DK Travel : Crete : Outdoor

Page
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Kouremenos

Kouremenos is less than ideal for sunbathing because of strong breezes for most of the year. Those same breezes, however, make it a favourite windsurfing spot, with best conditions in summer usually in the afternoon.
Kourtaliotiko Gorge

Frogs, terrapins and tiny water snakes splash and slither in freshwater pools at the bottom of the pretty canyon which emerges near Plakias on the south coast.
Lake Kournas

Terrapins and migrant water birds are among the wildlife to be seen in and around Crete’s main body of fresh water. It is prettiest in spring and early summer.
Lake Votamos (Zaros)

Fed by an underground spring which provides Crete with most of its bottled mineral water, Lake Votamos is a deep blue ring of cool, clear water surrounded by flinty, barren slopes. Tavernas near the shore serve grilled trout from the lake, and a good gorge walk starts nearby.
Lammergeier

The rare Lammergeier vulture, Europe’s largest bird of prey, may be seen soaring high above the Omalos Plateau or in the high reaches of the White Mountains. Nicknamed the “bone-breaker”, the Lammergeier feeds on the carcasses of goats and sheep, and sometimes smashes bones open by dropping them from a great height to get at the marrow.
Lasithi

It is still promoted to tourists as the “Plain of Windmills”, but few of the thousands of white-sailed windmills exist in working order. That said, the drive to this bowl of rich farmland surrounded by mountains is stunning in itself. Lasithi’s patchwork of fertile fields, gardens and orchards strikes a contrast with the treeless grey slopes surrounding it.
Limin Chersonisos

Biggest and busiest of the island’s resorts, Limin Chersonisos straddles the north coast highway, a long double strip of hotels, apartment complexes, bars, restaurants, dance clubs and shops. Catering mainly to package holidaymakers, it has now almost merged with the neighbouring resorts of Stalida and Malia.
Makrigialos

Makrigialos has the best and longest beach in eastern Crete, a swathe of grey sand and shingle beneath pine-covered slopes. The village and its neighbour Analipsi have melded into a single chain of tavernas and guesthouses.
Makrygialos

The best beach on the southeast coast. A long strip of sand interspersed with pebbles shelves gently into deeper water.
Malia

A long strip of bars, clubs, shops, hotels and apartments lines the main coast highway at Malia. The splendid sandy beach is crowded with sun loungers and umbrellas from early summer until September.