E-bike Coast to Coast Tour

Airport transfer from Chania to your accommodation in Kissamos.
Briefing with information about the routes.
E-bike selection and personal adjustments.
Evening: Welcome dinner.

We drive to Elafonissi where we start in good time, enjoying the peace of the early hours on the island.
We take a rough road that climbs into the maquis-covered hills.
We enjoy the views over the juniper forest and the turquoise bay.
We descend on the other side into the relaxed town of Paleochora.
From here we take a small paved road through a gorge into a small village, where we have an amazing lunch in the shade of an old plane tree.
After lunch we continue over the mountains into green valleys, then turn East and meet some tiny villages.
We descend again towards the South coast, a smooth road surrounded by pine forests.
We find the sea again in Sougia, a small town with an easy-going atmosphere, where we can swim or relax in a sea-side cafe.

67Km on the e-bike

We start after breakfast on a long, gradual climb into the mountains.
As the air gets fresher, we have views over the Lefka Ori range on our right.
We keep climbing and the landscape is pure mountains.
We ride into a unique cypress forest, until we reach the high plateau of Omalos.
After the apple orchards, we stop for a break at a mountain taverna, where the intensity of the dishes matches the surroundings.
We restart and descend on the Northern side, passing the village of Lakkoi.
The road is now a long snake. We enjoy the downhill and the views all the way over to Platanias and Chania.
We take a turn into a steep downhill small quiet road, and re-emerge for a final climb through more mountain villages, with conifer-covered cliffs.
This scenic route takes us through small villages to our day's destination, where we can recharge our energy in the revitalizing fresh air.
We finish in the village of Theriso, home of historical rebels and nowadays renowned for the strong-flavoured dishes of its tavernas.

70Km on the e-bike

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8-DAY ALTERNATIVE

In the morning, we take the boat from Sougia to Agia Roumeli, the remote village at the exit of Samaria gorge. There is no road to get here, only by sea or on foot. It's a tranquil place dominated by the majestic heights of the White Mountains behind.
Then we continue by boat to Chora Sfakion, admiring the sea caves, the rugged gorges, the crystal clear waters and the tiny coastal villages along the way.
From Chora Sfakion, we proceed on the e-bikes for the final part of the day, a short gentle ride up and down the coast to Frangokastello, our day's destination.

15Km on the e-bike
After this, we continue from Day 5.

In the morning we start fresh and ride through the lush valleys of Apokorona, one of the greenest regions on the island. We stay away from the main roads, on the foothills of the White Mountains, with views over the North coast.
We pass some picturesque villages with stone houses in pastel colours.
Then we ride along the water-rich Vryses, by its rivers and springs and giant plane trees.
We have a long climb into the Askifou plateau, until the village of Imbros where we have a break near the gorge entrance.
From here we descend on the long, scenic road that takes us back to the South coast. The views are stunning, Gavdos island and the Lybian sea in the distance.
We turn East for the last few km of the day, the last hills before getting to Frangokastello, our day's destination, where we enjoy a swim and then a warm meal in the local taverna overlooking the beach.

87Km on the e-bike

In the morning we start by paying a brief visit to the castle of Frangokastello and its ghosts.
We stay by the coast on a road with a spectacular mountain backdrop, enjoying the hills and the sea air.
We pass the resort town of Plakias and venture on a tour around a hill that takes to the monastery of Preveli.
Here we go over the ancient bridge and descend towards the palm-lined beach and fresh-water lake on a most spectacular new road. The views are once again stunning, the Gorge of Swallows to the side, the mountains around, the sea below.
After a break, we continue along a dirt-road very close to the coast until we get to Triopetra beach, where three tall rocks have been shaped by the wind near a rocky outcrop. Just behind, we can see the steep sand-dunes of Agios Pavlos.
We still have a little bit of way to go, around the maze of hills and country roads, before we reach our final destination for the day.
In Agios Pavlos we can enjoy a swim in the beautiful small bay, a walk to the giant sand-dunes, a good meal at the taverna and some well-deserved rest.

