Walking Holidays 2020

Crete - Coast & Mountains
8 days from £919 May & September
Crete, the largest Greek island, offers a wide range of attractions: from
sandy beaches to spectacular walks through gorges and ravines - there
is something here for everyone! The island’s history – from the Minoan
civilisation of 2000BC onwards - is remarkable. Crete has amazing
landscapes, with opportunities for walks taking in some of the main
historical and natural sights, such as the Saint George Ravine and
Spinalonga. This two-centre walking holiday will get you close to the real
heart of this wonderful island from the Gulf of Mirabello in the east, to the
Botanical Park in the west.
• 3 nights hb Eastern Crete, 4 nights hb Western Crete • 3 varied guided
walks • Visit to Elounda & Spinalonga Island • Walking tour of Rethymnon
PROGRAMME
DAY ONE: Flight to Heraklion. 20-minute transfer
to your hotel in Gouves for three nights half board
accommodation.
DAY TWO: At leisure in Gouves, or you can take
an optional excursion in the afternoon to see the
ancient ruins of the Minoan Palace of Malia.
DAY THREE: Walk 1. Kroustas and the Gulf of
Mirabello. This is a full day with a guided walk
in the morning and guided tour of Spinalonga
Island in the afternoon. After a scenic drive
through the spectacular ravine of Saint George,
the walk starts in the narrow streets of the
mountain village of Kroustas. Leaving the village,
you enter a cultivated area of almond and olive
trees. The route, which crosses the Kroustas valley
and has amazing views over the Mirabello Gulf,
ends near Pirgos. This is a downhill 4 ½ mile walk
with 500m of descent and 50m ascent. At the
end of the walk, you transfer to the coastal village
of Elounda, from where you take a 20-minute
boat trip across to the Venetian fortress island of
Spinalonga - a leper colony for the first half of the
20th century. After a guided tour of the island you
return to your hotel. 72 miles of coach travel today.
DAY FOUR: Today you leave for Rethymnon in the
west, for four nights half-board accommodation,
with an included walk en-route.
Walk 2: Ancient Eleftherna. The walk starts near
Eleftherna and ends in the village of Margarites.
Using dirt roads and paths in lush, green scenery,
you can see the ruins of Ancient Eleftherna and
an amazing stone bridge well over 2000 years
old and still in use. After some free time for lunch
and to explore Margarites with its small ceramic
workshops, you continue to Rethymnon. The walk
is 4 ½ miles with 180m ascent and 270m descent.
82 miles by coach today.
Rethymnon has a pleasant beach and resort area,
but by contrast with your first centre, is quite a
large town, with 40000 inhabitants, including a
sizeable student population. It has an impressive
Venetian fortress and harbour, and some
interesting museums.
DAY FIVE: Included morning walking tour of
Rethymnon. Walk into town with your guide
via the promenade through the charming
old quarter to the Venetian harbour, and then
through narrow streets and squares with Turkish
and Venetian architecture. During this pleasant
walk you’ll see in a local workshop how the Cretan
musical instrument, the ‘lyra’, is made and, at a
pastry shop, how to make the wafer-thin phyllo
dough for traditional pastries.
DAYS SIX AND SEVEN: In Rethymnon with an
included walking excursion.
Walk 3: Therisso and the Botanical Park and
Gardens of Crete. You travel towards Chania in
the west and then inland via the magnificent
green Therisso Gorge to the village itself and the
starting point of the walk. With the famous White
Mountains as a backdrop, the walk takes you
through olive groves near the village of Meskla.
5 ½ miles with 100m ascent and 300m descent.
From here you have a short coach transfer to the
Botanical Park and Gardens of Crete. Here you
can walk the peaceful trails along the hill slope
with herbs, shrubs and trees from all over the
world. But don’t be late for your included lunch in
the beautiful restaurant with magnificent views
across to the mountains! 106 miles coach travel
today.
There is also the chance to take an optional
excursion to Southern Crete. You visit Phaestos,
the second largest Minoan Palace in Crete,
on a hill and overlooking the olive trees and
greenhouses of the Messara Plain. Your lunchtime
break is at the seaside village of Matala. It still
retains the charm and character of a quiet fishing
village, and the laid-back, hippy lifestyle of the
60’s and 70’s lives on. Here, you can have a dip in
the Libyan Sea and still have time for a leisurely
Cretan lunch at a beach tavern. On the way back
to your hotel you stop in the mountain village of
Spili to see the Kefalovrisi, a series of 25 Venetian
lions heads spraying water from their mouths.
DAY EIGHT: Free time until your departure for
the airport, just over an hour away. Depending on
flight timings, there may be time for some lastminute
sightseeing en-route.
YOUR HOTELS
ASTIR BEACH HHHH,
Kato Gouves (three nights)
The hotel is situated on the beach in Kato
Gouves on the north coast, 10 miles from
Heraklion airport. Major refurbishment of the
public areas including the restaurant, lobby
bar and terrace took place in 2018 along
with the addition of two more swimming
pools. The hotel is modern in style and has
a reception area, lounge with satellite tv,
bar, spacious restaurant/dining room, two
elevators, a pool bar, a snack bar, and a mini
market. All of the 179 rooms are equipped
with bath or shower/wc, hairdryer, direct dial
telephone, safe box (weekly charge), radio,
satellite tv, mini-fridge and balcony or terrace.
Sea view rooms are available at a supplement.
In the hotel grounds you will find a large
sun terrace and two adult and one children’s
freshwater swimming pools. Sporting facilities
include table tennis, and minigolf. There is
also a gym and spa centre with steam bath,
sauna and whirlpool. Free wifi in the public
areas and rooms, chargeable LAN access in
the bedrooms. (www.astirbeach.gr)
HOTEL THEARTEMIS PALACE
HHHH,
Rethymnon (four nights)
The hotel is close to the town’s long sandy
beach and boulevard, and 20 minutes on foot
from the old town of Rethymnon. It consists
of 245 well-appointed and recently renovated
rooms. All the rooms are equipped with
satellite tv, direct dial telephone, refrigerator,
safety deposit box, bath/shower, wc and
hairdryer. The restaurant offers a variety of
Greek and international specialities.
(www.theartemis.gr)
If you have friends who are not
walkers interested in this itinerary, it
is featured in our Escorted Holidays
brochure with a touring programme.
Please refer to the enclosed ‘Dates and Flight Information’ for details of departure dates, prices and flights.
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