Agiofarango Gorge with friends

Me and my doggy, a handmade gift from one of my previosly unknown blog reader from Lithuania :), THANK YOU!

Trekking day through Hohlakies (Chochlakies) Gorge

I wanted to walk through this gorge after Kato Zakros, but no way that I could have manage to pass the village of Chochlakies with my camper, so narrow it got. Didn´t like the idea to park either next to the road, so I thought I must skip the idea of walking this one. BUT...After spending few days in Kouremenos with my Swedish friend, he suggested why not to borrow his scooter and get there? I was thrilled! It was 11 km drive, so why not :)

Kouremenos - Port and beach life with a friend

Kouremenos is a small place with a beach and port just beside to Palekastro / Palaiokastro in eastern Crete, south of the known Vai- beach.Vai is known for its palm forest and Kouremenos is known for its surfing. It is a well known spot for surfers, so you can understand that there is quite nice amount of wind in there! We stayed at the port some days, had nice time again with my Swedish camper friend whom I met frist time three years ago in Peloponnesos.

One day stop at Asprolithos Beach

Plan was to continue the road from the Kapsa monastery to Kato Zakros, but already five km later I could suddenly see this beautiful beach in this rocky area. Ah, Kato Zakros can wait one more day :) 

Asprolithos means in Greek, "white stones" and yes it was kinda contrast between the darker rocks. Just close your eyes from all the greenhouses which are behind your back, take your shoes off and wonder around this sandy beach. That day was no wind, water was turquoise and sun was shining!

Perfect stop for a swim, there was even a beach shower to use and a large parking to have an overnight stop with camper.

Time for the beach life in Kamari

Santorini part 6/8, Kamari

It was time for my friend to get herself swimming to the mediterranean sea, so we drew to Kamari.
Kamari is a cosmopolitan beach resort on the south east of Santorini, which has been awarded the Blue Flag. The long stretch of beach lies under the impressive mountain of Mesa Vouno. The water is deep and blue, the sand is black (just imagine how hot it is to walk in summer!)

Visiting Exo Gialos beach

Santorini part 2/8, Exo Gialos Beach

On our way to Exo Gialos Beach We made a drive to Oia, but didn´t have a stop yet, since we wanted to go there back one evening.

Plaka and its view to Spinalonga

Sunrise in Plaka, Spinalonga Island on the left.

Plaka is the village from the book of Victoria Hislop - The Island. It is telling the story of Spinalonga island, where was a leper colony from 1903 until 1957. In 2009 the Greek Mega Channel started to film television series in Plaka and Elounda area called "To Nisi", which is based on a novel from Victoria Hislop. It is one of the most expensive Greek television productions ever with a budget of €4 million. It came also in Finnish television last summer with the name - Saari.

Kolokytha Island, Peninsula of Spinalonga

This island is connected by a bridge to Crete, so I am not always just in Crete, right?

If you are staying in Agios Nikolaos or Elounda, you can easily visit this beautiful island. I have walked there already before, but this time I had time to explore it better and I still want to return there after the season for nice walkings.  When you climb up the hills, the colors of the sea shows even better, love it!

Skouros and Listis beach

Skouros Beach

If you are seeking a silent beach, I bet these two are pretty silent even in August. Just beside Kastri, Southern coast of Crete, around 70 km from Heraklion...

Discover Crete without a fixed place

As the spring has arrived I´ve start to see the backpackers again. I do see them in winter too, but obviously the weather is much nicer now for the backpackers or cyclist.

Why to take always just a fixed hotel room? I agree hotel offers certain comfort, but if you have little bit of an adventurous mind why not try camping instead? I noticed the flights have come a lot cheaper, now it can make sense to book just flights and leave the hotel open. If you like to rent rooms, you will always find rooms with reasonable prices certainly in the south coast of Crete (often 25 e a night) out of the top season (July and August)...

Birthdays, baby goats and petanque

It is always so nice to be in Frangokastello, such a nice stop with beautiful beach and of course meeting always the nice Greek family from here! This time my English camper friends were here too, as they also like to come back and back to this spot.

We celebrated Linda´s birthday, I watch the petanque, played with team UK, Greek and France and had a chance to feed a baby goat! Many nice moments and conversations with Linda, the woman who can talk non-stop, in a good way :). Most of days she was coming to my camper for a few hours chat, she has so many stories to tell, I miss her already since they left on Friday.

Monday should come better weather with plenty of sun, so we will stick around still a while in Frangokastello.

Triopetra - the three stones

We were getting to Triopetra via Agios Pavlos, located in the south coast, about 50 km from Rethymnon. Triopetra with its magical three rocks is a beach I really liked! You can walk from Agios Pavlos or vice versa to Triopetra and enjoy from the beautiful landscapes, endless beaches and rocks. I can see why the energy is good to keep yoga retrets in here.

Agios Pavlos felt a nice spot too, but not with a camper, not too much space to park, so we took direction Triopetra to check it out. Few nice looking tavernas (off season all closed) and rooms for rent, peace and tranquility is all you can find in this place.

Kastri - beads, port, sea and walking

We have passed by this village before, but this was the first time we stopped there and had a wonderful week! It is located in the South, between Mires and Ierapetra, 12 km south from Ano Viannos. Kastri is a tiny fishing village with some tavernas, port, beaches, no hotels but there are rooms to rent. Supermarket is also open all year around and its runned by a friendly man, Manolis. Actually everyone I met were so friendly and in one week time, I learned to know many people and when I made the walks with the doggy it felt that I would actually live in the village.

