E-bike Best of the West Week Tour

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

We start with a ride to the postcard beach and lagoon of Balos, with its hyper real colours.
We set off early in the morning to have the place mostly to ourselves. This is a half paved, half dirt-road route.
The ride is not long, about one hour, but we will want to stop many times to enjoy the scenery and to take photos.
When we get to Balos, we leave the e-bikes and walk down the path to the beach.
In Balos, we can wade in the shallow lagoon or swim in the crystal clear waters.
After a snack, we walk up the path back to our bikes and take in the breath-taking views. We ride back to Kissamos and stop for lunch at a traditional Cretan taverna.
We have the afternoon to chill out: beach and ice-cream are a good combination.

35Km on the e-bike
About 1 hour walk

We set off after breakfast on a quiet country road through a hidden valley below the Manna mountain.
We climb to a good height then come out on the West coast, where we embrace views of the open sea and small islands just off the coast in Falasarna.
We ride on along the coast, sometimes pedalling by the shore and sometimes to vantage points where we can admire the stunning sea views all the better.
We stay on quiet roads and have plenty of time to enjoy the rugged scenery, mountains on one side, open sea on the other side. We stop in a local village taverna for some tasty bits, overlooking a placid looking bay.
We finish our ride in Elafonissi, where we go for a refreshing swim in the tropical setting or a walk on the pink sand shore.

50Km on the e-bike

We start our day with a scenic road overlooking Kissamos Bay.
After a smooth descent, we climb a gentle hill to the village of Rokka, where we walk around the old stone houses and enjoy the view of the local deep gorge.
We cross valleys on some backside roads among the olive groves.
We take a rugged road towards the village of Polyrrinia. This is the site of an ancient important town with a Roman aqueduct, rock-cut graves and stone houses. It has a dominant position on a high hill just behind Kissamos.
We have a great meal on our last stop of the trip, fresh ingredients cooked in the local family taverna.
We finish in Kissamos where we have some time to enjoy a swim and the late afternoon hours.

45Km on the e-bike

Ride an E-bike to the gorges overlooking Kissamos, with an off-road mountain climb and descent

We ride into the countryside uphill, then take a quiet road passing above a spectacular gorge.
After descending through a lush valley next to a river bed, we cross the river and climb the mountain side on a shepherd's wide track. On rocky terrain, we go up steadily until we reach a col with dominating views over all the surrounding valleys.
We then descend on the other side, through the woods, and ride gently all the way down back to Kissamos.

42Km on the e-bike

On this day we ride an E-bike to the chestnut forests on the mountains of Kissamos.
We start riding South, at first going through tiny hamlets that dot the hilly landscape.
We climb some more and we end up in lush green valleys, with panoramic mountain views.
The vegetation changes as the olive trees are replaced by old chestnut forests.
We stay on quiet roads, taste briefly the off-road to reach a clearing in the cool woods where we stop for a break.
Then we return towards the coast and Kissamos, winding around the hills as we feel the breeze on our face and the sea view and scent fill our senses.

46Km on the e-bike

We start from Kissamos on flat ground along the paved road towards the harbour.
We turn off the main road and pass some sandy coves in the corner of the bay.
From the traditional village of Kalyviani, we climb up the hillside.
The road becomes a wide track. We enjoy views over Kissamos bay.

At the top, we ride on the crest, overlooking the West coast and Falasarna beach.

We get back on the paved road then gently descend towards the shore, blue sky against turquoise sea. We follow the road along the coast inside the bay for a little bit, then climb into a valley behind the village of Platanos.

Once at the top, we ride through old villages and descend amongst the olive groves back to Kissamos.

40Km on the e-bike

Today we say our goodbyes, see-you-soons and we take you to the airport in Chania for your flight home, the place where you will think about Crete and the great time you had cycling there!