Eight Feet and Two Weeks On Crete Part 2 (1/3) By Steve Rudd

(1/3) (2/3) (3/3) Part 1

One of the best ways of exploring the huge island of Crete is by car: in your own time, at your own speed and in your own style. Without the stress and cost of embarking on guided tours. Head into any of Crete's major cities such as Hania, Rethymno or Iraklion and you'll be bombarded by rent-a-vehicle establishments, all of which are fiercely trying to under-cut each other on price and service quality. Hence, shop around and compare quotes before choosing your vehicle.

Jimny Jeeps are a popular choice, and though the rental company will stress that they mustn't under any circumstances be taken 'off-road,' the temptation is too difficult to resist. They are great for zooming up and down dirt tracks that head into the hills, but you didn't hear that from me! Touch wood, in the past couple of years of driving Jimny's around on holiday, not one puncture or incidence of suspension damage has come our way. They really are incredibly versatile vehicles.

Still, rental vehicles are meant for the open road, and the freedom of the self-drive system means that you aren't relying on public transport or any aforementioned guided tours to get you to places of desire. Armed with your own vehicle you can literally go where you want, when you want. So off you go. Up until the 1970's, much of Crete was served solely by dirt tracks and there were very few decent roads in place to support the island's infrastructure. Many of the paved roads have been laid in the past thirty years in order to primarily serve the cosmic boom in tourism. Indeed, tourism is one of the chief ways that Crete makes money, and every summer the island is engulfed by holiday-makers.

What many people might not realise is that Crete is also a very popular holiday destination in winter too, when snow often blesses the highest reaches of the massive chain of White Mountains that effectively dominate the interior of the island. The North side of the island is far more developed than the South, with the North coast being served by a major highway that means travel between the major cities is a cinch. Au contraire, some of the South Coast villages are immensely remote and isolated, and in some instances they can only be reached by ferry from more accessible settlements either further West or further East down the coast.

One of the major attractions on Crete for tourists is the world famous Samaria Gorge. A week into our holiday we braved the beast, which is allegedly the longest gorge in Europe. I say 'allegedly' because various Italian people are claiming that Italy does in fact lay claim to having the longest gorge on the continent. The problem is that these gorges are very difficult to actually measure in terms of their length, but even if Samaria Gorge isn't the longest in Europe (it can't be far off, being in the region of 13km long), it is still a genuine contender for another wonder of the world given the scale of the gorge and the spectacular presence of towering mountains that surround the gorge.

Thus, because of the gorge's uber-popularity, there is very little chance of peace and quiet whilst walking along its length. Hundreds of people visit the gorge on a daily basis at the height of the summer season, but you sure as hell can't blame them, and it's certainly one of my favourite places in the world, given the awe-inspiring beauty of the area. Most walkers stride in a north to south direction. At its southernmost extreme the land gives way to the calm waters of the sky-blue Libyan Sea, that logically spans the gap between Crete and the African continent at large.

It's easy enough to get to the top of the gorge via coach or car, but it's much more difficult to get away from the southern end once you've reached - and dipped your swollen feet in - the sea. There is a small village called Agia Roumeli there, but - due to the harsh terrain of the area - there isn't actually any road to or from the tourism-obsessed settlement of souvenir shops, cafes, bars and the odd set of apartments. Lucky then that there is a reliable ferry service from the village to various other villages either further West or East down the coast, from which you can get public transport to wherever you might need to be.

Continued ... next page (2/3)

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