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
Itanos is the site of an ancient city on the far north-east coast of Crete, in the Lasithi district, sitting beside the palm beach of Vai and below the fortified monastery of Toplou. People also call it Erimoupoli, the deserted city, a name that fits the low ruins scattered quietly across a bare headland above … Read more
Kouremenos beach is a long, exposed sweep of sand and pebble on the east coast of Crete. It sits in the Lasithi district near the village of Palekastro, a short hop from the famous palm beach of Vai. This is not a polished resort shore but a wild, sporty bay, scattered with tamarisk trees and … 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
Gerakari is a mountain village in the upper Amari valley of the Rethymno district in central Crete, set on the green slopes of Mount Kedros among fruit orchards and running springs. It is known across the whole island for its cherries, celebrated at a summer festival, and for apples and pears grown in the cool … Read more
Fourfouras is a mountain village in the Amari valley of the Rethymno district in central Crete, resting on the western flank of Psiloritis, the highest mountain of the island. It looks across the valley to Mount Kedros, its rocky ridge dominating the southern skyline. Orchards of cherries, apples and other fruit thrive in the cool … 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
Panagia Kera is a small Byzantine church standing among olive and cypress trees just outside the village of Kritsa, in the Lasithi district of eastern Crete near the town of Agios Nikolaos. The whitewashed, buttressed building holds the finest and most complete set of Byzantine wall paintings on the island, covering its interior with scenes … Read more