Lakki is a mountain village in the Chania district of western Crete, perched on a slope of the White Mountains along the road that climbs from Chania up to the Omalos plateau and the Samaria Gorge. Whitewashed and stone houses stack up the hillside, giving wide views over deep valleys and distant peaks. Cool air, … Read more
Vryses is a large, shaded village in the Apokoronas region of western Crete, built around a river fed by mountain springs and lined with tall plane trees. Its central square, where the clear water runs beneath the planes, draws travellers and locals alike for a slow coffee in the cool. Old stone bridges cross the … Read more
Meskla is a green mountain village at the foot of the White Mountains in the Chania district of western Crete, set in the fertile Keritis valley among plane trees, running water and orange groves. Streams and springs cross the village, feeding gardens and keeping it lush even at the height of summer. Notable small Byzantine … Read more
Gavalochori is a well-preserved traditional stone village in the Apokoronas region of the Chania district in western Crete, set inland from the resorts of Almyrida and Kalyves and close to the larger village of Vamos. Cobbled lanes wind past stone houses, old wells and Venetian-era arched cisterns, while olive groves and vineyards surround the settlement … Read more
Stavros beach rests at the northern tip of the Akrotiri peninsula, a short drive from the city of Chania in western Crete. Its most striking feature is a near-circular, lagoon-like bay of calm, shallow, clear water, held beneath the bare grey mass of Stavros mountain. The enclosed water stays sheltered from wind and waves, giving … Read more
Gouverneto Monastery rises like a fortress on the wild northern edge of the Akrotiri peninsula, commanding the rocky headland near Chania in western Crete. Known also as Our Lady of the Angels, this working monastery blends Venetian military architecture with Orthodox spirituality—corner towers, thick walls and a sheltered courtyard speak to centuries of isolation and … Read more
Omalos is a high mountain plateau in the White Mountains of western Crete, a flat, fertile basin sitting at around eleven hundred metres above sea level and ringed by bare limestone peaks. A small village of the same name spreads across the basin, serving the walkers and climbers who arrive here through the year. The … Read more
Kedrodasos sits on the far southwest coast of Crete, in the Chania district, just east of the pink-sand lagoon of Elafonisi. Its name means cedar forest, and a grove of low, ancient juniper trees grows across the dunes right down to the sand. Pale sand, smooth flat rock and shallow turquoise water make it a … Read more
Kandanos stands as the main town of the Selino district in south-west Crete, a mountain village surrounded by olive groves and frescoed Byzantine churches along the road from Chania to Paleochora. The village carries a powerful history: German forces destroyed it completely during the Battle of Crete in reprisal for fierce local resistance, leaving a … Read more
Polyrrinia stands as one of western Crete’s most evocative archaeological sites, where a living mountain village merges seamlessly with the ruins of an ancient powerhouse. Perched above Kissamos in the Chania region, this settlement rewards curious travelers with stone-built lanes winding through Hellenistic walls, Roman inscriptions embedded in village houses, and an acropolis commanding sweeping … Read more