Hi everybody!
If you are asking to yourself what can I visit in Crete I suggest you to take a look at these 5 unforgettabile things to see in the west coast of Crete! Enjoy your reading!
Balos Lagoon
This place it is defined as the most cute and nice seaside of the entire island.
Balos lagoon
There are two ways to reach this lagoon.
The first one is to take a ferry from Kissamos and buy a ticket for an organized tour for Balos
The second one you have to travel on a dirt and panoramic road for about 10 km which is overhanging the sea. At the beginning of the road you have to pay 1 euro for the toll.
We have chosen the second way, travelling on that dirt road very slowly and carefully. At the end of the road you will find a parking for your car and then you will see a slant path that bring you to your destination in about 20 minutes.
The lagoon is wonderful! The water is crystal clear with thousands of shades and the beach seems to be pink.
At the beach you can find beach umbrella and beach chair paying 8 euro to the beach boys of Balos lagoon.
I suggest to you to arrive ad Balos lagoon in the morning (9-10 am). In this way you can appreciate the entire place and his beauty because during the rest of the day lots of tourist arrive to visit the lagoon.
Here’s other recommendation to visit Balos lagoon:
- Equip yourself with rock shoes to walk around the Balos lagoon without problems and also to observe the place from different point of views
- Don’t forget your swimming gear for your snorkeling activity
- It is better to bring some packed lunch because the kiosk of the place sells only ice-creams
Samaria Gorge
Another wonderful experience to do in Crete is doing trekking through the Samaria gorge.
Samaria gorge
The trekking track begin in the little village of Omalos (1200 m of elevation) and it long about 16 km where you can find lots of unbelievable views. At the end there’s a little sea village.
The entrance ticket costs 5 euro and during your trekking you can find about 10 pit stop places where you can relax, drink some fresh water and recover. Doing trekking in this gorge is not so difficult but I suggest you to bring you some snacks, a little bottle of water that you can recharge to pit stop places and a pair of comfortable shoes.
The first part of the path is characterized for being full of forests while the second part (that I consider the most interesting one) let you live the experience to walk in a canyon!
At the exit of the path you can reach the little sea village called Agia Roumeli by foot or with a bus service for the last 2 km! Agia Roumeli is typical seaside village where you can relax yourself waiting for the arrival of your ferry that take you to Chora Sfakion, Paleochora or Sougia. Wherever is the arrival, you can find a bus service that take you to Omalos or Chania!
We have chosen to stay in a Hotel in Omalos because it was a comfortable solution. My recommendation is to begin your trekking in the early hours of the day (7 am) to avoid to stay in the canyon part of the path during the hottest hours of the day.
Chania
Chania is the second most important city of the entire island of Crete. Located in the Akrotiri peninsula, it is, maybe, the most characteristic city of Crete.
Chania seafront
You cannot forget to visit the historic city centre called “Old Town”. Here you can find a venetian quarter full of shops, restaurants and monuments.
We have visited the Ortodox cathedral and the vegetables market then we have explored the entire Venetian harbor section of the city and, at the end, we take a ride on a horse-drawn carriage.
I suggest you to walk around the city without no planned destination. In this way you can live the entire city atmosphere!
Rethymno
Rethymno is another wonderful city of the west coast of Crete.
Rethymno by night
This city is rich of little roads, full of taverns and of handcraft shops that characterized Rethymno as a fascinating town.
We have visited the Venetian fortress that overlook the entire city. Sometimes this fortress holds a lot of art exhibition. The view that you can live at the top of this fortress is unbelievable.
If you are near Rethymno I suggest you to do a trip to the Kournas lake!
Monasteries
The west area of Crete island is full of monasteries, now uninhabited, which are really nice and captivating.
Here you can find a short guide about 3 monasteries that I consider really nice.
Chryssoskalitissa monastery
Entrance door of the Chryssoskalitissa monastery
This monastery is located near Elafonissi beach. We have visited it during the return travel from Elafonissi.
It si really attractive and it was built near a cliff. The entrance ticket costs 2 euro.
It is not so big, but is really picturesque and the overlook of the sea is amazing!
Agia Triada monastery
Agia Triada
It is located in the Akrotiri peninsula, near the city of Chania.
It is colorful and really evocative that inspire you a lot relaxing feelings. The entrance ticket costs 2,50 euro.
Katholiko monastery
Katholiko monastery
As the Agia Triada monastery, the Katholiko monastery is located in the Akrotiri peninsula.
From the car parking begin a path that guide you into the Gouvernetu monastery. Then you have to continue until a little gate from which starts the way to the Katholiko monastery. The walk lasts about 1 hour and all the road is really sunny and hot, but all the efforts that you have to spend through this trekking road are going to be rewarded at the end of the path because is full of surprises!
Well, I hope you have enjoyed this article!
Pascal
Jun 5, 2021 at 17:32
I'm going again to Crete this year.
And I'll go again with my family on foot to Balos. Some of the people in the cars that pass us encourage us, others laugh at us a little, but it doesn't matter, it avoids tons of CO² and it's good for your health.