive in late March or early April with the first tourists.

Plakias sits at one end of a broad sandy bay with a small harbour and beach front cafes.To the east the shore forms a series of rocky bays and sandy inlets with cliffs rising into a line of hills. Inland from this is a broad agricultural area with olive groves. This then rises steeply into a long ridge of limestone mountains with peaks of 900 metres to 1200 metres. This ridge is cut by three gorges, two of which have roads which provide the main access from Rethimnon.

To the west of Plakias the olive groves climb steeply from the sea up to the mountains and there is another good bathing beach at Souda Bay, also known as Freshwater Bay, two kilometres along the shore track. Further west the olive groves are squeezed out as the mountains climb from the shore.

The resort has a good range of small shops - bakers, butchers, fruit and vegetable, groceries and chemists as well as car hire and several money exchanges. A post office operates from a caravan on the sea front in July and August.

Plakias is a new resort built beside a fishing harbour.

The older villages of Selia and Mirthios and Mariou sit half way up the mountain side, between two and three kilometres form Plakias, and the east-west road runs at this level. These are predominantly of old stone houses with a living room above animal sheds and store rooms. Newer concrete buildings are expanding the villages but mostly they remain very compact with narrow stepped alleyways winding steeply between the houses.

Accommodation in Plakias

There is a lot of new development in Plakias and it is unlikely to be full even in the high season. Buses are often met by the owners of accommodation who have vacancies. There is a full range of hotels and up-to-date information can usually be obtained from any travel agent. Half board or bed and breakfast accommodation is also available in the village, but most visitors stay in rooms. These are modern concrete buildings, mostly high ceilinged and airy with balconies. The centre of the village follows the Cretan tradition of tightly packed buildings with only narrow streets between them.

It is cheaper for two single people to share a two-roomed apartment which will usually include a cooking ring and a fridge. A group of people will often find an apartment the best value for money. Out of season prices may be lower by negotiation, July and August prices higher. Prices change a lot from year to year. Hot water almost always comes from solar panels. A cloudy week out of season will result in no hot showers, even in most hotels.

Transport from Plakias

The cheapest way of extending your walking range is to get the 07.00 hours bus in the morning from the seafront to Lefkogia, Frati or Koxare. Buses also run west through Selia in the summer months but not out of season. Coach tours are much more expensive.

Mountain bikes can be hired by the day or by the week from several shops in the village.

Map of routes 1 - 10

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