I made a nice friendship with Jorgos, the bead artist. He is handicapped and he is working from his wheelchair, living and working in his studio on the beach road - easy to find him. I´ve been doing myself also glass beads and hoping to make them next time together with Jorgos, would be fun. I had such a good laugh with him and he also wanted to give me a ride, how cool is that!

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.

Georgioupoli - holiday resort

I am sure that in summer Georgioupoli can be charming village, but now in February it was quite far from that! Many roads under construction and only few bars were open on the town square, rest of the village was basicly dead. There are only about 500 habitants on the village, would be nice to know the number in summer! We found a beautiful spot to stay over night, but I would like to come back there just in the beginning of the season to see the difference and when the road works are ready. Maybe make a second update, before and after.

Yhden yön pysähdys Georgioupoliksessa riitti, mutta mielelläni palaan sinne takaisin kun sesonki on lähtenyt käyntiin. Kesäisin se on varmasti viehättävä kylä turisteineen, mutta nyt sesongin ulkopuolella (helmikuussa), samaa ei voi sanoa hyvällä tahdollakaan. Toki ranta ja pikkuruinen Agios Nikolaoksen kirkko, ovat aina yhtä kauniita, mutta itse kylästä puuttui elämä. Katukuvaan vaikutti toki tietyöt, sillä moni kylän kaduista oli hiekan ja monttujen peitossa. Ainoastaan kylän keskusaukiolla oli muutama kahvila auki, nätti oli aukion keskellä oleva suihkulähde, voin vain kuvitella kuinka paljon elämää on aukion ympärillä elokuussa! Jos palaan takaisin, olisi kiva tehdä toinen bloggaus, ennen ja jälkeen.

Agios Nikolaos - seaside city

I have a regular stop in Agios Nikolaos and this time I was blessed with sun and there was no wind, well not just that morning.

Agios Nikolaos is a lively town even in off season, a real town with real people, not only a fake tourist town. In Agios Nikolaos itself are living almost 13.000 people and in the municipality area 27.000. If you book your hotel on this east side, you will have plenty of places to visit, Elounda, Plaka, Spinalonga leper-island, Kritsa the traditional mountain village etc. Agios offers also several small beaches, you might as well just stay in there and enjoy the tens of tavernas and bars.

I can recommend Agios Nikolaos as a holiday destination!

And the same in Finnish / Ja sama ehtaalla suomenkielellä

Agios Nikolaos on yksi vakio pysähdyspaikoistani, kera kaupunkilaiselämän! Tällä kertaa sain nauttia runsaasti aurinkoisesta säästä, vaikkakin joinakin päivinä oli myrkyisämpää. Ei haittaa, sillä tänne on mukava tulla, marinassa pääsee ihka oikeaan suihkuun (!) ja iso pesukonekin pyörähtää kolmen euron hintaan. Pysäköintimaksu on kaksi euroa päivä, tosin välillä se on kuusikin euroa, en ole päässyt jyvälle vielä hinnoittelun säännöstä. Viikonloput ovat ilmaisia, eli parhaassa tapauksessa viikon pysäköinnistä selviää kympillä. Lisäksi pääsen läyryämään täällä suomalaisen ystäväni kanssa, joka on asunut täällä vuosikaudet, runsain mitoin tyttöjen juttuja, tervetullutta vaihtelua sekin :)

Agios on miellyttävä pieni kaupunki, jossa on elämää myös sesongin ulkopuolella, sen takaa jo sen 13.000 asukasta itse kaupungin alueella. Erittäin hyvä tukikohta viikon tai kahden kesälomalle, täältähän on kivenheiton päässä Elounda, Plaka ja Spinalongan leprasaari, unohtamatta Kritsan perinteistä vuoristokylää.

Palms and a monastery

North East of Crete is quiet area and this time I had a look also in a monastery, not just parking under the palms at Vai beach. One perfect beach for the doggy to run around and play in the water, her favorite daily thing!

Cats and ducks and walking in Kato Zakros

Spent many nice sunny days in peaceful Kato Zakros, visiting of course Glaros again, the taverna from Christina and Jorgos. During the winter there are only ten people living so you can just imagine how peaceful it is! But still there are things to do and visit such as Dead´s Gorge , the Minoan Palace of Kato Zakros and Pelekita Cave.

Snow in Crete

This is not an usual thing in Crete, snow came slightly even on the sea level and mountains are covered by snow now. Last year I could see snow only in the top of the mountains, but this year is slightly different, feeling like back home :). Welcome to ski in Crete!

Christmas walk in Aradena Gorge

Aradena is one of the last villages where you have access by car up from Chora Sfakion, before hitting the Lefka Ori mountains. This was my second visit in Aradena and I wanted to return there, since last time I didn´t walk until to the Libyan sea at Marmara Beach where the gorge is ending. GPS coordinates to the bridge are N 35°13'22" E 24°03'42" .

 "Aradena (Aradaina)  got abandoned due the vendetta in the 40s. The two large families who lived there, exterminated eachother member by member, until it got a village with destroyed ruins......"  Read the whole interesting story from my last update in Amazing Aradena .

This time I was again lucky with the weather when I camped up in Aradena, since it is located in altitude of 600 meters it would be fresh during the day times without a sun. 8 am I had only 7 celcius in my camper, but directly when the sun shows itself the temperature gets pleasant and it is enough to wear just a t-shirt.