Crete tourist guide

The best Polish website dedicated to the Greek island Crete and to a small extent of continental Greece. You will find useful information related to visiting Crete that goes beyond the offer of optional tours. On the website you will also find descriptions of the most interesting places that we visited by visiting this largest Greek island. The content complements the current news, photographs and recipes of Greek cuisine.

Paleochora

Paleochora - panorama

Built on the ruins of the ancient city of Kalamydi, Paleochora (Παλαιόχωρα) is, as the locals say, "the bride of the Libyan Sea." This small town located on a small peninsula on the south-western coast of Crete is located 77 km south of the city of Chania. According to data from the 2001 census, 2,213 permanent residents inhabited Paleochora, who currently live mainly in tourism or agriculture, because this region is famous for growing tomatoes, unusual olives and olive oil. The mild Mediterranean climate and high average annual temperature (above 20 degrees C) make this area one of the warmest in Greece.

A place for active independent tourists

Paleochora itself is a quite well-organized tourist town with a beautiful large sandy beach. There is a large number of small family hotels, guest houses, taverns and bars, which are visited every year by tourists who like to build their own holidays. Paleochora is still bypassed by larger travel agencies. This independence from organized tourism is evident especially in the evening at the beach, which does not wipe out at the end of the day. Nobody rushes here for dinner in a hotel, so many people like to spend their evenings on the beach.

Paleochora - beach


The infrastructure useful for tourists, which is here, it is worth to mention the post office, banks with ATMs and a small number of stores (including a larger market). Undoubtedly, the biggest advantage of Paleochory are ferry connections, which make this place a great base for hiking trips in the surrounding mountains and ravines (including Samaria). It is also important that the city is on the line of the long-distance hiking trail E4. There are also KTEL buses that connect the town with Chania and other smaller towns.

The history of Paleochory

The story of Paleochor could be started with the words: long ago in a time when there was nothing ... and it would be an accurate comparison, because in the distant history there was not even the peninsula on which this place is currently located. There was only a small hill above the water, on which the Venetians later built the Selino fort. Only the strong earthquake that struck western Crete caused the peninsula to emerge from the sea waves. The ancient Cretans built nearby the small town of Kalamyde, which probably served as the port of ancient Kandanos, and its significant role fell in the Doric-Roman period.

The strategic significance of this place was appreciated by the Venetians, who in 1278 brought Castel Selino on the hill. However, his story confirms the turbulent history of Crete and the legendary stubbornness of its inhabitants in the fight against the invaders. Only a few decades after completion of construction, in 1322, the fortress was destroyed by rebels led by Vardas Kallergis. The Venetians, however, did not give up and a few years after the first defeat rebuilt the fortifications. In 1539, the fortress in ruins was changed by the famous pirate Barbarossa. It was only after 56 years that it was rebuilt, so that in 1595 it again proudly stood above the city. In 1653 Selino was occupied by the Turks, who ruled this place until the liberation of Crete from the Turkish yoke. In 1834, the British traveler Robert Pashley went to this area, but he only found the ruins of the former fortress.


The area of ​​the current Paleochora once again fell in blood during the Second World War, when after the occupation of Crete by the Germans it became a battlefield and the place of action of the resistance movement.

Today, only the poorly preserved ruins of Selino rising above the modern city remind us of the dark past. It is worth coming here, above all, for a beautiful panorama of the city against the background of mountains and the sea which is shown to the eyes of tourists.

Paleochora - the coast


What to do in Paleochora

In addition to visiting the remains of Castel Selino, towering over the Paleochora, it is worth remembering that it is a charming town, which should be given some attention by walking its streets. Eye-catching picturesque buildings, excellent taverns create a nice photogenic mix, ktrice is worth to capture on the pictures. In your plans you must also take a coastal walk along the eastern part of the peninsula and the sunset, which is perfectly visible from the west sandy beach.

