bossablue

Hi!

For our honeymoon next May-June we plan to spend 6 nights of our 3 weeks in Greece in Crete. We will arrive in Chania on May 30th, around 3pm and leave Heraklion on June 5th. We want to go to Elafonissi beach and walk the Samaria Gorge. We will rent a car in Hania and drop it in Heraklion.

May 30th: Arrive in Chania 3pm. Spend evening and night in Chania
May 31st: Visit Chania, rent a car and drive toward Elafonissi Beach. Sleep in Elafonissi? Paleochora?
June 1st: Elafonissi Beach. Then drive to Omalos. Sleep in Omalos.
June 2nd: Samaria Gorge, get back to the car in Omalos then drive to...? Sleep in...?
June 3rd: ?
June 4th: ? And drive back to Heraklion in the evening, sleep in Heraklion.
June 5th: Leave Heraklion

We don't mind sleeping in a different hotel/B&B every night since we will have a car. We want to avoid resort-type places if possible.

We need help to figure out this itinerary and fill the empty spots! Thanks!

stanbr

You may want to consider slowing down and perhaps enjoying your time together rather than racing around trying to see everything in the least amount of time possible.
You can spend 3 days in Chania just immersing yourselves in the past. You can spend the whole 6 days in Chania as a base and add some day trips.
Here is what Chania is like. Please plan to see this in less than a half day.
Chania http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632117917828/

travelerjan

I think stanbr meant to say, please do NOT plan to see this in less than a half day. I second the motion. My own thought would be: arrive in Chania, spend the evening of 30th then May 31 a day exploring town, on June 1 take an excursion trip for the Samaria Gorge-walk (why rent a car to have it sit parked for 10 hours?). And only afterwards get the car and do the Elafonissi thing if u must...

mr_go

Earlier this year, we covered much of the same ground that you're planning on seeing...and we enjoyed the trip a lot!

If you're interested, you can read our trip report here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...vilization.cfm

bossablue

travelerjan: is elafonissi worth it? we were attracted to the lagoon beach, clear water. Should we go somewhere else instead?

I think we might do this instead: spend 3 nights in Chania, then 2 nights on the Western Coast. We would do a dray trip from Chania to go the Samaria Gorge. We will then get to Heraklion, spend day and night there before taking the ferry out to Santorini. In this plan we won't be seeing much of the Libyan sea though... only a small bit in Agia Roumeli).

Gina_07

It is my understanding that you have no time in Heraklion. You arrive in the evening and leave next day. What time? Are you not interested in seeing Knossos? The Archeological museum? If not, why even go to Heraklion?

Make sure you pack a swimsuit for Samaria Gorge. You may want to swim in the Libyan Sea after doing the Gorge. It will be very pleasant, especially, if the weather is hot. Also, if you have old sneakers, don't throw them out yet. Take them to Samaria Gorge and you can discard them afterwards. Anything new will be ruined in one day, I guarantee.

bossablue

Gina_07: Heraklion and Knossos are not "must see" places for us. But, if we change our plans and say spend 4 nights in Chania (and do day trips to Samaria Gorge and Elafonissi) and then drive to Heraklion, we could drop off the car and the a bus to Knossos one day and get to see the town before taking the ferry to Santorini the next morning. We have to be in Heraklion solely to take that ferry.

mr_go

<i>Take them to Samaria Gorge and you can discard them afterwards. Anything new will be ruined in one day, I guarantee.</i>

I wore a sturdy, new-ish pair of Solomon hikers and they held up like champs.

Gina_07

mr-go,

I am sure if you have heavy duty shoes, they will last but is it worth it? But with sneakers? Did they look scratched, maybe, or dirty or not as new? People showed me their brand new white sneakers and they could wear them, of course, but they looked so much worse after passing through the gorge? Also, I don't like wearing hiking shoes in the heat of the summer. To each their own.

mr_go

Gina: They needed a good twice-over with a wet towel afterward, no doubt. But they held up well overall. They also served me well on the Inca Trail this past spring.

About $120 per pair for the men's shoes:
http://tinyurl.com/lvtmfa6

Gina_07

mr_go:

Thanks for the info.

It's funny but I even found a thread on tripadvisor for Samaria Gorge footwear.

stanbr

oops. I meant to say you can't plan to see all this in just half a day.
Thanks for catching that Jan. I am glad bossablue has decided to spend more time in Chania.
As for Elafonissi while it is pretty we didn't really like it. It was a long drive, there were too many people. If i might suggest you consider taking the Gramovossa Balos lagoon boat excursion instead. Balos lagoon is beautiful and Gramavossa has a 13th century pirate fortress to visit. It is about 45 minute drive from Chania starting at Kissamos.
Here is another album of Western Crete. That excursion is in images 59 through 74
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7632115757899/

Chania

I really liked Elafonissi beach and the time of the year you are going, it will not be crowded. I took the bus from Chania. It drops you off in the morning for the day & and takes you back around 4 pm. (can't remember) so you don't have to drive the kinda scary road. I have not been to Gramavossa Balos but would like to. I did go to Falassarna beach but it had tar in the sand at the time. Elafonissi was beautiful! They had a bar on the beach & chairs & umbrellas to rent. If you have a day to spend it would be worth it.