Greece is known for its countless islands and its quality as a holiday destination. We had never been there before and decided to bet on Crete, the largest of the Greek islands, despite the lack of recent reviews from our loved ones.
We spent a week in the western half discovering its landscapes, gorges, beaches, and gastronomy. Here's the story of our trip, trying to go off the beaten path and make the most of what Crete has to offer.
Landing in Hania and first glimps of Crete
Our flight to Crete went super well, as did baggage and car collection. We drove off in our Skoda Fabia and reached Chania. I recommend the municipal car park where there were plenty of spaces. You have to pay via the website or the car park app (around €5 for 4 hours).
The historic centre is beautiful with its small streets full of restaurants and small shops. You quickly find yourself by the water and the main square. We ate at a slightly more secluded restaurant, Krio Vrisali. Delicious typical dishes to kick off our week with a Cretan salad, grilled fish, and dakos.
We then drove towards Rethymno. There's a well-located car park for €5 a day (be careful, avoid market day). The old town is very cute, too, perhaps even a little more so than Chania. We enjoyed the sunset with piña coladas at Drink'n'roll before heading to our accommodation, Cressa Suites, for a light meal of tapenade and Cretan cheese.
Argyroupoli, Lake Kournas and Rethymno
Our accommodation offered a pleasant breakfast on the rooftop from which we could observe a bit of the city and already gauge the heat. We drove to Argyroupoli to see small waterfalls recommended by various blogs, but it was a disappointment. It's a series of restaurants that have built water basins to attract tourists. We still went up to see the village, which was slightly worth the detour.
After this setback, Lake Kournas awaited us. It's the only freshwater lake in Crete and its water is magnificent. We first enjoyed the sun then the water by swimming and pedalling a pedal boat (€10 for an hour). The lake is also known for its superb turtles, which are grouped on the opposite side of the beach and quite easy to observe.
Back in Rethymno, we enjoyed the town and its atmosphere. We had a drink at Thalassographia, a bar with a view of the sea and the fort. For dinner, we chose the Veggera tavern where we enjoyed lamb, an anchovy pie, and slices of pork.
Hike in Patsos Gorge, Spili and Preveli Beach
A new rooftop lunch allowed us to charge our batteries for a big day. Leaving our accommodation and Rethymno, we reached Patsos Gorge. This out-and-back hike, like most gorges in Crete, was a great discovery. It's very beautiful, lush, dizzying, and aquatic. Some passages lead us through footbridges, ladders, and you have to get wet several times, sometimes up to your knees.
If you like gorges, we went on a one week trip in the Gorges of Verdon.
We ignored Samaria Gorge as it requires too much sacrifice with waiting for the boat then the bus to return to the starting point.
We then made a stop in the cute little village of Spili. Not a must-see, but if you're in the area, it's a nice stop. We had a drink there and filled our hungry bellies.
This long day continued with Preveli Beach (€2 parking). The descent takes a good ten minutes, so avoid being pressed by your bladder. The beach is incredibly beautiful and unique thanks to its duality of landscape. On one side the sea and on the other a palm grove.
We still had a long journey (1h30) along the south coast to reach Hora Sfakion. This charming small village built around the port is very pleasant. We were greeted by the hostess of Ventus Luxury Suites for check-in and a welcome drink. We then enjoyed a superb meal at the Samaria Kitchen restaurant with stuffed aubergine and the best moussaka of our lives.
Walk along the sea and visit to Loutro
We started the day with a series of savoury and sweet pastries at the Ntourountous Sfakia bakery. We then began a hike along the coast towards Loutro. The beginning is a bit boring on the road but the rest is magnificent with views of the horizon, goats, and boats. We took a break halfway on a deserted beach to cool off a bit in the turquoise waters.
Loutro is unique because it's inaccessible to cars.
Once we arrived in Loutro, we were tired, hungry, and thirsty. The Notos restaurant allowed us to refuel with a series of decent dishes: aubergine, octopus, meatballs, and salad. After enjoying the village view a bit, we took the boat (€5 per person) to return to Sfakia and enjoy the view from the water. The 15-minute journey flew by.