If you would like to have a really long hiking trip, you can try to pass a part of the E4 route connecting Paleochora with Elafonissi. However, when preparing for it, keep in mind that the distance between the two places is really long, which is important especially if you would like to walk this route on both sides. For ease of one way, you can take a small cruise boat.

A small ship sailing to the beach of Elafonissi A small ship sailing to the beach of Elafonissi

A much shorter walk is an eastbound trip to the village of Anidri, where there is the charming little church of Agios Georgios, in which there are amazing frescos from 1323. It is also worth going through the same gorge connecting the village with the beach.

When planning a vacation (or part of it) in Paleochore it is worth remembering that it is a good transport connection. There are both KTEL buses and a ferry that connects Paleochora with Sougia, Agia Roumeli, Loutro, Chora Sfakion and the island of Gavdos. There are also car and bike rentals on site, so you can plan some further escapades.

Paleochora


A place for foodies

It is also worth mentioning that in Paleochory you can find great taverns offering Cretan dishes at fairly affordable prices. We recommend that you look at taverns located a little deeper in the thicket of streets of this town. Premises located near the sea will usually be slightly more expensive, and the food can be a bit more "touristy" and devoid of real local flavor.

Wandering through the streets of Paleochory, it's worth visiting the local bakeries offering the most varied salty and sweet pastries based on filo or French pastry, as well as ordinary greengrocers where you can buy delicious dried salt olives, which are local specialties.

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Interesting places on Crete

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Falasarna
Falasarna

Falasarna

W 2002 roku Falasarna zdobyła tytuł najlepszej plaży w Grecji. Wyróżnienie to nie jest bynajmniej przypadkowe, gdyż miejsce to jak na standardy Krety jest naprawdę unikalne.

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Elafonisi
Elafonisi

Elafonisi

Elafonisi is a small island located at the end of the southwestern edge of Crete. A characteristic feature of Elafonisi is the shallow lagoon connecting it with Crete.

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Elafonisi
Elafonisi

Elafonisi

Elafonisi is a small island located at the end of the southwestern edge of Crete. A characteristic feature of Elafonisi is the shallow lagoon connecting it with Crete.

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Chania Airport
Chania Airport

Chania Airport

This is the second largest airport (IATA code: CHQ) in Crete. In 2010, the airport in Chania served a total of over 1.65 million passengers.

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Chania - Xania
Chania - Xania

Chania - Xania

Chania (Χανιά) is the second largest (after Heraklion) city of Crete. The biggest advantage of Chania is the area of the Old Town and the beautiful Venetian Harbor.

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Aptera
Aptera

Aptera

Aptera is a city whose history dates back to at least a thousand years before our era. In the peak period, about 20,000 lived in it. people, of which only 1/5 were free people.

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Chania - Xania
Chania - Xania

Chania - Xania

Chania (Χανιά) is the second largest (after Heraklion) city of Crete. The biggest advantage of Chania is the area of ​​the Old Town and the beautiful Venetian Harbor.

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Sfakia
Sfakia

Sfakia

The genesis of the name of this poviat will not surprise anybody who will break the road from the Imbros gorge to Hora Sfakion.

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Frangokastello
Frangokastello

Frangokastello

Frangokastello is a small fortress that was built by the Venetians over four years from 1371. Initially, the castle was named after Saint Nikitas.

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Hrisoskalitissas
Hrisoskalitissas

Hrisoskalitissas

(Χρυσοσκαλίτισσα) The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Golden Step from the 17th century is the westernmost church building of this type.

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Hrisoskalitissas
Hrisoskalitissas

Hrisoskalitissas

(Χρυσοσκαλίτισσα) The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Golden Step from the 17th century is the westernmost church building of this type.

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The Omalos plateau
The Omalos plateau

The Omalos plateau

Omalos is a perfect starting point for exploring the Samaria Gorge. Located over 1,100 m above sea level extends over an area of 25 km2. Its size corresponds more or less to the size of the Lasithi Plateau.

