Our new doubly Greek adventure – Athens to Crete

SUMMARY

Dates:  April 29th to May 9th  11 days and 10 nights with one night on the overnight ferry from Athens to Crete.

ARRIVAL : Athens for a 16.00 transfer to your hotel

DEPARTURE : Chania, Crete departing after breakfast so return flights after 12 noon.

If you would like to return to Athens or go on to visit other parts of Greece we can help.

HIGHLIGHTS: 

• Exploring Ancient Athens with your local guide
• An overnight ferry across the sea from Athens to Crete
• Hiking in the unspoilt hills and along beautiful beaches
• Swimming in the crystal blue seas

Guide: Local English speaking guide Dafni

Walking Grade: 2 Goats. Maximum distance:14km and highest climb 400m. There will be walks on 8 days with 3 in Athens and 5 in Crete.

In Athens your guided walks are 3-5 hours and you have free time to explore too! In Crete you begin walks at 9am and can expect to walk between 3 and 5 hours. We give you time to relax on the beach and explore the local area. If you do want longer hikes Dafni can advise.

Bases:

The Athens 21 hotel  – 3 nights

We have chosen this hotel so you have easy access to fully explore Athens and all it has to offer.

Ferry – Athens to Crete – 1 night

Sunny Bay Hotel, Kissamos  a 3 star beach hotel- 6 nights

The complex lies in an idyllic position in the bay of Kissamos, 37 km west of Chania and just ten minutes from the center of Kissamos town on foot. All the rooms have a balcony with a wonderful view of the crystal clear blue sea. There is also a large pool that guests love. If you do like sea swimming we recommend reef shoes to help walking across pebbles on the beach.

Guests loved meeting at the hotel bar and being able to walk out to a variety of tavernas with very good Cretan food at very reasonable prices.

Price: £ 1950 per person per holiday inclusive of:

• Ensuite rooms in both hotels ( with seaviews at the Sunny Bay)
• All breakfasts
• Welcome Evening Meal on the first night together and a Farewell Evening Meal on the final night.
• Local english speaking guiding. Dafni will be with you throughout the trip.
• Airport transfers on arrival in Athens and departure to Chania.
• Transfer to Crete by Ferry
• Bus tickets in Athens and Crete ( where necessary for walks)
• Beach towel hire in Crete

Not included: Travel to Athens and departure from Chania. Travel Insurance. Meals and drinks on other nights. Local tavernas are in abundance and very reasonable – you can budget 15-20 euros per day.

If you are travelling with a partner or friend and share a room there is £200 per person discount making the total holiday per person £1750 per person.

There is an option to join the trip in Crete ( and not do Athens ) for a price of £1400 per person solo occupancy or £1200 if sharing a room.

Let us know on booking your deposit and we will adjust your invoice to reflect your final price.

DETAILS

We begin in Athens so you have the chance to explore this ancient city – see all the details in the itinerary below. If you have specific things you would love to visit just let us know.

We move on to the island of Crete and our location offers the opportunity to walk in one of the most beautiful places of the Mediterranean. The area of Kissamos in Western Crete is part of the European Programme NATURA 2000 which aims to promote its rich natural heritage and to promote eco-tourism. We don’t use private transport and only leave green footprints!

The Sunny Bay Hotel is chosen to give walkers a place they can relax at the end of the day with the opportunity to swim in the pool or the sea. It is also close to restaurants and cafes for evenings out.

The walks are graded two goats as they take you on a pleasant exploration of the local countryside. There are secluded valleys and groves, quaint hill top villages and spectacular views over the bay. The walks are also rich in archeological, historical, botanical and artistic features. You will learn lots about this fascinating island.

There is plenty of time for stopping in local cafes and tavernas and sampling local produce.

We hope the weather will be sunny and not too hot but sometimes it can rain and it is advisable to bring a light rain coat.

ITINERARY

The itinerary is to give you a guide to what you can expect. It may have to change due to weather of circumstance. Dafni your guide will brief you each day and we always say Trust Your Guide as they will give you the best experience.

Day 1: Arrival day.

Transfer from Athens airport. You will be met by our local taxi driver and taken to your hotel.

On the first evening we offer you the chance to get to know everybody at the Welcome dinner.

