Introduction

ACTIVE CRETE's Easy Walking Holiday offers you the opportunity to walk in one of the most beautiful places of the Mediterranean  but also to have enough time for other relaxing activities you choose yourself (swimming in the sea, reading a book by the hotel pool etc).

The area of Kissamos in western Crete where our holiday takes place is part of the European Programme NATURA 2000 which aims to protect its rich natural heritage and to promote eco-tourism. Our walks leave only a  green footprint as there is no need for private transport. Also they are rich  in archaeological, historical, botanical and artistic features.

The accommodation of our guests is in several hotels (depending on the holiday dates), top rated by world famous hotel booking sites. They all have a swimming pool and a garden & they are very near or by the beach.

There are several tavernas near the hotels, top rated by international holiday rating sites, offering excellent local food at prices of 12-15 Euros per person including local wine. There are shops in the nearby Kissamos town.

This holiday week contains :

Five mornings of short picturesque walks of no difficulty lasting approximately 3-4 hours including the stops. The maximum length of the walks is 5 km. These will take place in the hills, the valleys, the beaches, the town of Kissamos and the surrounding area, as well as going through traditional villages and little known Ancient sites. They are particularly beautiful in the Spring and Autumn with the abundance of flowers and plants. Each expedition starts at 09:30 or at 10:00 am at the hotel and ends between 13:00 and 13:30 pm at the hotel. Each walk has regular rest stops.

Dates, Prices and Accommodation

For details about the accommodation please click on its name

Price D : Price per person for two occupants in the twin bedded apartment/room
Price S : Price for a single occupant in the twin bedded apartment/room

25% of the price is payable on booking and the remaining 75% is due 30 days before the holiday.

Payment may also be made in GBP.

Prices include:

• Transfer from/to Chania airport (transfer from/to Heraklion airport can be arranged on request at an additional cost).
  
• 7 nights, shower/WC, hot water, fridge, electric cooker (Cormoranos Apts),  balcony/terrace, free wi fi access
• 7 x Breakfast
• Dinner on the evening of arrival
• Walks with walking Leaders

Prices do not include:

Flights, Meals (except dinner on the evening of arrival), tickets to sites or museums, bus tickets, travel insurance, air conditioning which can be used at an extra cost of 10 Euros/day (although usually not necessary in the months of the programme).

Special rates and tailormade holiday dates for group bookings above six people !

Easy Walking Holiday Programme

Day 1 - Arrival - Welcome meal

Arrival day. Transfer from Chania airport. You will be met by our local taxi driver and taken to your family- run hotel. To get to our destination on the following days, we usually walk or take the public bus, to keep our carbon footprint low and to enjoy being part of the reliable local transport system. On the first evening we offer you the chance to get to know everybody at the Welcome dinner.

Day 2 - Korfalonas - Kissamos

• 7:30-9:30 : Breakfast.
• 9:30 : Meet at the hotel.
• 9:30-13:30 : From our hotel we walk to the public bus stop; we take the bus to Korfalonas and then walk along the beach to the west. We  cross the little river of Kissamos and reach Kissamos town, where we can visit the local archaeological museum the Roman Pheidias villa, the Eastern Roman Baths, the Roman Cemetery, the main Orthodox Church of Saint Spyridon and  local traditional shops selling honey, wine, tsikoudia, herbs (also supermarkets, pharmacies) etc. We return by the regular bus service.
  Duration: about 4 hours.  Distance : 5 km. Elevation: 1m-20m.
• Return at 13:30 to the hotel.
• 13:30-... : Free time for lunch, relaxing, enjoying the beach and/or swimming, enjoying the evening in the nearby tavernas.

Day 3 - Drapanias – Pnevmatikakis Winery

• 7:30-9:30 : Breakfast.
• 9:30 : Meet at the hotel.
• 9:30-13:00 :  From the hotel we go to ancient Mythimna’s archaeological site. Nearby is the medieval church of Agios Georgios which was built on the ruins of an ancient Roman temple, which can still be seen today. Walking through olive groves we enter the southern end of the village of Drapanias on soil tracks, to the ruins of the 16^th century Villa Trevizan, named after a Venetian feudal family governing the area. After a short break in the center of Drapanias village if we want we can go uphill and find an old track leading through the olive groves to the little chapel above us built into a cave... Michael the Archangel. We continue on this track and visit the Pnevmatikakis winery . We can choose to taste from more than 10 different wines and drinks made from Cretan grapes. Our hotel is not far away.
  Duration: about 3.5  hours.  Distance : 4.5 km. Elevation: 5m-50m
• Return at 13:00 to the hotel.
• 13:00-... : Free time for lunch, relaxing, enjoying the beach and/or swimming, enjoying the evening in the nearby tavernas.

