2 weeks itinerary in Crete , Greece's diamond!
💡Tip 1: At most beaches in Greece you have to pay for a set of an umbrella with 2 sunbeds so i suggest you to buy a good one with anchor because it can get really windy. (Add beachchairs if you like)
💡Tip 3: Arrival at Heraklion, departure from Chania. You save many km of driving! Also if you are on a budget , dont book cabins on the ship as the stuff let you sleep in sleeping bags almost everywhere.
💡Tip 4: Buy water shoes! Lots of beaches are rocky or with stones.
💡Tip 5: If you can't bring your own car you should book one, as it makes your transportation so much easier. You can receive your car from Herakion Port and leave it at Chania Port (Souda).
⚠️Disclaimer: free camping is foridden in Greece.
Day 1 : Arrival at Heraklion
As soon as you get there you can begin your trip with a visit to Knossos Palace (openning hours 8:00-20:00) where you meet the minoan civilization and learn Minotaur's story. You can book a ticket (18€) on the website and has lots of informations about the main point of interests. After that you can visit the second more important minoan castle in Crete , Faistos ( one hour away from Knossos). Near this, appears a beautiful seaside village, Matala, where you can rest for the day. Matala became famous when hippies from all over the world arrived there in the 60s to live in the famous Matala caves located next to the beach. Spend the night there (there is camping there if you like it, like me) and enjoy the most tourist side of Heraklion.
Day 2: Fun day in Heraklion
Heraklion has the best water slides in Greece and you cant miss them ( opening hours 10-18:00).
Inside there are different kind of water slides , the famous lazy river where you relax , some pools and restaurants with affordable prices. Also there are lockers for your stuff. The only negative thing is the long queues at some water slides, but if you are there at 10 you have time to do all the water slides 3 and more times and believe me it is worth it!
💡Tip: if you have kids and want to do all the water slides buy them the adult ticket, otherwise you'll have to change the ticket later and lose more time.
I suggest to leave the watercity at 4-5pm so you have plenty of time to visit the nearby cretaquarium(closing hour 19:00) to see the sea inhabitants of the Mediterranean.
If you have energy you can go to peninsula (25km from the centre) the beaches there have little to offer you comparing to the others cretan beaches , but is worth a visit. Go back to the center, spend the night there and enjoy the bars around the city.
Day 3 : Let's go to Agios Nikolaos
After 1 hour driving you'll reach Agios Nikolaos. Agios Nikolaos has a lot to offer but most of all clear blue waters. You can start your exploring with the main beach for locals 'Almiros Beach' , a beautiful clean sea. Dont forget to visit the river at the end of the beach, where the water is really cold. Fun fact: sports coaches send the athletes there for recovery as the cold water is perfect for that.
Now, you can head to another very special beach 'Votsalo'. I strongly recommend to go to the cafe and not to the sunbeds at the beach, as the cafe has a beautiful view and in my opinion best waters, as it's a bay with blue-green waters. Also, if you swim towards the rocks you can reach a cave. Be careful of the crabs!
After this long day i think you deserve a tasteful dinner. I suggest the restaurant 'Kyma'. Really large portions of food, great service and next to the sea.
Day 4: Vai (palm) beach
I hope you rest last night because you have to drive 1h45min to reach the famous palm beach. The route is difficult with lots of turns but it is definetely worth it. While you driving you have the chance to see the local goat kri-kri. Say hi!👋
At the beginning of the beach has a view spot , and after climbing some stairs the view is magical. The shot i took from there:
To enjoy a delicious lunch go to Siteia. Siteia is on the way back to Agios Nikolaos, and has a beautiful port with restaurants. We recommend 'To Limani' with affordable prices and great variety.
Before you leave , dont forget to buy GALAKTOMPOUREKO.
On the way home, you can go to voulisma, a picturesque beach which is better in afternoon and then the sunbeds are for free. White sand and blue waters. Enjoy!
Day 5: Spinalogka
When you reach Elounta you'll see some spots where you can buy tickets for the boat to Spinalogka (12€). I think it is worth a visit as it combines ottoman and venetian architectual influences and its story as a leper colony.
After your return, enjoy the beach of Elouda and when you get hungry go to 'Karnagio' , it is a beautiful taverna at Agios Nikolaos lake. It is really famous of its meat and its lake view.
