Category Archives: Excursion

Walking Aradena gorge

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The new school year was about to start. Should we have a little late summer trip before the start? Of course we should!

We had also been planning for a while to test out the van as a campervan of sorts.

So we spent some time on Sunday getting out some camping stuff. Then on Monday morning we loaded the van with everything, including the kayak and one e-bike.

We set off for Chora Sfakion and got there around lunchtime. We stopped at the bakery for sandwiches and pastries, and after that some ice-cream! We decided to go and walk Aradena gorge in the afternoon.

Aradena is a pretty wild place, some distance from Chora Sfakion which is itself a good distance from most other places in Crete.

There is an impressive metal and wood bridge that crosses over the gorge. It shakes and rumbles every time a vehicle goes over, with the sound carrying a considerable distance.

Today Aradena is not a very populated village. There is a canteen on the other side of the crossing, for the hikers who come here all the way to walk the wild gorge. There are many abandoned houses falling apart. We also met a good number of wasps, both outside and inside the gorge.

Before the walk, however, we drove down the long, winding downhill road to Livaniana, towards the exit of the gorge. We parked the e-bike there, locked to a fence, to use at the end of the walk to go back and retrieve the car.

After all the preparation, we drove over the bridge to find the beginning of the path. At this point it was 4pm, and we knew we only had a few hours before sunset.

To descend into the gorge, we walked a path that from the side looks carved in stone on the gorge wall, but it is really well kept. Then we walked on the riverbed, passing under the famous bridge, hearing all the cars rumbling.

We walked on the stony riverbed, over big boulders. We took a detour up the side on some stone steps, with an impressive view from the top. Then back down. We met other walkers during the first half of the excursion. Then it was just us. Still more boulders, and more walking. Goats and ravens. Some falling stones. A big cave. Signs for old paths to other villages, Livaniana and Agios Ioannis.

It was mostly shady and cool in the gorge, but pretty still. Some dips were pretty hot though, especially getting close to the sea.

After about 3 hours, feeling tired, we saw the sea! And in another 5 minutes we were on Marmara beach. The sun had just set. Giulia and I jumped in the sea for a quick swim, as people were leaving the tiny beach on taxi boats. We saw big groups of lionfish, 6 here, 3 there. They are really invading the Cretan sea. We saw them for the first time in Falasarna about a month ago, and we have seen them since many more times in Falasarna, in Sougia and now here.

I rushed up the path from Marmara to Livaniana to get the bike. I almost run and it took a good 20 minutes. In the twilight, I jumped on the e-bike and gave it all up the steep hill. It was a beautiful ride, with the soft dusk light below me as I ascended the hairpin bends. I was sweating exhilaration and effort. Towards the top it was dark enough and I was fast enough that I almost lost control on a bend, going up what must have been 15% slope.

I rode over the bridge in semi-darkness, invisible, announced by the rumble. I loaded the bike on the car and drove again back down the same road, to meet the girls. They had walked up the path to Livaniana, then made it another km or so up the road. We finished the day with a glorious dinner at a taverna in Anopoli, with super tasty vegetables and the best appetite after walking (and cycling) for hours!

 
Total distance: 6.42 km
Max elevation: 574 m
Min elevation: 4 m
Total climbing: 136 m
Total descent: -704 m
Total time: 03:05:16
Download file: Walk-AradenaGorge-Short09092019.gpx

E-bike ride on the South coast: Paleochora – Sougia

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The South coast has been beckoning for some time, I have been wanting to do some cycling there for a while. The road between Paleochora and Sougia promised to be spectacular.

Studying the map, I wasn’t sure it was paved all the way through. Not a big deal either case, as we loaded the trusty Hillmaster electric mountain bike on the van.

We also planned to do some of the cycling together, and loaded bikes for all the family. Sofia is still too short to ride one of our electric bikes, she rides a plain mountain bike that was originally Giulia’s. This limits our range together a bit, and we decided to pedal the first flat part together until the road becomes too steep.

We drove from home in the morning, on the mostly quiet mountain roads from Kissamos. In about an hour, we were buying lunch from the bakery in Paleochora.

We cycled through town, then along the coast going East. After a couple of km, we hit the hill that goes up to Anidri village. We tackled it for a good while, until the girls had had enough and turned back. I switched on the motor, and set off.