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Kournas
Kournas

Kournas

Located 47 km from the city of Chania, it is the only freshwater lake in Crete. Its area is about 580 thousand. sqm. and the maximum depth is about 45 meters

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The Omalos plateau
The Omalos plateau

The Omalos plateau

Omalos is a perfect starting point for exploring the Samaria Gorge. Located over 1,100 m above sea level extends over an area of 25 km2. Its size corresponds more or less to the size of the Lasithi Plateau.

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Aradena
Aradena

Aradena

The steel crossing, which in the central part is separated from the ground by nearly 150 m, is at the leading position of the places where the longest bungee jumps are made.

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Chania - Xania
Chania - Xania

Chania - Xania

Chania (Χανιά) is the second largest (after Heraklion) city of Crete. The biggest advantage of Chania is the area of the Old Town and the beautiful Venetian Harbor.

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Sfakia
Sfakia

Sfakia

The genesis of the name of this poviat will not surprise anybody who will break the road from the Imbros gorge to Hora Sfakion. Word

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Chania Airport
Chania Airport

Chania Airport

This is the second largest airport (IATA code: CHQ) in Crete. In 2010, the airport in Chania served a total of over 1.65 million passengers.

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Chora Sfakion
Chora Sfakion

Chora Sfakion

Chora Sfakion is an extremely picturesque mountain village of the mountainous and wild Sfakia region

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Loutro
Loutro

Loutro

Loutro is famous for the fact that you can get to it only from the sea or walk on the mountain trail, because there is no other road here.

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Stavros
Stavros

Stavros

Stavros used to be a small fishing village. Today, it is primarily a tourist destination, but in a positive sense.

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Bear's Cave
Bear's Cave

Bear's Cave

The cave is less than 1 km from Moni Gouvernetou Monastery. You will reach it using the pedestrian trail that has been marked out along the slope of the Avlaki Gorge.

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Balos Lagoon
Balos Lagoon

Balos Lagoon

Balos is one of Crete's flagship beaches if not all of Greece. We can assure you that the landscapes you see during your trip to Balos will remain with you for a very long time.

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Moni Katholiko
Moni Katholiko

Moni Katholiko

Moni Katholiko is probably the oldest and most spectacular monastery in Crete. It is located 20 km north-east of Chania.

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Agia Triada Monastery
Agia Triada Monastery

Agia Triada Monastery

The Orthodox monastery of Agia Triada, located on the northern part of the Akrotiri peninsula, is one of the most beautiful and richest monasteries in Crete.

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Agia Triada Monastery
Agia Triada Monastery

Agia Triada Monastery

The Orthodox monastery of Agia Triada, located on the northern part of the Akrotiri peninsula, is one of the most beautiful and richest monasteries in Crete.

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Gouverneto Monastery
Gouverneto Monastery

Gouverneto Monastery

Gouverneto Monastery is probably the oldest active Greek Catholic monastery located on the Akrotiri peninsula near Chania.

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Imbros
Imbros

Imbros

The length of the trail leading through this place is about 8 kilometers and the difference in altitude is about 600m.

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Agia Roumeli
Agia Roumeli

Agia Roumeli

Agia Roumeli znajduje się na południowym wybrzeżu Prefektury Chania, pomiędzy miejscowościami Chora Sfakion i Paleochora.

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Souda
Souda

Souda

Until the early nineties, this place was known only to few tourists and local residents.

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Paleochora
Paleochora

Paleochora

Paleochora is a quite well-organized tourist town, with a beautiful large sandy beach

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Lissos
Lissos

Lissos

Ruiny starożytnego miasta Lissos znajdują się około 3,5 km od miejscowości Sougia na południowym wybrzeżu Krety.

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Samaria
Samaria

Samaria

Samaria is one of the most important tourist attractions located in the western part of Crete.

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Glyka Nera
Glyka Nera

Glyka Nera

Glyka Nera is one of the most spectacular beaches in Crete.

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Sougia
Sougia

Sougia

Sougia is a small town located in the southwest of Crete.

