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My travel in Europe:
Crete, island of Greece, 2021


Content:


Planning our second Crete trip and Rethymnon, Amari, Agia Galini, Kourtaliotiko, Preveli, Lappa

Three years ago we went to Crete, that time we lived on the Eastern side, Crete 2018. We like it a lot and now we want to visit the Western part of Crete. When only have one week of vacation you can feel a little bit stress about everything you want to do, this time we booked a two week travel. This time I do not bring the heavy DSLR camera, only used the smart phone and do not take many photos, most filming. So much easier and I saved my back.

Don't be confused by the different spelling of the names, that's how it is in Greek.

Google Map over Crete:

At Wikipedia you find more information about Crete:


Day 1:

Stockholm to Crete:

Night time bus time table:

Two weeks at Crete, Western side

Our plane departure was early in the morning, 6 am. No subway or train to take to the airport this early morning. We looked for alternatives, taxi was one, but cost 80 Euro which was a bit expensive. After a while we found a night bus, it start only 100 meter away from our door, what a surprise ! We planned to take the bus at 1:57 am.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

Waiting at the bus stop, will there be a bus here, really ?


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

This travel is done during the Covid pandemic, a lot of documents to fill in to be allowed to travel. Will they be correct or do we have to turn around direct and go back to Sweden ?


Rethymnon:

Two weeks at Crete, Western side

Everything worked perfect, we landed at Chania airport which is the Western airport. The transfer bus was waiting for us at the airport and took us to Rethymnon where we had our hotel. Linda from Airtours helped us with information already at the airport.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

We arrived early to Rethymnon and could do a lot of thing already the first day. One of the first things was to find a nearby Super Market where we could buy food for our breakfast. After that we took a long walk to the old town of Rethymnon, our hotel Daisy is on walking distance from that place. From two to three km dependents of which side of the old town to visit.

Here we had come to the old lighthouse at the Venetian harbor. It's about 200 years old and built during the Egyptian occupation 1830.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

There are a lot of beaches here, about 5 km long together, all the way from old town and far beyond our hotel.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

When walking back to our hotel we had a fantastic evening light behind us.


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Two weeks at Crete, Western side

Relaxing at the bar close to where we stay, Sangria to drink and a fruit salad.

At Wikipedia you find more information about Rethymnon:


Map over our walk to old town of Rethymnon:


Day 2:

Rethymnon old town second walk:

Two weeks at Crete, Western side

My shoes was a bit hot to wear, I bought new sandals at a shoe shop, it was a bargain, low prices now when the season ends at Crete. Gunilla look desperately for a special kind of coffee, she never found it and bought a standard coffee to have on the hotel room to breakfast.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

We have read about the entrance port to the old city in the South defense wall, here we have just found it.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

Another thing we wanted to see was the Venetian fountain. Not much left of it but still very beautiful.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

Another thing we did this second day at Rethymnon was to take a walk around the fortress Fortezza.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

The rocky beach at North side of the fortress. Exciting rock formations to look at.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

Tired after all walking during the day we sat down at a restaurant to have a dinner. In the old town there are restaurants everywhere.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

We took a seven dishes dinner with different tasty foods.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

After the dinner we walk out to the nearby square, had a look at the the Moon and a bright object nearby, must be the planet Jupiter or Venus.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

At the square is also this mosque, Neratze Mosque.

More information about Neratze Mosque:


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

Beautiful horse drown carriages.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

A more modern transportation, Volkswagen Beetle. I asked for the price to rent this car, about 80 Euro per day, almost three time more than an ordinary car.


Day 3:

Two weeks at Crete, Western side

The third day we rented a car, we got an offer from Airtours which we travel with. Pay for three days and have it for four days, all insurances included.

Here we have stopped close to the Amari Dam Reservoir.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

We did a lot of stops to take photos of the beautiful landscape.

We tried to find the archaeological site of Thronos but never find it. The Minoan archaeological site at Monastirake we found, but not allowed to take any photos at that place, because they did some research at that place.


Agia Galini:

Two weeks at Crete, Western side

At the old fishing village Agia Galini we stopped before we turn around and drive home.

At Wikipedia you find more information about Agia Galini:


This is a course map of our trip today:

Crete is not a big island, but all the mountains makes the driving to go slow.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

The hills close to Melampes.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

A last photo before we go North.


Day 4:

Kourtaliotiko Canyon:

Two weeks at Crete, Western side

This day we took the car to South of Crete once again. Our plan is to visit some beaches close to where we ended yesterday.

On the way we found this exciting canyon.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

There are very high steep cliffs on both side of the road and some small caves in the rock.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

We make another stop when we leaving the Canyon, there is a sign with the name of the Canyon.

At Wikipedia you find more information about Kourtaliotiko Gorge:


Moni Piso Preveli:

Two weeks at Crete, Western side

Out on the cliffs to the ocean we visit the Monastery of Preveli.

At Wikipedia you find more information about Moni Piso Preveli:


Preveli Bridge:

Two weeks at Crete, Western side

On the way out to the Monastery we passed through this place, on the way back we make a stop here.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

The old bridge looks like a Roman bridge, but when we read about it we found that it was a Greek bridge built during the 19th century. When the modern road was built they cut of the bridge's end parts and added these 90 degree ramps. From here we drove the car South up the mountain and down to the Preveli Palm beach.


Ammoudi Beach:

Two weeks at Crete, Western side

The second beach today, here we found people bathing and they have their off road vehicles with them.


Damnoni Beach:

Two weeks at Crete, Western side

It wasn't far to the next beach, but no road that our car could handle, we have to go back and around to reach Damnoni beach. Here we took a rest with a lunch. We visited a fourth beach, Plakias Beach before we were satisfied.


The second day trip with the rented car:

The first part is the same as yesterday.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

After we had seen the four beaches we took a small road over the mountains, at the summit we do a stop to have a look at the view.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

They seems to expect bicycle tourists too stop here. But it was a very steep road up here, how could any people take a bicycle to this place ? But believe or not but we saw a lot of bicyclers on the steep roads.


Lappa ancient Cemetery:

Two weeks at Crete, Western side

On the map we could see that is some sort of archaeological site in Lappa. That's something we must see.

We hade some problem to found this place and didn't know exact what it was to see.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

A small road lead us down a canyon, we pass by a church. Lot of water purling deep down in the canyon.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

Gunilla explain that the middle string of the road is for the horse or mule and the sides for the wheels of the wagon.


Two weeks at Crete, Western side

At last we found something that looked ancient, but this is not rock houses, it must be rock tombs.

After have seen this we took the old road back to Rethymnon, some road works forced us to take a longer way and we got back to the hotel tired.

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Day 5 to 6: Crete, West side

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