Back at our accommodation, we enjoyed the terrace with a jacuzzi, other pastries, and drinks while listening to the soft sound of the port and watching the beautiful sunset.
Relaxing day at Sfakia beach
Feeling the need for rest, we decided to spend a quiet day in Sfakia. After a light breakfast, we enjoyed the terrace and the jacuzzi before heading to the beach. We rented sun loungers and a parasol (€10) for the day to have maximum comfort. Sunbathing, reading, swimming, and crosswords punctuated our day.
The Taverna Delfini restaurant welcomed us to end this day in style. We enjoyed a Sfakia salad, tarama, a courgette pie, and fish soup. Back at our accommodation, we enjoyed the jacuzzi to perfect our relaxation and end the day.
Hike in Aradena Gorge
Our energy restored, we set off in search of Aradena Gorge. This 12km loop hike, we started with the mountainous part, a bit average, which descends towards the coast. Masmara beach is a great place for a swimming break and a picnic.
The return through the gorge was incredible with dizzying views, flowering shrubs, goats (including some carcasses...). Some passages are a bit like climbing with large rocks, ladders, and ropes.
We ended the day in style with another jacuzzi session and a meal at the Samaria restaurant with anchovies, feta, moussaka, and lamb.
The pink sand of Elafonisi and breathtaking roads
We had planned to skip Elafonisi beach for fear of not enjoying the crowds of tourists. It was finally on a whim that we followed the beautiful mountain road leading to the famous pink sand beach. We ate at Kalomirakis Tavern, good Cretan dishes (salad, dakos, and courgette fritters).
The beach is immense and the number of tourists didn't bother us. The water level allows for calm swimming in these transparent waters with magical reflections.
For the return, we took a detour to follow the coast and enjoy the landscapes. Once in Kolymvari, we dropped off our belongings at the Panthea Luxury Living accommodation. After a quick dip in the pool, we walked around this small coastal town, which doesn't have much to offer apart from its beach and restaurants. If you ever fancy an ice cream, we strongly advise against the ice cream parlour near the beach.
Back to Chania and rest in Kolymvari
The night was disturbed by mosquitoes, fortunately, we had repellent just in case. We enjoyed the pool and sun loungers this morning, while deciding to return to Chania.
This return to the city allowed us to discover a series of streets we had missed on the first day. We were able to eat at the Salis restaurant, which had caught our eye. The cucumber salad was average but the mozzarella and fava were excellent. We also had octopus carpaccio and a lamb pie.
We did some souvenir shopping in the small shops before returning to Kolymvari. Back to the pool and sun loungers until sunset. We ended the day with a light meal of Cretan cheese, tapenade, and tzatziki.
Balos beach and chilling out
For this last day, we decided to visit another renowned beach in Crete, Balos. We had read many warnings about the poor quality of the road, advising against rental cars. I assure you, this is not the case, as long as you drive slowly and carefully. If we were to do it again, we might take quads for an additional experience.
Once the car park is reached (€1 + €5), there is also a short walk down to the beach here. No problem doing it in flip-flops. A small detour to the point on the right at the beginning of the path offers a magnificent view of the bay. It really is a magnificent beach with water that has magical reflections.
The crowd was minimal until the arrival of the big boats around 11 am, so aim to get there early! It was very windy that day. The water level is very low, which allows for paddling and taking beautiful photos. We had lunch with what we had packed in our bag: local toasts, tapenade, and tzatziki.
End of this trip with an afternoon at our accommodation to enjoy the pool and the sun one last time. We ate at one of the restaurants opposite the beach, En Elladi, which was disappointing in taste despite the originality of the menu.
We hope this account will make you want to discover the largest of the Greek islands. Crete is truly incredible and totally won us over thanks to its mix of nature, hiking, beaches, and gastronomy that we enjoy so much.
Enjoy your next trip!