Day 2: Historical city center of Athens I (Historical ruins)

7:30-9:00 : Breakfast.

9:00-12:00: Departure from your hotel. We walk through the picturesque historical city center of Plaka, and we head to Anafiotika neighborhood which was influenced by the architecture of Cycladic islands. We walk past the Roman Agora, the Ancient Agora of Athens, the Library of Adrianos, the ancient cemetery of Kerameikos, and Pnyka, the place where the first democratic congresses were conducted. Throughout the walk we have a view of the Acropolis all around us. We end our walk in Filopappou Hill where we have a 360 degree view of Athens.

Duration: about 3 hours. Distance: 6km. Elevation: 80-147m.

12:00- Free time for lunch, relaxing, enjoying the nightlife of Athens.

Day 3: Historical city center of Athens II (National Garden-Hills of Athens)

7:30-9:00 : Breakfast.

9:00-14:00: Meet at the hotel to walk to the temple of Olympian Zeus, Zapeio, and Kallimarmaro,the stadium that hosted the first Olympic games of modern times in 1896, and the only one in the world completely built out of marble. We walk through the National Garden, previously named as the Royal Garden, where we can enjoy several flora and fauna species. We continue our walk to Lycabettus Hill and Strefi Hill where we have a 360 degree view of Athens, and we head back to the hotel crossing Panepistimio, the old academic neighborhood of Athens.

Duration: about 5 hours. Distance: 8km. Elevation: 80-277m.

14:00- Free time for lunch, relaxing, enjoying the nightlife of Athens.

Day 4: Kaisariani-Kareas & Transfer to Crete by ferry

7:30-9:00 : Breakfast.

9:00 : Meet at the hotel. We take the bus and we get off in the suburb of Kaisariani. We walk through the pine trees to the Kaisariani Monastery which is located at the foot of Mount Ymittos. In the past, the landscape was full of olive trees, while in the Monastery courtyard, there is a spring with flowing cold water. After the Monastery visit we walk further south until we reach the botanical trail of Ymittos; there are hundreds of named trees and plants, offering a treasure trove of information and enjoyment to visitors. We continue to the old church of Taxiarches where we enjoy a panoramic view of Athens. We finish our walk in Kareas, which is part of the area called ‘Byron’ named after the famous English nineteenth century poet who died in Greece helping the Greeks during the war of independence.

Duration: about 3 hours. Distance: 7km. Elevation: 200-400m.

14:00-19:00: Free time for lunch, relaxing, packing.

19:00: Transfer to Piraeus port to take the ferry to Chania.

Day 5: Arrival to Crete – Kissamos – Korfalonas – Platanaki

6.30-7.30: Transfer from Souda Port to the hotel in the town of Kissamos.

8:00-11:00 : There is an optional morning walk to the town to get to know the archaeological sites and the local traditional stores, where we may have breakfast too. We cross the little river of Kissamos and walk to the sea and then along the beach to the Korfalonas and Platanaki areas.

Duration: about 3 hours. Distance: 8 km. Elevation: 1m-20m.

11:00- Free time for lunch, rest, relaxing, enjoying the beach and/or swimming and enjoying the evening in the nearby tavernas.

Day 6: Drapanias – Cherethiana – Potamida – Kaloudiana

7:30-9:00 : Breakfast.

9:00 : Meet at the hotel.

9:00-14:00 : We go to the village of Drapanias and walk through its main square and then past a medieval Venetian communication tower and an old, abandoned olive press factory. Going uphill past a medieval well and through the olive groves we reach Cherethiana, which is a typical, small, picturesque Cretan Village at an altitude of 160 meters. We walk through the village and have a break for coffee if the local traditional kafenion is open. Now coming downhill we reach a cave chapel, Michael the Archangel, nestling under the shade of a plane tree from which the old church bell is hanging. From here we take the road to the tiny settlement of Demirtziana in order to see its medieval Venetian three-arched bridge. We turn back towards the sea and arrive at Potamida in the valley, passing on our right the famous natural clay marls which tower above the fields. We will visit the watermill museum where we will have a break and then we walk further through the village. On the return to our hotel we might have a break for a beer or food in the village of Kaloudiana.

Duration: about 4 hours. Distance: 13 km. Elevation: 5m-170m.

