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The village of Chora Sfakion on Crete
In the harbourfront of Chora Sfakion there are a lot of tavernas and some rooms for rent. Most accomodation is pretty basic, and the regional food tastes great. A tip for a good restaurant would be the Samaria Taverna on the corner, where you can have a big variety of dishes including (of course) fish, okra's and artichokes :). Besides the boat that will take you to Agia Roumeli, Loutro, Sougia and Paleochora, there is also a ferry that sets sail for the island of Gavdos a couple of times a week (two hours trip, usually in the weekends). Chora Sfakion is really a very nice place to stay. The people may seem a bit stubborn at first, but this is gone after 10 minutes and then...they are superfriendly, well...most of them. A big thumbs up for this village. |
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A little bit more about Chora SfakionThe village of Chora Sfakion is situated in the south of Crete at a distance of 60 kilometer from Chania. The village has about 400 to 500 inhabitants but it used to be much larger (about 3000 inhabitants that traded with Africa). It was a place of resistance in Venetian and Turkish times, and also during the German occupation. There is a village beach and there is another sandy beach where you can rent umbrellas and sunbeds not too far away. On the west side of the village you can also reach more quiet beaches after a 30 to 60 minutes walk. The road after Chora Sfakion becomes very steep and winding. After 2 kilometer there is a small cove with a beach and a taverna. Late in the afternoon it can get quite busy in Chora Sfakion when the ferries sail in with the tourists that made the walk through the Samaria Gorge. They don't linger around very long, but instead they go to their coaches and then go back to their hotels. |
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Facilities in Chora SfakionChora Sfakion has all the facilities that a tourist could wish for. Besides beaches, there are supermarkets, a bakery, ATMs, souvenir shops, various types of accommodations and a lot of tavernas, kafenions and restaurants to choose from. There is a diving center in the village as well. Chora Sfakion is connected by bus to Chania in the north and to Vrysses, and on its way north it will make stops in several other villages like Imbros and Kares. |
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Beaches and excursion possibilities from Chora SfakionIf you want something else than the town beach of Chora Sfakion or Vrisi Beach on the edge of the village there are plenty of opportunities to go to another beach. Of course you can walk to the beautiful and tranquil sandy / pebble beach just outside the town (or take the car), but there are also taxi boats to the beautiful naturist beach Sweet Water Beach, Marmara Beach, Loutro, Agia Roumeli or even to the island of Gavdos. To Sweet Water Beach you can go on foot as well. You walk over the main road to the west and then via a path along the coast (in my opinion not a good plan for people like me that are afraid of heights). By the way: on the other side of Chora Sfakion is the only really official nudist beach on the island of Crete. Besides a good place to find a beach Chora Sfakion is for many people also the base for their walking tours because there are good hiking paths in the area and you can make the walk through the Samaria or the Imbros Gorge from here. |
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Sweet Water BeachSweet Water Beach is sometimes named by its Greek name "Glyka Nera". The Beach is a pebble beach (with small pebbles) and it lies very protected (unless the wind comes from the south) with high cliffs behind the beach. The beach is named after the fresh water that seeps from the rocks. During high season there is a small kantina opened and there are some parasols and sun beds for rent on the beach but outside this period it is wise to bring plenty of water and a good sunscreen. Sweet water Beach can also be reached from the village of Loutro where there is a boat service leaving in the morning and returning at the end of the afternoon. Also on foot the beach can be reached from Loutro in about 45 minutes. |
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Mary Beach Apartments near Frangokastello / Chora Sfakion
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Samaria Taverna - Chora SfakionWe always seem to end up here whenever we are in Chora Sfakion. It is probably the largest taverna in the village and it is situated at the waterfront. We tried several things on several occasions, including the "dakos" (toast with tomatoes and soft cheese), chefs salad and tzatziki (with plenty of garlic). The cappuccino comes with whipped cream instead of hot milk, but it tastes good. No bad remarks about this place. Our verdict: simple and good, friendly people, an 8 out of 10 |
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Fester Medendorp, Hans Huisman, http://www.angelfire.com/super2/greece/ 2009