Two years ago, we spent about a month living in Stavros, a small town along the northern coast of Crete, not far from Chania. While there, we embarked on an excellent hike which leads from the town to the Katholiko beach, along a gorgeous, rocky path.
Over the years, we've gotten ourselves into many challenging hiking situations, from the Hengill Death Hike in Iceland, to the Leech Attack in Sri Lanka. And thanks to Telendos Island, we have a new one to add to our list of stupidly dangerous hikes. After so many years of travel, you'd think we might be smarter... We had crossed over on the ferry to Telendos, with some friends who were spending the day climbing. After watching them…
Kalymnos is a mountain-climber's paradise, and the heart of the scene is found in the villages lined up on the island's west coast: Myrties, Masouri and Armeos. Within easy walking distance of these towns is a wealth of over twenty crags, with literally thousands of routes, which a climber could spend a lifetime discovering. It's no surprise that many return year after year, nor that the towns have repurposed themselves as climbing meccas, with tons of specialty…
Shortly after we moved into our new home in quiet Stavros, we took a long weekend trip to Kalymnos: a small island near Kos. With an abundance of sheer vertical walls, Kalymnos is a climber's paradise, and we happened to have a mountain climbing friend who would be there on 40th birthday. Considering how close we were, we decided to hop over and help her celebrate. Arriving at Kalymnos is a little tricker than at a bigger…
After a month spent in the relentless chaos of Chania, we were greatly looking forward to the following month. Stavros would be our haven of peace, nature and tranquility. This ultra-quiet smattering of houses along the coast of the Akrotiri Peninsula barely qualifies as a "town", and is just half an hour away from Chania. Our month-long home had a full garden, a grill, tons of space, and even a hammock. It seemed custom-made for relaxing, and…
Not far from Chania, on the eastern side of the Akrotiri Peninsula, you'll find one of the strangest beaches on Crete. Seitan Limania is a small, sandy beach, emerging from a canyon shaped like a lightning bolt, out into the open sea. This isn't the kind of beach you can get to easily; with no public transportation anywhere near by, you'll need your own car or scooter to arrive. And I wouldn't rent a car for the…
Having planned a weekend road trip in the mountains for some time, we were disappointed to wake up and learn that heavy rain was expected for the day. Our rental car was already booked, and we couldn't cancel our plans, if we didn't want to lose the deposit. So we decided to embrace the misery. As it turned out, the weather created an interesting mood for the trip, and we ended up at a rustic mountain restaurant,…
I need to warn you right off the bat: this post is going to make your mouth water, so get a hand towel ready. After reading this article, you'll be a drooling, ravenous monster, trolling around your house, screaming for "Bougatsa". If you have children, you'll scare them, and your spouse might call the cops. So... you've been warned. Bougatsa is a popular pastry on Crete. Baked phyllo dough, stuffed with semolina custard and sprinkled with powdered…
Just outside of Heraklion, the biggest city and capital of Crete, lie the ruins of Knossos: one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the Western world. Knossos was home to the palace of King Minos, and thought to be the center of the extinct Minoan kingdom. It's a place drenched in history so ancient, it's positively mythological. Heraklion is a three-hour bus ride from Chania, which we were astounded to discover. It's easy to think of…
Over a decade ago, Chania announced its plans for the new home of the city's Archaelogical Museum: a modern construction of glass and steel. Luckily for us, there have been a lot of delays, and the museum is still in the same old converted mosque that's been its home since opening in 1962. Nothing against modern buildings, of course, but we can't imagine a better place to host an archaeological collection than this place. The museum itself…