Crete is a remarkable place, nestled in the Mediterranean, harboring between the Aegean and Libyan Sea. This southernmost part of Greece has a culture and identity all of its own. The people are warmly inviting, the food is a delicacy, the mountainous scenery accompanied by wildlife is a dream and the beaches all embody their own sort of paradise. I spent a week on the stunning island of Crete, mainly in the westernmost area of Chania. This post will sum up how I spent my dream of a week there, inspiring you to hopefully do the same!
Here’s A Week in Western Crete – A Travel Diary:
Day 1
Seitan Limania Beach
After obtaining our rental car from the airport, we drove for about 15 minutes over to Seitan Limania Beach. The road that descends down to the parking area winds around cliffs nonstop with incredible views of that gorgeous water in the background. To reach Seitan Limania, it requires a steep hike down a cliff’s edge but it’s totally worth the trek.
Read More: The Best Beaches in Western Crete
Finding the Accomodation
After visiting Seitan Limania, we drove about 50 minutes to Kissamos, the town we would be staying in for the week.
Our AirBnb was everything we needed, especially equipped with A/C. Situated perfectly on the boardwalk next to the sea and a short walk to plenty of restaurants and bars, I couldn’t imagine staying in a better place.
Lunch
For lunch, we stopped by The Cellar Tavern, the first restaurant on the corner of the Kissamos boardwalk by Telonio Beach. The Cretan cuisine laid out on blue and white decor, matching the sea views behind, it was everything I had been dreaming of about Greece.
Telonio Beach
After lunch, we found a spot on the beach that was located in front of our apartment. Telonio Beach is predominantly sandy, with some rocks along the shoreline and it’s situated in the bay of Kissamos.
Read More: The Best Beaches of Western Crete
Drinks & Dinner
Wanting to have a couple of drinks before dinner, we found Bar Babea amongst the restaurants on the boardwalk in Kissamos. After discovering they had food, I ordered the Club Sandwich and Andy the Cheeseburger. The meals were scrumptious and so were the fresh green olives and cheese that accompany the drinks we ordered. We definitely enjoyed this place and the views don’t disappoint with a table nestled alongside the boardwalk’s edge.
Day 2
Breakfast
For breakfast, we walked back over to The Cellar Tavern where we both ordered the fried eggs, bacon and bread accompanied by a cappuccino and traditional Greek coffee. Everything was so very fresh and delicious just like lunch the day before!
Driving to Elafonisi Beach
Looking for as much beach time as we could get, we opted to drive to Crete’s famous Elafonisi “Pink Beach” for the day. Even though Elafonisi Beach is roughly only 25 miles from Kissamos, the drive takes just over an hour. It is one of the most scenic drives I have been on. The roads are constantly twisting through mountains lush with greenery, randomized villages, and wildlife, with new views presented in front of you around every turn.
Elafonisi Beach
Elafonisi is a sandy beach with tremendous space, various scenic backdrops, and multiple places to pick a spot to lounge for the day while staring out at the gorgeous teal waters.
Read More: Dipping My Toes in the Pink Sands of Elafonisi Beach
Dinner
After driving back to Kissamos, we found the Aqua Cafe Bar on the boardwalk next to Telonio Beach and decided to give it a try. I ordered the ham & mushroom pizza and my husband tried the Spaghetti Carbonara. While it was scrumptious, we both agreed that we preferred The Cellar’s dinner.
Day 3
Breakfast
We headed to a small bakery within the town of Kissamos. The bakery is on the right side of the building, next to a small convenience store that serves coffee on the left side. Conveniently, the bakery is open very early in the morning (we stopped here at 7 a.m. on our way to the airport as well). I fully enjoyed my croissant with Nutella and the Apple Pie is to die for after they warm it up in their oven.
Driving to the Balos Lagoon
After a quick bite, we headed out towards the Balos Lagoon via the Gramvousa peninsula.
The drive from Kissamos to Balos is only a little less than 10 miles but it takes about 45 minutes in a car. The road is very rocky, uneven and lacking asphalt, but it provides the absolute most stunning seaside views, especially with the morning sun rising from the east and the goats resting on the road.
The Balos Lagoon
Getting down to Balos Lagoon actually requires a bit of a hike, particularly in the hot summer temps, but I have never done something more worthwhile. The Balos Lagoon is the most phenomenal beach I have ever had the privilege of visiting.
Read More: The Breathtaking Balos Lagoon
Dinner
Leaving the Balos Lagoon around 5 p.m., we drove back towards Kissamos hungry for dinner. We opted for The Cellar Tavern again, mainly because the staff here are so welcoming. When we had passed by on a walk towards another restaurant, there was one waiter who recognized us every evening and would shake our hands and ask how our day went. The owner would make jokes with us and thanked us for visiting them. The accommodating, hospitable and welcoming feel of the locals here is truly the Grecian stamp.
Our meals at The Cellar never disappointed us! This time I ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese and my husband ordered the Swordfish Filet with Potatoes. We had crisp and refreshing bottle of Cretan-made white wine as well.
After every meal (except breakfast), The Cellar brings a small flask of Raki, homemade Cretan moonshine or distillate. It was enough for two shots a piece for us and it was the perfect end to a wonderful meal.
Enjoying the Sunset
The sunsets in Kissamos are some of the most gorgeous transformations of day turning into night that I have ever seen.
Day 4 – 6
During these days, we flew to Athens and explored the Acropolis for a few hours before hopping on an evening Blue Star Ferry over to Paros Island in the Cyclades. We departed from the Piraeus port to the Paraklia port in Paros.
Read More: 24 Hours on Paros Island
Day 7
We flew back to Crete from Athens on our last day and spent the day at Telonio Beach where we swam, sunbathed and soaked up the island feel before departing.
Of all the places I’ve been, I have never been so awe-inspired and enamored by so much beauty as I was here on the island of Crete. From the landscape to the unique beaches, from the cuisine to the locals, any other place is incomparable. I hope every traveler can visit Crete at least once in their lifetime!
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Omg these photos and the summary of your time at Crete is just absolute perfection! I’ve never heard of Crete but now, its definitely on my bucketlist! <3
I hadn’t either!! When I had envisioned a trip to Greece it was predominantly the Cyclades but my husband chose Crete and I was just in awe the entire time! It’s a must on the travel bucket-list! 🇬🇷
Yess! It’s definitely on mine now!
beautiful picture and Great Writeup
Thank you! I really appreciate that 😊
The sunset picture is magnificent! I went to Crete, to Agios Nikolaos and I agree the landscape and unspoilt beauty of Crete is simply unique,
I wanted to go to Agios Nikolaos but our schedule didn’t end up working out for it. There are so many beautiful places in Greece; I feel as if I could go there for every trip for the rest of my life and still never truly see it all! Still in awe about Crete even 3 months later now.
As always, I enjoy reading your posts and find such helpful info! Headed to Crete in a week and a half and def going to check out Balos Lagoon and Elafonisi Beach- Can’t wait!
Thanks for the helpful post! xx
Ahh Steph you are going to LOVE it there!! I can’t wait for you to experience it. So glad this post could help you out I hope you have the best time, I can’t wait to see pictures!!