Skalia, Crete
I appreciate that Crete is well travelled but I was still super impressed by the Skalia region on the south coast. My family and I came to Crete ten years ago for three weeks and was grateful I had another chance just now for a little over a week.
My friends and I stayed at Chora Skafion a pretty fishing village. We stayed at Samariá hotel right on the waterfront with amazing views and stylish rooms.
Chora skafion was where the allied troops were evacuated from in WW2 - New Zealand troops were key in the battle for Crete so has some personal relevance for me. The hotel staff told us of the locals executed for helping hide abandoned troops from the Germans.
The E4 long distance trail also passes through here. We walked two sections - to loutro a boat access only touristy fishing village and from Loutro to marama a busy beach with a taverna and sea caves for snorkeling. The sea is crystal clear - the trail is rough and very very hot in July but there are regular tavernas for resupply.
We also walked the Imbros gorge , my colleague is an engineering geologist so gave us a run down of the limestone bedding and mudstone deposits as we walked. Imbros is a slightly shorter version of the much more popular Samariá gorge. We hiked it for about 2hrs downslope and got the shuttle back to our car in Imbros village.
I also visited Frangokastello, a Venetian castle at a pretty beach near Chora skafion. Unfortunately the wind was so strong I could barely stand up so did not snorkel there.
So photos are e4, frangokastello, and Imbros gorge.
Now back to NZ to go skiing…