After some rest, go take a walk around the lake, see the ducks (dont get a lot close they dont really like that) and enjoy a drink to alexandros. It is on the roof of a building providing great lake view. If you're into dancing, go to the dance floor and have fun!
Day 6: Head to the famous greek Bali
It's time to visit Rethymno.1h40min away from Agios Nikolaos there is Bali. A huge sandy beach with rocks but really crowded.
After that you can visit spilies(=caves) beach , a beautiful beach with stones and natural caves on the surface of the sea.
For rest i definetely suggest the village Margarites which is known for its pottery tradition. You can buy ceramic suns, vases, mugs, air balloons and everything else you can imagine. Have a good shopping day! I strongly suggest you to spend the night in Margarites so you can spend extra time with the locals and save some driving time from the following day. My favourite place to eat there is 'Mantalos', fantastic food and view. You can visit it also for the morning coffee.
Day 7: Rethymno City!
Good Morning! Have a cup of coffee, eat something (energy is needed) and head to Arkadi Monastery! A really special monastery with a long story.Back then, the monks showed continuous resistance against the Turks with self-sacrifice, now it promotes the diversity and the universality.
The rest of the day is devoted to the city centre. The beach in the centre is not something special but you can visit it to cool down. What is worth in Rethymno is the alleways. You can spend hours to see them all. Shop at local shops, drink water from rimondi fountain and have a lunch or a coffee at a cozy corner.
Some places to eat:
Favorite place for a drink:
Accommodation:
Day 8: Exploration day!
We are heading to Preveli. But on the way there , there is Kourtaliotiko Gorge. You cannot miss that. Yes, it is really windy (we almost had our car flying) but don't be afraid, you will be stunned with what you'll see the moment you reach the river point. You will know that you are at the right place when you see cars parked left and right of the road. There is one entrance not difficult to find and then you have to go down the stairs. As you walking down the gorge, you'll meet a ' junction'. You go right!( You can go left as well and then return and visit the right side.) After some minutes walking , you'll reach the paradise.
I know the water is freezing. But you have to swim!! Honestly don't miss that, find a way to bear the water temperature. Swim inside the gorge and you'll see the big waterfall!
After this experience, lets go to Preveli! GPS search : ' Drymiskano Ammoudi'. There you park your car and then you walk 10-15 minutes till you reach Preveli beach! Dont need an umbrella there is plenty of shade because of the trees, but if you want you can take it. There is also a cantina there, with chairs and tables where you can rest the moment you get there.
There are 2 ways to cross the palm forest. Eather through water or on foot. I would recommend you to wear your water shoes and go through the river (leave your things behind, or dont have electical devices with you) .
Shots from our exploration!
Enjoy your time there and stay at a hotel nearby! If you like camping you can go to Ammoudi beach and sleep in your tent. When we were there it was really windy for a tent so we slept in the car in Damnoni Beach. And that's all your options!
Day 9 : Chill day at the beach
Sunrise in Damnoni
There is a bay nearby Preveli with lots of beaches, all of them very beautiful : Damnoni, Ammoudi, Mikro Ammoudi. You can try horse riding there! We chose Damnoni for some rest and visited Kalypso Beach as well. This beach 'belongs' to a hotel but it's free to visit and the bluegreen waters are magic. Also, there is a diving centre, if you're interested in scuba diving or snorkelling.
Fun fact: Kalypso is a nymph of greek mythology , who detained Odysseus for seven years. On the rocks showcased in the photo below there is a small walk path named after him : Odysseus path.
Where to eat?
Taverna Damnoni. Very , very tasty food, the stuff was more than kind , they answered every question we had and the prices affordable. Also, the atmosphere is really friendly.
Gather energy because tomorrow we'll be in CHANIA!
Day 10 : Chania it is!
Fast Food
Bars
Raki
There is a beautiful square, Splantzia. It's more for the locals, but now you learn it too. There are tables on the square and you sit wherever you find. Drink carefully!
One of the restaurants there:
Coffee
Accommodation
🌼For free camping we chose the beach Pachia Ammos and it was beautiful.
Now, that i showed you the basic bars and restaurants let's go to the precious beaches!