Day 4 - Kolymbari

• 7:30-9:30 : Breakfast.
• 9:30 : Meet at the hotel.
• 9:30-13:30 : We go by public bus to Kolymbari and walk through the village; there is a charming harbour with fishing caiques moored, cafes and tavernas for refreshments. We walk further to the famous Gonia Monastery. From here on the views over Chania bay are spectacular. The city of Chania and the island of Ag. Theodoroi are visible. Gonia Monastery was built between 1618 and 1634 in its present location, with Venetian influences in its architectural design and adornment. The distinctive fountain in front of the monastery's entrance was built in 1708 and the belfry in 1849. The monastery was heavily damaged by Ottoman bombardments on many occasions throughout its history and finally in 1867 during the Great Cretan Revolution (1866–1869) against the Ottoman Empire, evidence of which can be seen today in the remaining cannonball lodged in the monastery wall. The monastery contains numerous Byzantine artifacts from the 15th and 17th century including Cretan icons by painters of the famous Cretan school of icon painting (of which El Greco is the most well known pupil). It also has numerous relics and other rare religious treasures from the Byzantine period and ancient inscriptions on the walls. 
  Duration: about 4 hours.  Distance : 4 km. Elevation: 5m-50m.
• Return at 13:30 to the hotel.
• 13:30-... : Free time for lunch, relaxing, enjoying the beach and/or swimming, enjoying the evening in the nearby tavernas.

Day 5 - 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 famous Balos beach by a short boat trip or hire a car to explore further a-field or …  (detailed information provided on request).

Day 6 - Koleni - Mesonisi

• 7:30-9:30 : Breakfast.
• 9:30 : Meet at the hotel.
• 9:30-13:00 : We go to the village of Koleni. Walking through the village we find the soil road towards the beautiful old settlement of Mesonisi which faces the dramatic exit of Rokka gorge. On our way to Mesonisi we will see mainly olive trees, some of which are very old and walnut trees, fig trees etc. We could wander through the first part of the gorge which is rarely visited and encounter goats and buzzards and if we are lucky we might see a golden eagle circling above or the colony of Griffon vultures that live high in the gorge. We will visit the little chapel of the Holy Spirit, where once a barn owl was perched on the screen and then return on the same road to Koleni where we can stop at the traditional cafe & taverna for a beer, coffee or more.
  Duration: about 3.5  hours.  Distance : 5 km. Elevation: 5m-25m
• Return at 13:00 to the hotel.
• 13:00-... : Free time for lunch, relaxing, enjoying the beach and/or swimming, enjoying the evening in the nearby tavernas.

Day 7 - Nopigia – Panagia Myrtidiotisa

• 7:30-9:30 : Breakfast.
• 10:00 : Meet at the hotel.
• 10:00-13:00 : We will walk past the open air theatre of Nopigia to the little chapel  of  Panagia Myrtidiotisa and then 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, with Spatha mountain on our right.  On the return we will have a break at the little chapel of Panagia Myrtidiotissa and then we will walk past amazing rock formations and  Nopigia beach  to our  hotel. 
  Duration: about 3 hours.  Distance : 5 km. Elevation: 1m-60m.
• Return at 13:00 to the hotel.
• 13:00-... : Free time for lunch, relaxing, enjoying the beach and/or swimming, enjoying the evening in the nearby tavernas.

Day 8 - Departure

Departure day. Transfer to Chania airport.

What to bring with you

Swimming costume, sun glasses, sun hat, sun cream, strong walking shoes, small rucksack. 

Additional Information

There are a number of bikes at Cormoranos Apartments for hiring and exploring the surrounding area.  They are road and mountain bikes made by IDEAL (www.idealbikes.net) and their rental cost is 5 Euros per day. We can provide instructions for self guided rides upon request at the time.

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