PRESENTATION OF SELF-CUSTOMISED TOURISTIC PACKAGES IN CRETE KOSTAS PERAKIS Touristic Operator 70 Venizelou str. – Rethimnon CRETE – GREECE Tel: +302821023423 Mob: +306946067834 www.kostasperakis.com Skype: kostasperakis E-mail: perakis.travel@gmail.com
CHOOSE YOUR DAILY ACTIVITIES! 1. The ELAFONISSI Beach (1 day) 2. The MARMARA Beach (1 day) 3. The SAMARIA Gorge (2 days) 4. The KNOSSOS Palace (1 day) 5. FRANGOKASTELO & FATA MORGANA beach (1 day) 6. The DAMNONI beach (1 day) 7. The MILIA Village (2 days) 8. The THERISOS Gorge (1 day) 9. The BALOS Lagoon (1 day) 10.The KEDRODASOS Beach (1 day) 11.The ARKADI Monastery (1 day) 12.The FALASARNA beach (1 day) 13.BOAT-SAFARI (1 or 2 days) 14.The IMBROS Gorge (1 day) 15.The PREVELI Beach (1 day)
1. The ELAFONISSI Beach ELAFONISSI is in west Crete, 75 kilometers southwest of the city of Chania. The Elafonissi area includes the beach, the islet 200 meters offshore and the shallow lagoon between the two. If you come to Crete on holiday, Elafonissi is a name you are sure to hear. Elafonissi is a tiny island with white sand, separated from the shore by a lagoon no more than one meter deep. Elafonissi means “deer island”, but you won’t see any deer on the island or in the surrounding area. The island is 75 kilometers from Chania and it will take you about an hour and a half to get here.
On the way you will see Chrissoskalitissa (or Chrysoskalitissa) Monastery, visible from afar as it is a dazzling white and built on a great rock. Climb up to pay your respects at this historic monastery and look for the golden step which, according to legend, only the truly devout can see. Elafonissi is 5 kilometers from Chrissoskalitissa. On arriving you will see a large bare expanse used as a car park, a few dusty juniper trees and the wonderful colors of the lagoon.
The island is less than 200 meters from the beach and you can easily walk there through the warm, shallow water of the lagoon. On reaching the island you will discover lots of tiny beaches on its south coast. The sand of Elafonissi is white, but in many places it is pinkish due to the thousands of broken seashells it contains. The limpid, blue-green waters will remind you of an exotic paradise.
2. The MARMARA Beach MARMARA is located between Finikas beach and Agios Pavlos. The name “Marmara” means "marbles" and is named after the soft colorful rocks that cover the area. It is a small pebble beach right at the mouth of Aradena Gorge where access is only possible by the gorge itself, by a boat from Hora Sfakion or Loutro and by the path that extends from Sfakia to all nearby coves.
On the cliff at the edge of the beach you will find a small cafe-tavern with 3 rooms with no electricity but still a perfect accommodation option for holidaymakers looking for peace and quiet and on the coast a few sun beds and umbrellas. The beach remains a small heaven and at its eastern side you will find a few beautiful caves where you can swim from one to another through a small cave tunnel through azul waters and the natural shading of the rocks.
3. The SAMARIA Gorge The gorge of SAMARIA is 16km long, starting at an altitude of 1250m and taking you all the way down to the shores of the Libyan sea in Agia Roumeli. The walk through the National Park of Samaria is 13km but you will have to walk the extra 3km to the beach of Agia Roumeli from the exit of the National Park, making it 16km. The very narrow passage near the end of the gorge is often called the "Iron Gates". None of the former inhabitants of Samaria know why the place suddenly got this name. They were always known by the locals as "Portes" which means "doors" or "gates.
The gorge of Samaria is situated in the National park of Samaria, in the White Mountains in West Crete. The park is supervised by the Department of Forestry and the gorge is generally open only from the beginning of May to the end of October. • The path is maintained. • There are wardens along the way who will help you in case of trouble or injury. • There is also a doctor stationed in the abandoned village of Samaria. • There are well-maintained springs on the way so that you do not have to carry much water. • There are toilets in several places and plenty of rubbish bins. • The gorge is open only during the day time.
