Paleochora peninsula

After meeting Peter the Swede, was time to look up a place in the south again, since the weather forecast announced extremely heavy wind from the north, so we took direction to Paleochora, 75 km south from Chania. Had a lunch stop in Maleme and after still one hour drive to Paleochora.

Last year I was just passing in Paleochora, but it was nice to spend now more days in there. In 2002 we had a room in Platanias, which was very fast clear that we didnt like the village as a holiday destination (at the time packed only with Scandinavian people and not too charming), but as always, we rented motorbikes for two weeks, so everyday we could discover new places on the island. Also Paleochora was discovered at the time and I remember that I liked it much. 

It is just in a small peninsula, 400 m wide and 700 m long, but it offers a big sandy beach and other side a rocky beach, numerous amounts of bars and tavernas, supermarkets, hotels, shops and even three bank automats for such a small area!

This time I had nice talks with other camper people, walk with Christine who I met already in Agios Nikolaos and walked with her there too, met a nice German guy who can live like the guy from the book/film "back to the wilds", very creative and happy guy. Making and playing his tens of flutes, having bicycle rides with his doggy (hmmm, all the odd camper people has a dog??), talking to everyone, was nice to meet this funny fellow.

Protected from the north wind, look how peaceful water!

Other side on the sandy beach, not so calm, you can just guess which beach I prefered!

Happy shower and dressing room

Boulevard at the rocky beach side

Even in off season many bars and tavernas were open

Sleepy cat

Happy beach play!

so many pots!

Carnival is coming soon

The way up to the fortress, which has been built and destroyed so many times. First time it was built in 1278, destroyed 1332 and rebuilt again in 1334 to get again destroyed 1539 and once again rebuilt in 1595 and so on.. In 1645, the Turks conquered the town and modified the fort to suit their needs.

In 1834 an English traveler found the fort completely destroyed and the whole area without any inhabitants and with only a granary and one or two small buildings left. In 1866 the recolonization of Paleochora began. It´s history has had big ups and downs, but it is today a lively village who lives from tourism and agricutlture with its more than 2000 habitants.

View from the fortress

View to the sandy beach

This was very long lasting rainbow

Snow was not far in here either

River meets the sea

stone circle

Cats cats and cats