Lines from the poem by Thomas Hood :
“ No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
November …. ”
Thankfully it’s not usually like this in Paleochora. Autumn brings early dusks, and darkness by six o’clock ; but days are long enough, often with clear skies and benign temperatures, and allow us to plan walks like one we enjoyed recently, described below.
It’s a bit of a Magical Mystery Tour, all on good tracks/paths, easy route-finding, and will take c.4 hours walking time. It does climb quite high, to over 700m, and is exposed to any winds/rain, so choose the right day. The Anavasi Hiking Map Crete 11.13 covers the route, to solve any doubts or difficulties.
We met at O Milos (The Old Mill) cafe in Plemeniana (and would end the walk there) then walked up to the main road for the 11am Chania bus, which dropped us off (it’s easier to pull in there) at the turning for Spina.
A walk back towards Kantanos, passing the old road through the Historical Gorge, and a further 700m to a track branching right (south) off the main road (see photo.)
Almost immediately right, through a gate, and soon keeping ahead on the undulating heather-scented track, swinging first NW and then N, we climbed steadily to the mast/aerials on Pirghos*, and the adjacent concrete ‘trig pillar’ at 724m a.s.l.
From the track
Widespread views from here, with sea to the north (Kissamou Bay) and south of the island (Libyan Sea), and towards the west, dominated by the massive Agios Dikaios, 1181m, beyond which lies Elafonisi and the coast.
724m up
To the SE is the long ridge leading to the summit of Agios Zinas, 1331m, scene of our ‘Blue Moon Walk’ some years ago (see Explore ! – August 2015)
Easier walking now, NW along the ridge for over 1 km, and ignoring tracks to the right (two) and
left (one, wide) to reach a junction, and the route up from Floria. You’ll have passed a large “sink hole”, sadly with discarded rubbish, and above it a small shrine to a Cretan partisan killed here ; Floria suffered badly during the German invasion and occupation.
Turning left, the track contours the hillside for a further easy kilometre to another junction, and time for lunch. The best ‘picnic site’ (if no wind …) is just along the track right, on a rocky outcrop overlooking Milones, or alternatively on rocks above the junction, with views down the long valley to the south.
Spot Bob!
Snack over – calorie-packed cheese and spinach pies – we continued left/south on the long and winding track which leads to the summit of the Aligi-Sassalos road.
This way down
And now … “ Let me take you down, ’cause I’m going to ….. Strawberry Fields ….” To the left of the surfaced road, and a metal shrine, a rough stony track heads downhill (south), soon levelling out and winding round the hillside without losing height for some distance, half an hour or more (avoid all turns right, leading down to Psariana.) Either side are masses of the shrub “arbutus unedus”, or wild strawberry, whose red/orange berries ripen towards December, and are rather like Christmas Tree decorations. Friends have used these to make jam, and “raki”, without any great success!
Eventually we reached a 5-way junction (recognisable by a metal water manhole cover.) And took the track SE, ALWAYS heading downhill, to the surfaced road at Despotiko, adjacent to a fine “umbrella pine” tree. Right here, through and out of the small village, then keeping ahead – left leads only to a house – and 250m after this, turning left on a road into Frangoudiana. Beyond, the continuing track, passing the former school, meets the main road at Dris.
Following the main road would have been an anti-climax, so after 700m we turned off right, SW (on a surfaced road), half a kilometre leading to a solitary house, right of which leads to a riverbed. BUT after just a few metres, behind a rusted oil drum, there’s a narrow footpath left, which we took, leading us to the minor road on the outskirts of Kopeti.
Nearly there
Left now, rising to rejoin the main road, turning right for an easy final walk back to O Milos.
O Milos
We enjoyed cold drinks before the short drive home to Paleochora, but if you’ve time, and an appetite, the ‘boureki’ here is, by reputation, the best in Crete, if not in Greece ….
* Pirghos translates as ‘castle’ or ‘fortress’, and presumably one existed here – a perfect location, although no traces remain ; it’s in line of sight with the ruined Byzantine ‘pirghos’ above Kantanos (see Explore ! – January 2018)
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