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Falasarna (excavations)
Falasarna (excavations)

Falasarna (excavations)

On the north-western coast of Crete, at the foot of the Gramovous peninsula, there are ruins of the ancient port of Korikos, later known as Falassarna.

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Krios
Krios

Krios

Krios Beach is located about 9 km west of Paleochora and it is also the last beach on this stretch of the southern coast

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Agia Sofia
Agia Sofia

Agia Sofia

Between the villages of Topolia and Koutsamatados there is an interesting cave known as Agia Sofia

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Milia
Milia

Milia

Milia is an authentic mountain settlement, which most probably dates from about the seventeenth century.

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Potamida
Potamida

Potamida

On the edge of the village of Potamida grows a complex of clay mounds called Komolithi (Komolithoi)

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Grammeno
Grammeno

Grammeno

Grammeno (Γραμμένο) is a beach that can be counted among one of the best and most beautiful beaches in this part of Crete.

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Platanias
German tunnels
Platanias<br/> German tunnels

Platanias
German tunnels

Platanias is a popular tourist destination. It is here that there are very interesting tunnels from World War II.

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Polirynia
Polirynia

Polirynia

Polyrinia was one of the most important city-states of western Crete during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. It was built amphitheater on a steep hill, rising to a height of 481 meters above sea level

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Agia Irini
Agia Irini

Agia Irini

The Agia Irini gorge, just a short distance from the village of Sougia, is one of the most popular hiking destinations.

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Gramvous
Gramvous

Gramvous

The island of Gramvousa, or in fact Imeri Gramvousa (Ήμερη Γραμβούσα), is an inseparable point of a trip that combines a stay in the Balos Lagoon with visiting the remains of a fortress located on the top of the island of Imeri Gramovousa.

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Fortress
Fortress

Fortress

Agia Roumeli is located on the south coast of Chania Prefecture, between Chora Sfakion and Paleochora.

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Ag. Pavlos
Ag. Pavlos

Ag. Pavlos

The Byzantine church of Agios Pavlos was erected on the remote Selouda Beach in the south of Crete.

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Kedrodasos
Kedrodasos

Kedrodasos

Even in the high season, Kedrodasos still remains wild and unobstructed by crowds

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Seitan Limania
Seitan Limania

Seitan Limania

There is a beach in Crete that literally makes some people shiver. This place is Seitan Limania which can be translated as Satan's Ports or Cursed Ports.

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Komentarze

Jacek Kurpik
Jacek Kurpik
2016-04-20 20:49:34

:)

Wspaniale opisaliście Palaiochore. Cudowne i spokojne miejsce.Pozdrawiam i życzę Wam udanego pobytu na Krecie.

 gość}
gość Dorota
2019-07-31 19:16:52

Promy

Witam, 

Za tydzień wybieramy się do Paleochory. Czy możecie polecić jakieś konkretne promy którymi można się dostać na Gavdos lub Elafonisi? 

Z góry dziękuję 

Gosia | crete.pl
Gosia | crete.pl
2019-07-31 19:48:06

odp. promy

Wielkiego wyboru nie ma. Na Gavdos pływa prom Anendyk. Poniżej znajdziesz link z tabelą połączeń:
https://anendyk.gr/?page_id=97

Na Elafonissi zaś pływają niewielkie stateczki firmy NEN Κρήτης. Odpływają z przystani o 10 godz., powrót o 16:30. Warto jednak dzień wcześniej dowiedzieć się czy następnego dnia będzie rejs, bo przy silniejszym wietrze statek nie wypływa.

 gość}
gość PiotrWie
2019-07-31 20:30:38

Prom z Paleochory na Gavdos płynie ładnych parę godzin- jeśli nie zamierzasz zostać na noc - a najlepiej na kilka to daj sobie spokój - dopłyniesz na Gavdos i się odwrócisz wstecz w porcie - wyspa nie jest wielka ale wystarczająco duża na co najmniej kilka dni. Nie ma za bardzo komunikacji więc raczej należy się poruszać pieszo.

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Najnowsze komentarze:

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