Trip to Agios Pavlos (Άγιος Παύλος) - Crete, Greece

Описание: Drive from Hora Sfakion resort in Chania prefecture to Agios Ioannis village. It's better to get there in the morning. It will take you three hours to get to Agios Pavlos and three hours to get back. You might want to spend a little time on the beautiful beach of Agios Pavlos before you get back so spare some time for that.

Once you get to Agios Ioannis, you'll see a green gate near the village sign. On the left of the gate, there is a road down to a church where you can leave your car and start hiking.

Follow the road in front of the church and then pass the little gate. You'll get into a dent that has a very old olive tree in the middle of it. Go further, pass the wall made of stone and you'll get to the hiking trail. From there, follow the red/white sign.

For one hour, the road might seem easy, but it will get difficult once you get to the steep path that leads to the pine tree forest above the beach. The hike will take you two hours from the top to the base. Going down seemed more difficult than going back up, as part of the trail is covered in pine needles and proved challenging to step onto. So choose your shoes carefully, must have trekking soles. Also make sure you carry enough water in your backpack (at least 3-4 litres/person) and use it wisely during the trip as there is no water tap along the route. A trick learned from the Greeks: put some of your water bottles in the freezer one night before your trip (empty about ¼ first and place them on the side), they will keep perfectly cold for the entire day and you can have ice cold water even on your way back.

Aside from that, make sure you enjoy the view along the way, as there are various spots where you can stop to catch your breath.

On your way through the pine forest, the last part of your trip, you'll encounter a sign that will tell you to go left for Loutro (a small village) and right to get to Agia Roumeli. Follow the trail to Agia Roumeli (Αγία Ρουμέλη). It will take you 20 more minutes to reach the beach of Agios Pavlos (Άγιος Παύλος).