Crete

Today starts with an initial open water acclimatisation swim and optional swim analysis session and your chance to meet the crystal clear waters of South Crete. This morning our qualified coaches and guides will split the week’s swimmers into 3 speed groups, will then film each swimmer and later provide feedback on technique. This initial swim will take place off one of the nearby beaches in the dramatic backdrop of The White Mountains which dominate the area, or in the hotel’s swimming pool.

Swimmers are then free to lunch in Sfakia village itself and have a chance to rest in their room.

We meet again early afternoon when we board our traditional boat and head east of Sfakia, where the first swim of The Minoan Trail starts. The 2.2K coastal swim ends on Vritomartis beach, after exploring some caves and dramatic coastline above and below water, on the way.

Total daily swim: 2.7K

Highlights: Caves, rugged coastline.

We board our boat in the morning from the old harbour 10 mins away from our hotel and sail west to the village of Loutro. Loutro is only accessible by sea, so it retains a tranquil, time-forgotten feel to it, therefore popular and well known. Our 2.8K swim starts just east of Loutro beach and follows the coast along to the famous Glyka Nera, or Sweet Water Beach. After a relax in this well-known place, again only accessible via sea, we hop on board our boat and head back to Loutro village to sample the tavernas with their abundance of Cretan specialities.

The scattered ancient ruins of Finix can be visited on foot, if time allows.

After lunch we sail east to Sweet Water Beach to start where we finished our morning swim.

This 2K coastal swim is eastwards landing at Lovers’ Cave sandy beach. Popular myth has it, that people are only ‘allowed’ in twos in this cave, so approach with caution! After mooring with our boat there and enjoying some well deserved snacks, we motor back to Sfakia, just a very short journey away.

Total daily swim: 4.8K

Highlights: Loutro village, Finix ruins, interesting coastline.

Today we head again westward to Ayia Roumeli and is the longest journey we make on our boat, lasting about 1 hour 20 mins. Ayia Roumeli is well known amongst walkers all over the world as it is at the finish of the famous Samaria Gorge. This is the longest gorge in Greece, spanning about 18K and one of the longest in Europe, providing some remarkable scenery.

The 3.2K coastal swim starts from the ‘foothills’ of this landmark and swimmers, hugging the coast and exploring the rocky seabed, finish on Ayios Pavlos beach. This sandy beach has a cantine offering shelter and refreshments for those walkers who span the E4 walking paths, but most importantly the 11th century Byzantine church of Ayios Pavlos (Saint Paul). It is said that it was built in honour of Saint Paul’s visit to the area. It is a fine example of early Byzantine architectural simplicity and in remarkable condition, a must visit for the swimmer and visitor alike.

After a short stay for snacks and photographs we board our boat and head back to Ayia Roumeli for lunch at the coolest place in this village, the first taverna one encounters after finishing walking the Samaria Gorge.

We continue our trail and pick up where we left off, swimming a 2k coastal route from Ayios Pavlos eastward towards Plaka. During this swim we have the chance to exchange glances with the day’s walkers, who are walking the E4 path in a parallel fashion just above us on the foothills.

After the end of the swim and after replenishing lost energy with some onboard snacks, we head back to Sfakia.

Total daily swim: 5.2K

Highlights: Samaria gorge, Ayios Pavlos church, dramatic coastline.

Today we will walk one of the most famous and historical gorges in Crete, the gorge of Imbros. It was chosen as it is relatively easy to access, easy to walk through and offering spectacular sections, especially several very narrow passages along the way.

We will board a mini bus which will take us to Imbros village, the entrance of the gorge. We will then enter and walk ‘down it’ the destination being the village of Komitades where we will lunch.

After lunch we will go back to Sfakia where we will start our afternoon swim from The 3 Brothers beach. We will follow the coast up to the beach past the Lovers’ Cave exploring the many caves on the way. We will swim back to Sfakia village where the swim ends.

Total daily swim: 2K

Highlights: Unspoilt natural beauty of Imbros Gorge, caves around Sfakia village.

About Imbros Gorge Walking distance is 8 km, the average walking time is about 2 hours going down on a gentle path. It is relatively easy to walk with comfortable shoes (running shoes are good enough), offering many shaded areas.