The road climbed regularly, up and up and up. I kept the assistance always on the lowest level, Eco, I wanted to make an effort! I cycled through Anidri village, I zig-zagged on. Low Mediterranean scrub everywhere, sea views in the distance. I passed the village of Prodromi, the road was still paved all the way. Some trees in the small valleys, plane and carob trees.

I was getting higher, the air was cooler. Gavdos island was there, in the hazy distance. Pine trees on the roadside now! I met 4 cars in 15km, about one hour of cycling. The col was marked by a blue and white church, stereotypical of Greece but not a common sight in Crete. Shortly after, I rejoined the ‘main’ road going from Paleochora.

On my right, the valley side facing North was now covered by a proper tree forest, an interesting change! I took a break for some water and banana in Rodovani, wondering how far behind the girls driving to Sougia I would be.

Then I launched myself into a full speed descent towards Sougia. Corner after corner, I tried to slow down as little as possible, touching a maximum speed of 60 km/h. Pines on both sides of the road, until I reached the valley bottom with the river bed on my left, marking the arrival in Sougia. I must have done the 15km in half an hour.

Sougia was hot and sticky. The sun was not shining very strong, but the air was not really moving. I found the girls already cooling down in the sea.

Fiona came to meet me. We had a picnic all together in the shade of a tamerisk behind the beach. After food, we moved back to the shore for a refreshing swim.

Even the sea was hazy! We swam along the beach, going East, towards the big rocks just a few metres off shore. There were continuous changes in temperature in the sea. Cool, hazy surface, a warmer layer of water below, then cool again at some depth. We spotted some small groupers and some lionfish hiding between some rocks on the bottom.

We found some waves between the rocks. We swam around them, the water was clearer here. We saw plenty of fish, damselfish and many very big and bright saddled seabreams. Cretan parrotfish, of course. We passed some submerged rocks, circled the big rock sticking out and swam back. A beautiful swim.

We walked into town for an ice-cream, then drove home.

 

Total distance: 33.61 km
Max elevation: 759 m
Min elevation: -9 m
Total climbing: 876 m
Total descent: -856 m
Total time: 02:16:25
Download file: Ebike-Paleochora-Sougia-Short05092019.gpx

A day in Antikythira

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On a hot July day, we embarked on a day trip to the small island of Antikythira.

E-bikes in Antikythira!

E-bikes in Antikythira!

Antikythira is really a small, wild rock in the middle of the sea, between Crete and the Peloponnese.

An old resident, with an Aussie intonation from a lifetime spent downunder, recounted a condensed, local version  of the island’s origin myth for us.

God was creating the land, mainland Greece. He was using soil to make the big, vast plains. He flicked a few of the remaining small rocks around in the sea. A tiny one landed here; thus our island was born.

We took with us our new favourite mean of transport, our e-bikes. We would have some help on the steep local roads.

When you arrive in Antikythira, you are greeted by a few locals expecting people or stuff from the 3-times-a-week ferry. Residents seem bemused to receive visitors, but they are quick to be welcoming, offer information and generally show friendliness. We struck more conversations in Antikythira in one day than in a week of regular life back home.

On landing, you are also instantly offered a taste of the landscape. The only road from the harbour and main town goes up the steep hillside, with a slope somewhere between 10 and 20%. The vegetation is low bushes and climbers. Rocks and red earth. Even the goats are sparse.

The power of our legs combined with the electric motor, makes the climb doable. When we get to the top, we opt to visit a small bay a little way North of Potamos village, on the way to the dwelling of Patakiana, where the map shows we might be able to get in the water from the rocks.

We cycle up and down the main road inland, then take a turn and soon we’re on a dirt road in good conditions. After a little while, we park our bikes and descend walking towards the coast. The rocks are dark and hot, but walkable. The sea is beautiful, calm, cool and clear. There’s a small traditional fishing boat in the bay, laying nets, and nobody or nothing else.

We jump in the sea for a swim all together, in awe of the wilderness surrounding us. After the family swim, I set out swimming towards the small rocks out at sea visible from the shore, about 700m away, expecting good snorkelling grounds. I am rewarded by shoals of countless fish around the shallow rocky reef on the edge of the tiny island. There’s not a wave, but a strong current is pushing against the steep side of the reef. I swim around the rocks, along the sheer underwater cliff on the Eastern side. I find a gap between the rocks and swim through it, getting back to the sheltered, main-island-facing side with its shallow underwater rocks.