57Km on the e-bike

We start the day with great views over the Mesara bay, towards Matala and the Paximadia islands.
We ride uphill, then we take a dirt track along the coast.
The going is easy and the sea views keep us entertained. We are in a remote area, far from civilization.
Eventually we pass by Agia Galini, the gate to the Mesara plain. We're surrounded by greenhouses, where tons of tomatoes and other vegetables are grown for consumption all over the country and the rest of Europe.
We continue past the agricultural town Tymbaki, on straight flat roads for a change.
Then we turn South into the mountains.
We climb into rugged territory again, zig-zagging our way first up then down to the coast.
We arrive in the small town of Lentas, where we enjoy a swim by the Lion rock, a filling taverna meal and rest for the night.

67Km on the e-bike

In the morning, we start along the coast from Lentas, passing one beautiful beaches after the other. We ride on wide tracks, going up and down along the coast.
Then we start climbing into the rugged mountain, next to the gorges, until we get back to civilization again.
We descend towards the plain and ride in the shade of the Asterousia mountains for a while.
We pass some farming villages, then we climb into the mountains again.
The road is good, and soon we have spectacular sea views looking South.
We arrive in the small, remote village of Treis Ekklisies, where we find the beach, good rest and good food.

48Km on the e-bike

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8-DAY ALTERNATIVE
In the morning, we we start along the coast from Lentas, passing a couple of beautiful remote beaches, until we get to a small harbour. Here, we embark on a different adventure, as we load our bikes on a small calamari fishing boat.
We will slowly make our way by sea, taking in the views of the rugged landscape, the steep mountains, the secluded bays, all the while feeling the gentle sea breeze from the boat bench.
We arrive in the small, remote village of Treis Ekklisies, where we find the beach, we can have a swim, relax on the beach, have a good rest and good food.

5Km on the e-bike

Today we get ready for adventure.
After breakfast, we start on a long climb out of the village where we spent the night.
We stay on the narrow, paved mountain road for a long while, riding through tiny villages.
After we have gained some altitude, in Achentrias we turn to a country track that descends again towards the sea. We take in the breath-taking sea views, the sea in the distance, and enjoy the downhill.
We get to the peaceful village of Tsoutsouros, where fish tavernas line the seafront.
From here on we stay along the coast, and watch the landscape change.
At first, we see tiny, placid coastal villages.
Then the farming gets serious and we are into banana-land. Arvi has local banana trees everywhere.
To our right, some distance away in the sea, lies Chrysi island.
Eventually, the farming gets very intense and greenhouses are tightly packed.
We are approaching Ierapetra, where we will stop for the night in a good sized town in a return to civilization before our last day.

82Km on the e-bike.

On the last day, we start from Ierapetra and hug the coast for a while.
We pedal on flat roads initially through a few more greenhouses, then the landscape turns to sea resort type villages.
We see Koufonissi island in the distance.
After this flat stretch, we prepare for some adventure.
We take a turn North into the mountains. There's a quiet road climbing around a gorge. Through the ghost village of Pervolakia, we are treated to the beautiful vertical cliffs in a remote area.
Eventually we get onto a plateau, we turn East once again and we ride through some small mountain villages.
The landscape is sparse now, the bushes and the rocks are sun baked.
We spot the East coast from the top, and we go downhill towards Xerokampos and its peculiar twin rocks.
It's a long, winding road downhill, we have plenty of time to savour the scenery.
When we hit the beach, we climb back up inland for the last time, then we descend towards our final destination, Kato Zakros.
Once again we take in the breath-taking views, we feel awe and accomplishment.
In the small fishing village lie the remains of one of the ancient Minoan palaces.
We can go for a swim in the peaceful bay or enjoy a drink in the taverna, before a tasty meal and our rest for the day and for the week. We have made it across!

87Km on the e-bike.

On the last day, we have breakfast by the sea in the quiet village of Kato Zakros.
Then we can enjoy a swim in the placid bay or stroll around the site of the ancient Minoan palace.
Then we make our way back, driving across the island on the fast highway.
We can drop you off at any of the big towns or airports in Crete, as we will cross them all on our way: Sitia, Heraklio, Rethymno, Chania and finally Kissamos.
We say our goodbyes and see-you-soons, as we are sure that you will take with you fond memories of this adventure and you will be itching to come back with the first opportunity!