What to take with you on this walk? • A water bottle which you can refill on the way. • Sun cream and a hat, especially for the last part of the walk which has very little shade. • Good shoes. These don't have to be hiking boots but you won't be contributing to your enjoyment by wearing tennis shoes or sandals. • Some food. There is no food available inside the National Park. • A jumper for the early morning: it can be cold at 1200m. • A supply of plasters in case of blisters. What sort of terrain will you encounter? Stones, stones and more stones! The terrain is stony most of the time but it varies. At the beginning the path is paved with uneven stones, then at times it is more like a forest path with some earth. Once you reach the river bed you walk mainly on pebbles (tiring on the sole of the feet). You also have to cross the river at least a dozen times, sometimes on small wooden bridges but more often by stepping on rocks. These have been placed at strategic intervals but still require some sure-footedness. The only easy path is once you leave the southern end of the National Park: it is flat and there are no stones, no shade either so that the last 3km can be really hot in summertime!
How long does it take and how fit do you need to be? A walk of 16km on flat ground should take about 3 hours if you walk at a brisk pace. This is theoretically quite easy in the gorge of Samaria as you are going down most of the time. I have crossed it in 2 hours on days where I was in a hurry. If you do not know the way and if you are not that used to walking on Cretan terrain (even if it is a very good path by Cretan standards) you will need quite a bit longer of walking time. My guess is about 4 hours although some may need a little longer, especially if you take a long time covering the first 2km which are very steep and require a little bit of experience and strong knees to walk at a good pace. Add to this time to rest, to look at the scenery, take photographs and you can count about 6 or 7 hours to cover the entire distance.
4. The KNOSSOS Palace The archaeological site of KNOSSOS is sited 5 km southeast of the city of Iraklion. There is evidence that this location was inhabited during the neolithic times (6000 B.C.). On the ruins of the neolithic settlement was built the first Minoan palace (1900 B.C.) where the dynasty that King Minos ruled. It was destroyed in 1700 B.C and a new palace built in its place. The palace covered an area of 22,000sq.m, it was multi-storeyed and had an intricate plan. Due to this fact the Palace is connected with thrilling legends, such as the myth of the Labyrinth with the Minotaur.
One of the favorite themes for discussion among scholars is the possible causes for the destruction of the Minoan Civilization. Evidence of a violent end through fire and demolition is clear, but the clues to what caused such destruction have been elusive. Professor Marinatos was the first to suggest in 1939 that the eruption of Thera, along with the associated effects, was the cause for the catastrophe. The theory argues that the earthquakes destroyed the palaces, tsunamis obliterated the fleet and peers of the Minoans, and the volcanic ash of Thera covered the whole island destroying crops and suffocating animals. Many geologists have argued that the Thera eruption was of a colossal scale, and the effects described by Marinatos were possible. Others have disagreed. Recent data places the bulk of the ash deposits of the volcano to the East caried by the easterly jet streems of the area, with little effect upon the island of Crete.
During your visit at Knossos Palace we will provide you a tourist guide who will explain everything about the Minoan civilization in Russian language, and she will be able to answer all your questions…
5. FRANGOKASTELO & FATA MORGANA beach FRANGOKASTELO is the name of a castle and scattered settlement on the south coast of Crete, about 12 km. east of Chora Sfakion and within the prefecture of Chania. The castle was built by the Venetians in 1371-74 as a garrison to impose order on the rebellious Sfakia region, to deter pirates, and to protect Venetian nobles and their properties. According to local lore, when soldiers and builders arrived on the fertile plain to begin construction of the castle, the local Sfakians, led by six Patsos brothers from the nearby settlement of Patsianos, destroyed every night what the Venetians built during the day. Eventually, the Venetians were forced to bring in additional troops and the Patsos brothers were betrayed, arrested and hanged. On 17 May 1828 a battle was fought at Frangokastello. Hundreds of Sfakiots and Epirotes led by Hatzimichalis Dalianis, a Greek patriot attempting to spread the Greek War of Independence from the mainland to Crete, occupied the castle, but were besieged by the Turks and massacred. However, many of the Turks were then themselves killed by rebel ambushes launched from the local gorges. According to tradition, around the anniversary of the battle each May, shadows of the armed Cretan and Epirote soldiers who lost their lives there seem to march towards the fortress around dawn. These are called Drosoulites, or dew-men, and have been explained as a meteorological phenomenon.
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