After our swim, we have our picnic on the dark rocks. Then we decide to go see the other side of the island. We retrace our steps on the ebikes for a while, then turn towards the scenic bay of Kamarela. This is an enclosed, rocky bay on the West side of Antikythira, with postcard-worth views of rock arches from the top and an exit to the sea. We find some shade on the tiny beach and go snorkelling again. We venture through the exit out in the open sea, where the sea-bottom drops steeply as to remind us of our limits. We stay close and get back after seeing fish, sea snails, crabs, shrimps, starfish.

We hear more stories, about the Italian and German viewing posts in the area, from a local shepherd. We decide to leave exploring those paths, and the rest of the island, for another time.

Back in the main town, we eat some delicious food at the local taverna, again peppered with some local stories and conversations with the only other fellow visitors we have seen around.

After dinner, we use the spare energy to walk to the church at the top of the town. We absorb the view of the small bay as the day ends, anticipating the appearance of the ferry that will soon take us home.

 

We promise to return for more adventures.

A track of my swim around the little offshore rocks:

 

Krios – Elafonissi Crete South Coast Hike

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On a warm, late June day, we embarked on a family trip, with David and Sophie, to walk part of the path between Paleochora and Elafonissi.

The E4 pathway, that crosses all Crete from East to West, runs along this wonderful stretch of coast. I have been eyeing to walk it for a while, and the time felt right. The weather forecast was promising, with temperatures in the high 20s, a good breeze and low humidity.

The proper path starts from Krios, by a small pebbly beach a few km West of Paleochora.

The views are awesome. There’s a first climb with views to Elafonissi, followed by a quick descent to Viena. Around the well sheltered bay lies an ancient temple with stone columns, and a small beach for a refreshing dip. We also meet other hikers with very heavy-looking backpacks, equipped for multi-day hikes. We wonder how well they cope. We are only carrying small day rucksack with a few kilos, and we sweat easily every time we hit some ascending slope, which is often.

After Viena, the path is even more spectacular. It climbs up again towards a small church. Views of the junipers around Kedrodassos, Elafonissi in the distance, tropical beach settings with turquoise waters. Small break at the church, we see more heavy-loaded hikers. The path gets narrow, we walk around parts exposed to a wind that comes in strong gusts.

We get back down to sea level, longing for another dip in the sea, but looking for a good spot to have our lunch break. In the heat of the moment, we miss a turn and walk a bit further. We walk back and understand that the passage is through a small gorge, which brings us right down to the coast. We find a perfect cove and have our picnic.

The sea and the snorkelling are beautiful here. The water is amazingly clear and feels really cold, especially compared to the outside air temperature.

After lunch, we need to pick up our pace. The only bus to take us back to Paleochora leaves in about one hour, and we still have a few km to go. We walk through the surprisingly busy beaches around Kedrodassos. Clearly Kedrodassos is no secret anymore. Most people drive the bad dirt road from Elafonissi and park just above the beach. Understandably, we meet few people walking now, it’s 3pm.

The juniper trees put up a display of interestingly curved shapes and dark wood, in contrast to the clear sands. They offer little shade though, they are too low.

After the last rocks, we reach the mooring for the boat going to Paleochora, but it’s not running today, too windy. We walk through the car park which now feels really hot and find the bus. It takes a while for our bodies to cool down. The bus takes the winding roads back to Paleochora, then I will take another bus to pick up the car from Krios.

The walk is well worth it. Next time in cooler conditions!

African wind

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On the last day of January a strong Southern wind hit the island. It brought tons of African dust and very tall waves.

We drove to Sfinari for some fun. The waves were amazing, perfectly formed and huge. We had the company of some guys trying to surf. We later discovered they were Erasmus students in Chania, and surfing beginners. This much we could tell. There were 5 of them, not one managed to ride a single wave! And only two managed to get past the break for a go. On the other hand, out of 2 surf boards they came with, one came back in two pieces.

We spent most of our time playing ‘catch me if you can’ with the waves on the shore, which is Giugiu’s favourite game, and hunting for driftwood, Fiona’s great pastime. After we finished, we had to put the seat down in the car, so full was the boot with the most beautiful pieces of driftwood. Big logs, long forks, red roots, holey branches, a brilliant yoke, you name it.