14:00-15:00 : Optional visit to the Pnevmatikakis Winery. We can choose from more than 10 different wines and drinks made from Cretan grapes.

15:00-  Free time for lunch, relaxing, enjoying the beach and/or swimming and enjoying the evening in the nearby tavernas.

Day 7: Free day

A free day to rest or do further walking or sightseeing on your own. You could enjoy the many attractions of Chania, or visit the famous Balos beach by a short boat trip or hire a car to explore further afield or even walk through the Samaria Gorge (detailed information provided on request).

Day 8: Kissamos Harbour – Kalyviani – Falasarna

7:30-9:00 : Breakfast.

9:15-14:30 : We take the public bus, in order to go to Kissamos Harbour where we start our walk. We go along Trachilos beach to the site of the oldest pre-human (hominid) footprints. The footprints found in 2002 by Gerard D. Gierliński (Polish Research Institute in Warsaw) at the beach of Trachilos have been dated to over six million years ago and are now the oldest known pre-human footprints. One was stolen and then found and all of them were covered up by the Greek authorities, but at least we can see the site. We walk further to the picturesque village of Kalyviani, and then through the olive groves and gardens the landscape becomes slowly bare as we arrive on the top of the hill overlooking the bay of Falasarna. Here we are at the west coast of Crete with views to the Mediterranean Sea. Falasarna prospered through its maritime affairs, evidenced by the remains of monumental buildings and artwork. In the third century BC the inhabitants of Falasarna were engaged in piracy, a common practice of the Cretan city-states. The great earthquake of 365 AD raised the west coast of Crete by 6-9 metres, destroyed Falasarna and its harbour suddenly found itself on land. This is why, if you walk around the archaeological site, you will see that the ruins of the city and its harbour are about 100 metres from the sea.

Duration: about 5 hours. Distance: 14 km. Elevation: 5m-225m.

14:30-17:30: Free time to swim in Falasarna beach and have a meal.

17:30- We take the bus back to Kissamos, and have free time for dinner and rest.

Day 9: Kotsiana – Rokka – Kera

7:30-9:00 : Breakfast.

9:00 : Meet at the hotel.

9:00-15:00 : We go around the village of Drapanias. Going uphill we find an old track leading through the olive groves to the little chapel above us built into a cave. We continue on this track over a small river bed and a magnificent mulberry tree until we reach a country road and more old tracks. At the sides of the path is a rare kind of mint and a lot of caper flowers amongst many other plants. We are in Ano Drapanias and walk along the old road to the village where we can have a stop at the traditional Kafenio for a coffee or juice before we carry on up a kalderimi (old stone road) passing an ancient wall, findinG the path leading to the giant rock which dominates the landscape. Just below its crown or dome as the locals call it, is the picturesque village of Rokka. Above the 18th/19th century houses is the site of the remains of an ancient village, whose rooms, streets, steps and tombs were cut into the stone. From there the views are stunning: South across the Rokka gorge and North to the blue sea in the distance. The gorge is rarely visited and often we can see griffon vultures flying over it. Near Rokka is the picturesque village of Kera where we can have a beer or juice in the local Kafenio before we return home.

Duration: about 5.5 hours. Distance: 14 km. Elevation: 5m-225m.

15:00- Free time for lunch, relaxing, enjoying the beach and/or swimming and enjoying the evening in the nearby tavernas.

Day 10: Nopigia – Panagia Myrtidiotisa – Agios Vasilios – Ravdouhas

7:30-9:00 : Breakfast.

9:00 : Meet at the hotel.

9:00-15:00 : Starting in Nopigia we will walk past the open air theater to the little chapel of Panagia Myrtidiotisa and then along a rough path over stones and rocks towards the little medieval chapel of Agios Vasilios on the Spatha peninsula. The blue sea is always beside us. We will encounter only a few sheep and goats and enjoy great views towards the Gramvousa peninsula across Kissamos bay. After our little break at the chapel of Agios Vasilios we walk further to the outskirts of Ravdouhas over the top of an abandoned iron mine, enjoying fantastic views of the village.

Duration: about 5 hours. Distance: 12 km. Elevation: 1m-120m

15:00-19:30: Free time for lunch, relaxing, packing.

19:30-21.30: Farewell dinner.

Day 11: Departure

Transfer after breakfast to Chania airport