For a number of people (especially Australians, New Zealanders and British) walking through the gorge of Imbros is almost a pilgrimage. Many people have had parents or grand-parents who fought with the 20,000 allied troops in Crete and walked through the gorge in May 1941 in order to escape the island to Egypt, via allied ships in the cover of darkness; it was a small Dunkirk!

There is a monument in Sfakia village commemorating these events.

This morning we once again sail west to pick up our trail where we left it off yesterday at the Plaka location. Beginning with a 3k swim we head eastwards along the dramatic coastline overwhelming the scenery. We have the chance to spot the E4 path walkers once more as well as the enormous birds of prey catching the warm currents high up in the mountains. We finish at the Ayios Vasilios area and after some quick snacks on board our boat we head to Marmara Beach.

Here we lunch at…”maybe one of the best tavernas in Crete”…the Chrisostomos Taverna on top of a hugh rock offering scenic views of the area, as well as mouthwatering delights!

This is the finish of yet another interesting landmark the Arathena Gorge, a dramatic chasm in the mountains visible from afar and reminiscent of bygone troubled geological events.

This afternoons 2k swim starts from Ayios Vasilios where we left of this morning and ends in Marmara Beach. After boarding our boat and relaxing over snacks we head back to our hotel.

Total daily swim: 5K

Highlights: Marmara beach, Arathena gorge, rugged coastline.

Our final day of The Minoan Trail starts where we left off near Marmara Beach. We start the swim at the beginning of this bay just below the ancient settlement of Finix town and hugging the coast we swim past Likos bay and head for the small beach at Marmara. Just before it, explore the impressive marble caves and the azure hues of the crystal clear water.

This is a 2.1K swim.

We lunch at the remote Likos bay in the tranquil Giorgos House Taverna where home made food and welcoming hospitality come as standard.

Finally we finish the Trail with a 2.2K swim starting from the Finix peninsula and heading into Loutro village itself and going round the small little ‘goat’ island with its interesting rock formation. Time allowing we stop at Loutro for a relaxed and a well deserved coffee.

You have now officially swum The Minoan Trail!

Total daily swim: 4.3K

Highlights: Caves, rugged coastline, swimming into Loutro.

The week’s tour has gone too fast and it is our final goodbye, “sto epanithin” (until we meet again). This is the last morning in the accommodation at Sfakian Horizon Hotel and swimmers are asked to vacate rooms by 11am. If you need to stay for a little longer please ask Katerina the hotel’s manager or let Michael, Lisa or any of the guides know.

If guests are staying longer in Sfakia and Crete we can suggest accommodation options and places to visit in and around the area, but heading back towards Chania Town (where swimmers usually fly into), is highly recommended.

Other Activities around Sfakia

Short walks

If you are interested in shorter walks (1-2 hours) there are some local to Sfakia. Walks are undertaken at swimmers own risk – please ask the hotel for advice if needed on walks and ensure you take your mobile and ample water with you and you have a decent pair of walking shoes on.

Some walks start at your hotel in Sfakia, others can better be accessed by car or bus.

In the village of Chora Sfakion are a couple of interesting short walks. From the road that crosses behind the down-town part of the village, you can walk up the path to the cave of Agios Antonios. In the back of the cave you can find a small chapel. The cave is surrounded by archaeological sites: an ancient beehive enclosure and a Roman shrine. Above the village you can visit the ruins of the old part of the village in Georgitsi, just uphill.

The beautiful path uphill to Manolou is a must-do. You can have a look inside the Ilingas Gorge from high up, you pass the old Agia Triada church, and come across archaeological sites with the ruins of a watchtower, and a lime kiln. All the time you have a beautiful view of the entire coast.

Archaeological sites

Sfakia is full of archaeological sites; there are several watchtowers and forts from the Venetian and Turkish era, like the fortresses in Chora Sfakion, Loutro and Agia Roumeli. In Frangokastello you find the spectacular castle from 1371. There are the ruins of ancient cities, and a hundred churches, some of which date back to the late Middle Ages, like the Byzantine church of the Twelve Apostles in Chora Sfakion, or the chapel of Saint Paul at Ayios Pavlos beach.

Yoga in Sfakia

Have a look at this site for yoga and it is run by a very enthusiastic person called Eugenia who is a specialist and partly Australian and partly Greek. http://www.yogaoncrete.gr/