Snow in Crete

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Snow on Rodopou mountains

Snow on Rodopou mountains

With the new year the air turned cold. Icy cold.

After an especially cold night, as we got up it looked like it was snowing. It must have been an illusion, because we rubbed our eyes, took a second look and it was just plain ol’ rain.

The morning was kind of sunny, the air was crisp. We had a drive around. As soon as the mountains of Rodopo peninsula were in sight, the white shine hit us. A light snow cover. We resolved on the spot to hit the road North towards the mountains.

Snowy Elos

Snowy Elos

We got out boots, gloves and mittens, hats and we drove towards Elos. We could see snowcapped peaks on both sides in the distance. We got to Elos and there was a good cover of fresh, perfectly soft snow. After some grey clouds, the sun peered out again as we started throwing snowballs around. Sofia needed help making balls, while Giugiu just threw whatever shaped block she happened to extract from the snow. Fiona was busy testing slow-mo parabolic trajectories, while I just hit randomly whoever was around.

Then we built an Olafaki, that is, a “Frozen” inspired snowman. Alas no picture, but Fiona’s engineering skills were put to better use in this case so it looked pretty good.

We had a quick walk around, still long enough for Giulia and Sofia to fall down in the slippery snow.

Then we thought it best to abandon the playing field before numbing our extremities to the core.

Giulia and Sofia were still asking for more. We left saying ’till next week’.

Snowball fight!

Snowball fight!

Christmas day in Elafonissi

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Elafonissi pink sand, pink bottles, pink girls


On Christmas day the forecast was good, so we took it as a chance for a day trip.

Naturally we pointed South, and drove to Elafonissi along the West coast.

After over an hour we got there. It was just before noon, and we were alone on the beach. The tide was low, we walked on the sandy strip. We didn’t need to cross any water, the small island was completely attached to the mainland. The lagoon on our sides, we walked to the beginning of the little beaches on the Eastern side. We found some shelter from the cool wind behind some rocks. The sun was out so we took all our clothes off for a Xmas swim. Giugiu and I pushed forward and swam around for a bit in the reinvigorating water, while Fiona and Sofia hesitated behind and quickly got out. There’s a funny story about this moment, but Fiona censored it so it will stay in our memories only.

Christmas in Elafonissi

 

We played around a bit longer, took some pictures, saw some people strolling around the lagoon. Then we drove back along the beautiful coastal road, inevitably thinking and talking about Christmases past, family meetings, awkwardness, overflowing stomachs, senseless opulence and all those Christmas spirit staples. This year we were on our own, and it was simple.

Family Xmas picture

Family Xmas picture

In search of Kokkina Gremna

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Black goat

Black goat

Today we went to Falasarna, but decided it was too windy so we drove past it.

Back up the hill and South towards Sfinari, we took a steep dirt road going over a ridge towards the sea.

When the road became too bad to drive, we left the car and walked a bit. Sofia wasn’t on her best day, so we didn’t walk much. We still got to the end of the road, where we could only see sheep, rocks and great views. I studied a possible way down to the beach of Kokkina Gremna through the barren ground. I couldn’t clearly see one but left with the impression that it should be possible. Then we turned back.

Loading driftwood on the kayak

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Our steed on the driftwood beach

Our steed on the driftwood beach

Yesterday we finally went on our kayaking trip to collect some driftwood that we had planned for a while.

The sky was cloudy, so were not exactly kissed by the sun warmth. Luckily the air was still enough that we didn’t really get splashed and paddling was easy.

It took a while to reach our destination. I remembered it closer from the time we walked through there. We saw someone walking their dog on the way but they never got to the beach where we were.

Eventually we did get there, and Fiona set off in search of the best items. She came back with some nice bundles, and of course some rocks as well, to make sure the kayak wouldn’t be too light.

Fiona happy to have found a pallet, unaware of future developments

Fiona happy to have found a pallet, unaware of future developments

We also spotted a very nice and new looking pallet, which I wanted to take back. We tied it to the back of the kayak and set off from the beach like that, but soon realized that the drag was enormous. Fiona didn’t fail to make that clear for the whole 5 minutes we tried to kayak with it and also some of the following hour. So I untied the pallet and we left it there. The best prize then was a big dry sponge.

