Practical informations about Loutro and Hora Sfakion
There is a lot of information about our region on the Internet and we have tried to provide you with the best links to answer your questions.
Getting to Hora Sfakion and Loutro
Hora Sfakion is situated about
65 km from the city of Hania. You can use
a car, taxis and regular busses from the main
road which runs along the north coast of the
island.
From Hora Sfakion, regular boats provide a
connection to the village of Loutro. It is
also possible to walk from Hora Sfakion to
Loutro in around 2 hours, following an ancient
coastal path.
Public bus time-tables to Hora Sfakion KTEL Hania and Rethimnon
Ferry-boat time-tables on the South coast
Taxis to Hania airport are about 50 Euro and 80 Euro to Heraklion airport. We can arrange your taxi transfer.
Car hire in Hora Sfakion at Sfakia Tours
Maps of Crete and of the Sfakia region
Region of Sfakia
The region of Sfakia, in the South West of Crete is one of the more traditional regions of the island. Located on the southern slope of the White Mountains it combines high mountains which drop steeply into the Libyan sea, deep gorges and a wealth of unspoilt natural beauty.
Sfakia Crete a web site that has just about everything you need to know about the region: practical informations, photos, culture, history and a lot more.
Crete
Although Sfakia is the largest administrative region of Crete it is only a small part of this large island. For information about Crete, follow these links:
The West Crete information site is an information site for visitors to West Crete. Plenty of informations, maps, photos.
Crete Tournet has good information about history and geography.
Municipality of Hania lots of good info about the Hania region.
Restaurants, shops and services in Hora Sfakion and Loutro
in Hora Sfakion
Although it is the regional
capital, Hora Sfakion is no more than a village
and therefore does not provide all the services
that you might be expecting in a larger town.
There are no banks and no cash dispensers
but you can change money, Euro- and Travellers
cheques in the post office and in several
hotels and shops at a very good rate. Credit
cards are not widely accepted.
There are public telephones as well as a telephone
office.
There are several restaurants and cafes, shops,
bakeries, two small supermarkets and a laundry.
Nightlife (discos and late-night bars) is
non-existent.
Medical care: there is a first aid center
with a doctor in Hora Sfakion but the nearest
chemist is in the village of Vrysses.
in Loutro
Loutro is a very small village
but provides the basic facilities for a pleasant
stay.
There are several good restaurants with traditional
cuisine and moderate prices as well as three
café-bars
You will also find two mini-markets, a kiosk,
a souvenir shop and a few public phones.
Currency exchange is possible in several places
at bank rates.
Activities
Although both Hora Sfakion and Loutro are situated well away from the touristic mainstream there are plenty of things to do right there and also a little further afield.
Water sports
Swimming
The climate is so mild that swimming is possible
from April to November and often as late as
December. There are several beaches in the
area for an enjoyable swim.
Snorkeling and diving
You must bring your own equipment as there
are no rental places in Loutro.
Canoeing
Canoes are available for rental by the hour
or by the day.
Walks
The gorge of Samaria is by far the most famous and the most crowded of all the gorges. There are plenty of organised tours available (deprating from Hania) and it is also easy (if a little long) and safe to walk on your own.
The Imbros gorge (ending near Hora Sfakion) can get a little crowded in the spring, before the Samaria gorge opens to the public when it is used as an alternative organised tour. The path is easy to follow.
The gorge of Aradena (not far from Loutro) is far less frequented and the walk is more difficult, with some steep passages.
Pachnes (2453 m), at the centre of the White Mountains can be reached from several directions. A place of silence in a moon landscape with great views of the whole of West Crete from the summit.
Agia Roumeli to Agios Ioannis This walk starts along the coast, passing by the almost deserted beach of Agios Pavlos, then climbs up through a pine forest on an ancient path to the village of Agios Ioannis. Splendid views and a chance to see bearded vultures if you are lucky.
Agia Roumeli to Loutro starts on the same path but continues along and above the coast towards Loutro instead of going up.
Loutro to Hora Sfakion (or vice versa). Not a very long walk along the coast. Its main interest is the beautiful "Sweet water beach".
Excursions
Sfakia is the largest region in West Crete but it makes up less than 10% of the entire surface area of Crete. Although we truly believe that Sfakia is unbeatable in terms of natural beauty, the island has much to offer beyond our region, especially its rich historical past: Crete had the first civilisation in Europe 6000 years ago and its remains are still visible. The Dorians, Mycaenians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Byzance, Venetians and Turks left their marks as well and the past is really everywhere.
The cities of Hania and Rethimnon offer very good examples of this mixture of civilisations and are worth a visit. They can easily be reached on a day trip from Sfakia.
Heraklion is best known for
the Minoan palace of Knossos. Even though
its restoration is controversial it is worth
braving the crowds to have a look at it.
The Archaeological Museum of Heraklion houses
the best collection of Minoan artefacts world-wide
and its visit is almost a must.
Further away there are also some wonderful
Minoan palaces at Phaestos, Malia and Zakros
(to name the best known ones).
Photos
Landscape photographs of West Crete many good landscape photos of West Crete
Wolfgang Kistler's Sfakia and Crete Pages offer very nice photographs of our region.
Climate
Cretan climate a description of the Cretan seasons, best times to visit, temperature charts
More links
For excellent sources of other links to Crete: