A Two Week Magical Adventure in Crete Greece

Samaria Gorge: The longest gorge in Europe. Located in Southern Crete.

Kalimera! I never imagined my first trip to Greece would involve never setting foot in Athens and beginning and ending it on the wild island of Crete!

But there I was. wishing I could stay in crete greece forever. in this article i share our magical adventures that we experienced on the island of crete.

The magical Balos Lagoon in NW Crete.

Overview of Crete Greece:

We primarily landed on the idea of starting and ending our trip to Greece because there were quicker flights to Crete than Athens from where we were flying from (Denver Colorado.) Plus our two friends who live on the mainland of the country probably wouldn’t be able to be there when we were visiting. (We thought we should save that trip for a different time!)

The universe meant for us to visit Crete and it was an experience I will never forget. It seems happenstance we got to spend so much time here but I think it was meant for us!

A few stats and facts for you about Crete:

1. Crete is the largest island on Greece. Thoroughly developed on the Northern half and much more rural and undeveloped on the Southern portion.

2. A population of over 600k, however a large chunk of it resides in the capital Heraklion, Chania, and a few other major cities.

3. Home to gorges, beaches, history, ruins, a melting pot of cultures, mountains, its own “brand” of Greek food, and just about every German on holiday (LOL seriously Crete is where Germany goes on vacation I think!)

4. We set up shop in a few different spots (Sitia, Heraklion, Chania, and Balos), spent almost two weeks there on the island, and I felt like we saw and experienced only a sliver of it! It’s a big island and I would highly recommend if you are planning a trip there to stay for a few years (okay maybe a year!) or just know that some experiences will be meant for a future adventure.

5. We used Lazy Snail Camper Vans and it was VERY beneficial to have a vehicle to get around and one with 4WD (more on that later.) Their team was outstanding and if we went back I would rent from them again. We also hired a driver (Giorgios from Sitia) on our first leg of Crete and if you would like his email just drop me a line!

I look for five things when I travel somewhere now out of the US, and Crete had all five of them.

They are the ability to speak a different language, have outdoor adventure opportunities, excellent food to try, cultural experiences, and the chance to meet the people of the country in a non tourist trap kinda way.

Below is a rundown of our magical adventure to Crete and what exactly made it magical. There was something “rugged” and “rough” about Crete that made it feel like it was this still undiscovered land while also being modernized at the same time.

If I have the chance to ever go back to Greece again Crete I would hope would be the place that I get to begin and end my journey again.

Enjoy our “magic” that made Crete “Crete” for us!

Diamoni (Lodging):

1. Nereids Apartments, Sitia Greece.
   Five Thumbs Up! Across from the beach, amazing staff, and the best “on-site” restaurant around (Ageras Beach Bar.)

2. Balos Beach Hotel, near Kissamos Greece.
   Again, an incredibly kind and caring staff. Lovely breakfast and access (4WD recommended) to the Balos Lagoon via car, literally the road turns to dirt after their hotel.

3. Creta Camping, Kato Gouves.
   Dimitrious ran reservations, his mom cooked food from scratch in the kitchen, and his sister made the espresso’s in the AM. We met a crew of caraveners who have been coming there for decades, oh it’s also across from the beach.

4. Camping Hania, Chania Greece.
   Pickup access for Samaria Gorge, Golden Beach is close, and a lovely park for morning runs is right around the corner. Full run campsite with pool and mini market on-site.

5. Palm House, Heraklion Greece.
   Perfect for your flight in and out of Greece. I actually walked to the airport from there in 20 minutes. Jill also stayed at Hotel Sofia near the airport when she left and enjoyed it as well.

Peripeteia (Hiking):

1. Samaria Gorge.
   The most popular Cretan gorge around, but the longest gorge in Europe packs a mean punch. I did a one way 16k hike that I would rank as one of the 30 best day hikes of my life. It started like i was in the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, turned into the Narrows of Zion, and finished with a ocean dip in the Libyan Sea! Staying in the towns of Souga or Agua Roumeli (only accessible by foot or boat) will give you an epic “Southern Crete” appreciation.

2. Richtis Gorge.
   Another gorge another day in Crete! This is a good one if near Sitia. You get a stunning waterfall, ropes to hold onto, and an ending at a beach.

3. Balos Lagoon and Gramvousa Island.
   I had such a good time at Balos Lagoon I drove there two more times with my Lazy Snail 4x4. (I did have insurance that allowed me to drive there while most rental car companies would be VERY upset if you did. That’s why I like Lazy Snail!) Gramvousa Island is also worth the visit and that can only be done by private boat or the easy to use ferry from Kissamos. Even if you are going to drive one day to Balos I would recommend the ferry because of the Gramvousa experience. I went with Cretan Daily on the ferry.

4. Kato Zakros.
   This hike, small town, and beach were rained out for me but I would say GO if you are able! It’s also the finishing point of the E4 Trail, so it’s like scaling up Katahdin in Maine on the Appalachian Trail only you end at a beach. (Yes all great trails in Crete end at beaches it seems!)

5. Heraklion Walking Food Tour.
   Part exploration, part culinary fun.

Kali Orexsi (Food):

1. Inodion, Sitia.
   Family owned. Authentic Cretan dishes. Just real epic FOOD.

2. Gramboussa, Kaliviani.
   (Their wood baked oven feta pie and veggie pumpkin blossoms are pictured above. Toss in olives from the trees and raki made on-site when you arrive and it’s hard to beat.)

3. Oi Tries Mouries, Heraklion.
   Super fascinating story and perfect to go with your airport stay (literally around the corner.)

4. Toplou Monastery, Toplou.
   Well you get the olive oil and the wine from there and pair it with everything else you eat!

5. Rousios, Agua Roumeli.
   The town of Agua was the only place I felt there could be some “tourist trap” restaurants that were built for Westerners. Save the time in figuring out which is which and head to Rousios instead. Per the menu “If we have fish it was caught by us, all the vegetables come from our garden, and the cheese is from our goats.”

6. Ageras Beach Bar, Sitia.
   Whether you stay at the Nereids or not this is a MUST, especially for breakfast!

Gramvousa Island Shipwreck.

Crete also has so many other gorge hikes, mountain towns where the communities live off the land, plenty of other world renowned beaches, top notch restaurants, Venetian fortresses, archaeological museums, and MUCH MUCH MORE that we didn’t see or write about here.

It’s a place that has stood the test of massive tourism, embracing some of it and ignoring some of it, a place where there are still hidden beaches, towns with no roads, no preservatives in their food, and probably a few of the “Malta hippies” still roaming around.

It was a magical two weeks in Crete and I hope these stories inspire you to go or inspire you to learn more about this beautiful island of People, Cats, Gorges, Olives, and more!
Comment with questions or your own stories from Crete.

Antio Sas!

Mike R