1 Week Kreta (Part 2/2)
- Lemayee
- 14 jul 2022
- 4 minuten om te lezen
Day 4: Samaria Gorge
The Samaria Gorge is one of the most famous sights on Crete and has been an official Greek national park since 1962. We have booked this excursion through our hotel, very early in the morning we are picked up by bus (which also passes other hotels and pick-up points) For €30 per person we are brought up to the starting point of the Samaria Gorge in Omalos. After the 16km walk we take the boat from Agia Roumeli to Sougia, where our bus brings us back at our hotel. The cost of the entrance to the park (5€) and the boat trip to Sougia (10€) is unfortunately not included in the price.
During the busride, the guide gives us information about the Samaria Gorge and the planning of our trip. She indicated where the important resting points are on the route and where you can best refill your water bottle. As in the heat it is wise to drink enough water in order to stay hydrated. At 7 am we start the descent from Omalos. We descend quickly, but we have to be careful. There are many loose stones and you quickly can lose your balance, we also saw some people fall along the way. Not a good time to get injured in the beginning. Fortunately, there are some ponies along the route to help injured hikers.
You do see some dangerous hanging rocks in certain places, luckily precautions are taken here and there.
Once you are down in the gorge it is very beautiful, you have to force yourself to stop and look around. Because you are quite focused on the stones on the floor during the walk. Fortunately there was a lot of shade in the gorge and a fresh wind which made it all very bearable. But we were extremely well equipped with good walking shoes, walking socks, sunscreen, first aid kit with (blister) plasters and even had sporty underwear.
In the end it took us about 4.5 hours before we reached the coastal town of Agia Roumeli. We jumped into the sea almost immediately afterwards to cool off. Time for a cocktail and some rest for our feet. Then we took the boat to Sougia to catch the bus to our hotel.
Day 5: Chania --> Malia
This day is our last day in the Chania region before we move towards Malia. We spend the morning in Chania for some sightseeing and shopping. We first started with a local dish "Bugatsa" at Bougatsa Iordanis. Bugatsa a kind of cheese in puff pastry topped with sugar and cinnamon. Tasty and high in calories. With good spirits we continued to walk and shop through the narrow streets of Chania.
We depart Chania towards Malia but make a stop at Koundourakis Taverna in Argiroupoli for an extensive lunch. We choose Anti-Kristo, a well-known lamb dish in Crete, which is traditionally prepared over an open fire. We also try a Retsina, which is quite popular. The white wine isn't bad either.
With a full stomach we drive to Malia to check in at our hotel. We quickly took a dip in the swimmingpool and had another cocktail before heading to old town Malia for dinner. Finally we end up at Zorbas Pizzeria and Family Taverna where we enjoyed some mezze dishes. A nice way to end this day.
Day 6: Agios Nikolaos
For our penultimate day we decide to drive towards Agios Nikolaos. After a good breakfast we headed for Agios Nikolaos. On the way we stopped at the Cretan Olive Oil Farm. It is an olive "farm" that gives tours about the production of olive oil and wine. You will receive an explanation about the different types of olives and the different production methods. They also offer wine tastings, cooking classes, cheese making and pottery making. The tour with audio guide costs 7 euros per person and really worth it. Afterwards you can taste and buy the different types of olive oil. They also have different types of honey and wine. With a full load of products in our car, we continued towards Agios Nikolaos.
On the recommendation of an employee of the Cretan Olive Oil Farm, we went for lunch at Arismari. The restaurant was actually not open yet, but on the terrace we met the chef who offered to prepare something special for us. On his advice, we all ordered the grilled squid (Calamari) and we really enjoyed it.
After that we walked around and shopped in Agios Nikolaos, looking for a nice authentic Greek linen shirt. Then we went back to Malia, to enjoy the beach at Nisos Beach. Towards the evening we visited a nice restaurant in Malia Milos Taverna. Here we also took some meze dishes as a starter and then a tasty main course with goat, lamb and chicken. We finished the evening with raki and 3 good double espressos.
Day 7: Beach Day Malia
Our last day in Crete, we decide to do nothing "Dolce far niente" We enjoy our hotel breakfast and then headed to the beach at Nisos Beach, they provided us some tasty cocktails, the espresso-martini is highly recommended. Around 5 o'clock we went back to the swimming pool of our hotel where we again order a good cocktail. We were getting ready to go out for dinner one more time. This time at Avli in Malia. We choose 3 mezzes as a starter and the ribeye steak as a main course. It really is a nice place to dine and enjoy the good wine.
Day 8: Time to go Home
Our adventure is already over, we leave early in the morning (6 am) from Malia back to the airport  in Chania.