We got back to the car quite dry, if not exactly warm.

So we now know that it’s ok to kayak even in the winter, but it’s better to have not only a still, but also a sunny day.

Back to Nopigia with our driftwood load

Back to Nopigia with our driftwood load

Sfakia

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In Greek twilight goes under the name of lykofos, literally (and appropriately) 'wolf light'.

In Greek twilight goes under the name of lykofos, literally (and appropriately) ‘wolf light’.

Over the week we decided to spend some days on the warm Southern coast of Crete.

We knew it would take a long time to get there and a long drive, so we decided to set off on Friday straight after school and spend two nights in Chora Sfakion.

After the pass, past Askifou, we were welcomed by some awesome ‘wolf light’ with a view on the Lybian sea, Gavdos and Gavdopoula. The air was crisp on the mountains, then hazy towards the sea.

In Chora Sfakion we had a look around the small harbour with huge cement blocks before going back to our hotel for dinner and bed. On the first night we did two amazing discoveries. First both Giulia and Sofia were so hungry that they both devoured cabbage and carrot salad. When it was finished Sofia asked for more, and she has requested it again in the following days. Then at night we saw a moonbow, a fuzzy wide light circle around the not quite full moon.

Sunset on Gavdos descending into Chora Sfakion

Sunset on Gavdos descending into Chora Sfakion

On Saturday we bought some lunch from the bakery and we set off towards Finikas. We took the long and winding road West of Chora towards Anopoli. We saw many griffon vultures on the way, six flying all together. Past the quiet village of Anopoli, we got to Aradena and stopped for a look around the famous bridge over the narrow gorge. Very impressive drop, we saw signs for bungee jumping from the bridge. It was built only some 25 years ago. It’s made of wood planks resting on the metal structure. The chilling experience is made of the wide gaps between the free-moving planks. It’s impossible to resist the temptation to look at the 100m drop underneath.

Then we took the partly dirt road descending to Finikas. The slow drive let us take in the wild landscape. When we got to Finikas nobody was around, it was like the scene in “Mediterraneo” when the Italian soldiers arrive at the small seafront village and it appears abandoned. Except Finikas is even smaller, and nobody turned up even later. So we put down our stuff on a small jetty and dutifully proceeded to swim in the chilling water. I went snorkelling but the swell was strong just out of the bay and visibility so and so. Giugiu and Sofia bathed merrily in the sun with their floats, playing with the inflatable ball we found floating behind a rock. Even Fiona jumped in, if only for one minute.

So we thought to hike up the hill over towards Loutro. The path is good but a bit steep for Sofia. We stopped at the top and had lunch in the Frankish ruins of a castle. Then we walked a bit more to take a peek of Loutro before turning back. By this point Sofia was tired of walking and the good mood was turning too. We made our way back to the car and drove back to see more vultures flying very close to the road after Anopoli before descending to Chora.

Back in Chora we had showers, then we goofed and walked around a bit more. Eventually we went to have dinner ‘downtown’. We saw some people eating in one of the only restaurants. It turned out to be the owner and his friends, but they were very welcoming and probably a bit drunk. They joked about omelettes while we had our delicious dinner. We had some more good tsikoudia to finish the meal, not quite as good as the one we tasted the night before though.

On Sunday we left Chora and drove to Frangokastelo. On the way we took a turn to a beach a few km before Frangokastelo. The sun was out but so was the wind. We climbed over a rock hoping to find a more sheltered shore, but it was just as exposed and the water was full of shallow rocks. I went in for a snorkel and monofinned my way West. Visibility was not so good by the shore, temperature was decent. I found some rocky coastline but didn’t see much life. I was surprised because I’d seen two spearfishermen and a fishing boat so I thought it would be a great place. Back nearby the beach I found that the sea bottom was more interesting, with plenty of small rocky arches rising from the seabed. I dived under one of them and hit my foot causing my fin to come off. In the meantime Giulia had been playing with the waves a bit.

Then we went to Frangokastelo itself, where we had a look around the castle (literally, because it was closed) and a yummy picnic with leftovers from the night before. Few people around, a mum with her kid, some ‘mature beachgoers’. We also walked to the shore, Giugiu and Sofia splashed around, then we got back in the car. We drove a long time to get home. It was well worth it.