Exploring the South Coast of Crete: A Kayaking Adventure
What could be more adventurous? We kayaked with a small group of seven over two days, covering 17 km (about 10 miles). Along the way, we explored some incredible private beaches. We camped under the stars, sleeping on an air mat with a sheet.
Sougia
We drove to Sougia, had a nice lunch, and bought snacks and white wine for our upcoming kayak trip. I was pretty nervous as I had never paddled more than one hour in a bay in Long Beach, and I was about to do 17 km!
We started in the small village of Sougia, about 45 miles south of Chania. We had a lovely, hearty lunch and discussed our impending exploration that was about to begin.
Sougia was once a popular destination for hippies. Today, the village is calm and peaceful. A beautiful landscape surrounds it, and the village provides everything you need for a great vacation.
In Sougia, you will find many restaurants, taverns, rooms (hotels), coffee shops, bars, and a mini-market. What you will not find is a gas station, hospital, pharmacy, or bank.
A lovely, quiet beach with coarse sand and crystal-clear deep water stretches in front of the village. The beach starts from the small harbor of Sougia at the exit of Lissos Gorge and stretches to the east for about one mile.
The beach ends in a small cove, hidden between rocks, with a small stretch almost exclusively preferred by “clothing optional” beachgoers. And by “clothing optional,” we mean nudists or “naturists.” This main beach in front of the village offers umbrellas, showers, sports, a lifeguard station, and many trees for shade.
Paddling to Our Overnight Beach to Campout Under the Stars
We begin our journey by paddling along the coast of Crete. We take breaks to explore, swim, and take pictures of the beautiful landscape. The landscape features clear blue water, small harbors, and private beaches. At one stop, there was a massive rock in the water close to shore, known for people jumping off and into the sea. Of course, Bob couldn’t resist and had to jump from the rock, too!
At the third stop, it was time to break for the night. We were exhausted, having paddled about 7.5 miles (12 km) by the time we arrived at our first-night destination. We set up camp (meaning our mat and sheet) and ate our small dinner of sausage, cheese, and white wine before laying down to sleep. The sky was magnificent, full of stars, and we saw a couple of shooting stars and the Milky Way before dozing off to sleep.
The next morning, we walked the beach exploring, and Bob found a huge nest where a Loggerhead Sea Turtle had settled down one night. It was fun to think we were sleeping right next to where a sea turtle slept the night before us. After some more exploring and a morning swim, we took off in our kayaks for more exploring.
Paddling to Agia Romeli
There were only two stops on our second day as we were only about 3 miles (5 km) from Agia Romeli, our destination for day two. Once we arrived, we showered and changed into dry clothes to explore this small village and find some lunch. Of course, we opted for a Cretan Salad, a beer sampler appetizer with pork and sausages, and an icy cold beer.
Rousio’s did not disappoint! Who knew such a simple lunch could be so delicious? After our leisurely lunch, we returned to the harbor for some people-watching and an espresso frappe. We waited to regroup with our friends for the ferry ride back to Sougia.
Ferry to Sougia
In summer, ferries run from Sougia to Chora Sfakion, Paleochora, Agia Roumeli, Gavdos Island, and Loutro. It was this ferry from Agia Romeli that brought our small group and our kayaks back to our car and trailer after an amazing two days along the coast.
What an incredible adventure and first experience for me. I cannot wait to do it again.
If you need help planning an adventure to Crete or Greece, please send me a note at adventureandawe.com/contact or email me at J.Schallmann@DreamVacations.com.