One thing you need to know is that all the famours beaches are far away from Chania, therefore you need a set of a car and driving skills to reach them. Sometimes even that is not enough and you even need to use your feet. BUT IT'S DEFINETELY WORTH IT!
Let's start!
As soon as you get to Chania , you can go to the closest beach 'Seitan' (35mins driving). You park and then you have to walk to the beach (10-15mins). The path is not great, be careful with every step you make. Seitan is not an organised beach, so have your own snacks and water. There you' ll hang out and eat together with some lovely creatures!
Our favourite Kri-Kri!
During your 2 weeks in Crete, you'll be able to see many Kri-Kri (cretan goat) but at Seitan there are literally next to you (your snacks are in danger so, be careful!).
Day 11 : Balos -Falasarna
There are 2 options to reach balos. One is by car and foot and the other car and boat.
1st. Driving :1h15min. You reach balos parkings. There are lots of parkings! The later you arrive, the further you'll park! After that you have to walk 20 mins under the sun. Not so pleasant! Imagine the return! You are going uphill. There is the option donkeys to carry you, but please dont do it, its cruel!
2nd. Driving: 40min to Kissamos Port. You book a cruise and everything is perfect.Dont forget to have your umbrella with you!The only disadvantage is the price( as usual). The cost of this is aprox 30euros.
Here is a site with informations about the cruise:
Either you choose 1st or 2nd the fact is one. You are next to Falasarna Beach dont miss your chance to visit . So after you visit the beautiful Balos you can eat at Kissamos or go straight to Falasarna and eat there! Falasarna is a huge sandy beach 20min away from Kissamos Port.
Day 12: Elafonisi - Kedrodasos
Its time to visit the most famous beach in Crete : Elafonisi. From now on, you have to park 1km away the beach and then walk. (if you have disabilities you are allowed to drive closer to the beach). The 'lake' is beautiful but really crowded, so i suggest to pass through the water and reach the beach. The water is magic, and the sand unique!
Now, we head to my favourite beach in Crete, Kedrodasos. You park and then you walk 10-15 mins to reach the beach. It isn't organised so be prepared. Kedrodasos is a typical beach for free camping, so you' ll see a lot of campers around. If you are into free camping and have one more day ,this is the best place, waking up at this place and swimming in those waters is magestic. Its called Kedrodasos because of its kedrous (= cedars). Dive with your eyes open, to see the variety of blue shades.
Day 13 : Samaria Gorge
You cannot live Crete without visiting Samaria Gorge. There is a procedure to get there. First of all, you book a bus from chania to samaria. : https://www.e-ktel.com/services/dromologia
There is the gorge's entry. After 6-7 hours walking and observing the beautiful nature you'll reach Agia Roumeli beach , so dont forget to bring your swimsuits.
Do you have still energy? There is a fantastic path 1hour walking, which leads to Loutro. If you dont have energy there is a boat to transfer you there. : https://anendyk.gr/routes/ . Loutro is an unreal destination. (guide's photo cover). It is a purely touristic destination, but because it is so small with not so many hotels it's not so crowded in the evening.
There we stayed at a hotel (finally!!) , called Anna. It costs 60 euros for 2 persons (30 each) and the view was stanning!
Day 14 : Hora Sfakion
Goodmorning!
Take the boat from Loutro ( see the timetables there there is no website) and go to Sweet Waters.
The water is so beautiful and clean. I personally love when the beach is surrounded by rocks.
From there you take again the boat and go to Hora Sfakion. There you can take a walk and eat delicious local dishes :
*Gamomilafo: rice cooked with meat juice and made mainly at weddings. Gamos = Wedding.
*Antikristo
*Sfakiani pie
I know is amazing there but you must catch the bus to return you at your car, at Chania! Last time i checked, the last bus from hora sfakion to chania was at 18:30.
Last day
Ready for your last day?
Since it's your last day, you should get some rest in a beautiful beach, Marathi 30min from Chania. Fun fuct: it is the favourite beach of our prime minister. A great place to eat is Patrelantonis.
Its time to go to Souda Port now!
I really hope I helped you! Enjoy our beautiful island, Crete. If there is anything i can do to help you more, please let me know💌.
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