E-bike “Best of the West” Week Tour - 8 Days

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 from Elafonissi 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 lunch at a mountain taverna, where the intensity of the dishes matches the surroundings.
We restart and descend on the Northern side.
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 quiet woody road, and re-emerge for a final climb.
This scenic route takes us through small villages to our day’s destination, where we can recharge our energy in the revitalizing fresh air.

66Km on the e-bike

We start the day on the quiet mountain roads.
We climb and we descend as we cross a few different valleys, among the maquis and the woods.
After the village of Palea Roumata, we get to the lowlands where the olive groves prevail.
We take a winding road skirting a gorge, and have a break to visit an olive press where the organic oil is milled with stones.
We get down to the sea, hug the coast for a little while and enter the rugged peninsula of Rodopo.
We have a good hearty meal at a traditional taverna at the end of our day, a tasty recharge for our last day cycling tomorrow.

54Km on the e-bike

We start our last 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

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!