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Vritomartis hotel has 180 beds in 85 beautifully appointed rooms, of which 42 are located on two floors in the main building and 43 in 9 separate bungalows. |
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| Homepage : Activities : |
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| Activities: In the region |
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Visiting places by car
There are not many roads. In fact you can only drive in three
directions: the main road leading towards the north, a coastal
road going east and a road up towards the plateau of Anopolis.
The coast
The coastal road heading towards the east passes through a
number of pretty villages and near some nice beaches - among
them
Frangokastello
and Rodakino - eventually getting to Plakias and central Crete.
Anopolis
The only road heading west climbs up in hairpins towards the village of Anopolis - the heart of the Sfakia region - situated on a plateau 600-800 metres above the sea at the foot of the White Mountains. The area has hardly been discovered by tourists although there is plenty to see and explore.
Askifou
Driving up the main road leading to the North coast eventually takes you to another plateau, surrounded by mountains, the plateau of Askifou. This is also where the path leading to the village of Imbros and the Imbros gorge starts.
Visiting places by boat
The regular boat service from Hora Sfakion to Loutro, Agia Roumeli and further away to Sougia and Paleohora is a very beautiful and practical way to explore the region. Bear in mind that there is only one boat a day to Sougia and Paleohora (in the afternoon) and that you will not be able to return to Hora Sfakion the same day. For day trips there are plenty of boats to Loutro and Agia Roumeli.
Loutro
The picturesque village of Loutro is only half an hour away by boat from Hora Sfakion. It is nestled in a beautiful cove with crystal clear waters. The peninsula nearby has a ruined castle as well as a number of ruins dating back to Roman times.
For more info go to www.creteisland.gr
Agia Roumeli
Famous (or infamous) as the village where you arrive after
walking the gorge of Samaria, Agia Roumeli has the ill-deserved
reputation
of being only a transit station for walkers who have just "done"
the gorge. It is true that it does get rather crowded by midday
but as soon as you leave the centre of the village it is very
quiet, the scenery is beautiful and the beach to the east of
the village is almost deserted. You can even clean off the
salt
by having a dip in the Samaria river where it runs into the
sea, although you will not find much water in the summer.
If you want to walk a little you can walk up to the Old Agia Roumeli and the entrance of the Samaria National Park. From there, another half hour's walking will take you to the "Iron Gates", the famous very narrow part of the Samaria gorge. You can also keep going - it gets more spectacular - until you feel like turning back.
You can see a lot more photos of the area at www.west-crete.com and www.sfakia-crete.com.
Walks
The region is a walkers' paradise with walks to suit everybody's
taste and abilities, from easy coastal walks to very demanding
hikes in the mountains or in little known gorges.
You can get good information (as well as route descriptions)
on walking in Crete and in the Sfakia region at www.west-crete.com and www.sfakia-crete.com.
We also recommend the "Western Crete" book by Jonnie Godfrey and Elizabeth Karslake (Sunflower Books, ISBN 1-85691-095-4) which has some good descriptions of walks.
Some of the better known walks in the Sfakia area
The gorge of Samaria is by far the most famous and the most crowded of all the gorges. There are plenty of organised tours available and it is also easy (if a little long) and safe to walk on your own.
The Imbros gorge (ending near Hora
Sfakion) can get pretty crowded in the spring, before the Samaria
gorge opens to the public, when it is used as an alternative
organised tour. The path is easy to follow.
The gorge of Aradena (not far from Loutro) is far less frequented and the walk is more difficult, with some steep passages.
The
gorge of Ilingas (near Hora Sfakion) is, surprisingly,
totally unknown but after heavy rains in winter some years
ago now difficult to walk. From its northern
end it
is
possible
to
get to interesting
abandoned villages high above Anopolis.
Pachnes (summit at 2453 m), at the
centre of the White Mountains, can be reached from several
directions.
It is a place of silence in a moon landscape with great views
of the whole of West Crete from the summit.
Agia Roumeli to Agios Ioannis This
walk starts along the coast, passing by the almost deserted
beach of Agios Pavlos, then climbs up through a pine forest
on an ancient path to the village of Agios Ioannis. Splendid
views and a chance to see bearded vultures if you are lucky.
Agia Roumeli to Loutro starts on the
same path but continues along and above the coast towards Loutro
instead of going up.
Loutro to Hora Sfakion (or vice versa).
Not a very long walk along the coast. Its main interest is the
beautiful "Sweet water beach".
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