Crete Retreat

 

Yoga & Hiking Holiday – 1 week

Crete, Greece  – 14 May 2022 

Here is the opportunity to relax and unwind in one of the most beautiful places of the Mediterranean, doing yoga & walking  but also having enough free time for yourself.

The area of Kissamos in western Crete is part of the European Programme NATURA 2000 which aims to protect its rich natural heritage and to promote eco-tourism. Our walks leave only a  green footprint as there is no need for private transport. Also they are rich  in archaeological, historical, botanical and artistic features.  

We will be staying in Sunny Bay Hotel. It is a family-run beachfront hotel located in the secluded area of Kissamos bay. The hotel offers multiple amenities like an outdoor pool, garden, terrace, poolside bar, restaurant, room service, a lounge, and free Wi-Fi. 

The complex lies in an idyllic position in the bay of Kissamos, 37 kilometers west of Chania, and just ten minutes from the center of Kissamos town on foot. All the rooms are have two twin beds and a balcony with a wonderful view of the crystal clear blue sea or of the nice hotel’s swimming pools areas.

There are several tavernas near the hotels, top rated by international holiday rating sites, offering excellent local food at prices of 10-15 Euros per person including local wine. There are shops in the nearby Kissamos town.

What’s Included

  • Five mornings and five evenings of yoga and meditation sessions.
  • Four leisurely paced walks of light to medium difficulty lasting from 1.5 to 4 hours. These will take place along the beaches, in the hills, the valleys, the town of Kissamos and the surrounding area, as well as going through traditional villages and little-known Ancient sites.  Each expedition starts and ends at the hotel; each walk has regular rest stops.

    There is always the freedom to opt out of any of the walks or the yoga and meditation sessions.

  • Transfer from/to Chania airport (transfer from/to Heraklion airport can be arranged on request at an additional cost).
  • 6 nights, shower/WC, hot water, fridge,  balcony/terrace, free wi fi access
  • 6 x Breakfast
  • Dinner on the evening of arrival
  • Yoga workshops with yoga teacher
  • Walks with walking Leaders

PRICE

Total Cost – Shared occupancy in a twin bedded apartment/room £740 per person

Total Cost – Sole occupancy in a twin bedded apartment/room £870 per person

DEPOSIT (non refundable)

Deposit – Shared Occupancy £195

Deposit – Sole Occupancy £235

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What’s not included

  •  Flights
  • Meals (except dinner on the evening of arrival)
  • Tickets to sites or museums
  • Bus tickets
  • Travel Insurance
  • Air Conditioning which can be used at extra cost of 7 Euros/day (although usually not necessary in the months of the programme
  • Safe (in case you need to use it) of 10 Euros for your whole stay.

WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU

Swimming costume, sun glasses, sun hat, sun cream, strong walking shoes, small rucksack.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

You don’t need to bring any yoga materials with you; we provide everything that is necessary (yoga mats, blocks, belts and blankets).

    BRIEF PROGRAMME (This may change…)
    DAY 1
    • Transfer from Chania airport and check in. You will be met by our local taxi driver and taken to your family run hotel in Kissamos by the sea. To get to our destination on the following days, we usually walk or take the public bus, to keep our carbon footprint low and to enjoy being part of the reliable local transport system.
    • 18:00-19:30 : Yoga and meditation.
    • 20:30-22:00 : Welcome dinner at a traditional beach taverna. On the first evening we offer you the chance to get to know everybody at the Welcome dinner. 
    DAY 2
    • 7:30-9:00 : Yoga and meditation.
    • 9:00-10:00 : Breakfast.
    • 10:30-14:00 : From our hotel we walk eastwards along the beach of Kissamos bay to Korfalonas and Platanaki. We make a stop for coffee at a beachside taverna and walk further to the seaside village of Nopigia where we stop for a swim in the clear blue waters of the Cretan sea. There is the option to have lunch in a local traditional seaside taverna or walk further to ancient Mythimna’s archaeological site and the medieval church of Agios Georgios, which was built on the ruins of ancient Roman baths still visible today. We return to our hotel by public bus.
    • 14:00-18:00 : Free time for lunch, relaxing, enjoying the beach and/or swimming.
    • 18:00-19:30 : Yoga and meditation.
    • 19:30 – … : Free time for enjoying the evening in the nearby tavernas.
    DAY 3
    • 08:00-9:00 : Breakfast.
    • 9:00-15:00 : We go by public bus to the village of Koleni. Walking through the village we find the old soil road towards the beautiful old settlement of Mesonisi which leads to the dramatic Rokka gorge. We can carry on under the shade of its giant, rocky sides and spreading trees to the part of the gorge called “ the Gates”. On our return we have lunch in a traditional local taverna and catch the bus back to Kissamos.
    • 15:00-18:00 : Free time for lunch, relaxing, enjoying the beach and/or swimming.
    • 18:00-19:30 : Yoga and meditation.
    • 19:30 – … : Free time for enjoying the evening in the nearby tavernas.
    DAY 4
    • 7:30-9:00 : Yoga and meditation.
    • 9:00-10:00 : Breakfast.
    • 10:00 – … a free day to rest or do further walking or sightseeing on your own. You could enjoy the many attractions of Chania, or visit famous Balos beach by a short boat trip or hire a car to explore further a-field or …
    DAY 5
    • 7:30-9:00 : Yoga and meditation.
    • 9:00-10:00 : Breakfast.
    • 10:00-16:15 : Free time for lunch, relaxing, enjoying the beach and/or swimming.
    • 16:15-21:00 : We go by public bus to the village of Drapanias which we walk through. We find the way uphill into the olive groves and reach Cherethiana which is a typical, small, picturesque Cretan village at an altitude of 160 meters. We walk through the village and have a break for a coffee if the local Cafe is open. Then going downhill we reach the cave chapel of Michael the Archangel, nestling under the shade of a plane tree from which the old church bell is hanging. From here we take the road to Potamida in the valley and turn back towards the sea, passing the famous natural clay marls on our right which tower above the fields. We visit next the mill museum where we will have a break and then walk further to the village of Kaloudiana, where we can have dinner at one of the local tavernas before we take the public bus back to Kissamos town.
    DAY 6
    • 7:30-9:00 : Yoga and meditation.
    • 9:00-10:00 : Breakfast.
    • 10:00-14:00 : We will go by public bus to Nopigia. We walk past the open air theater to the little chapel of Panagia Myrtidiotisa and then along a rough path over stones and rocks towards the little medieval chapel of Agios Vasilios on the Spatha peninsula. The blue sea is always beside us. We will encounter only a few sheep and goats and enjoy great views towards the Gramvousa peninsula across Kissamos bay, with the Spatha mountain on our right. On returning to Nopigia there is the opportunity to stop for a delicious meal at a seaside taverna before getting the bus back.
    • 14:00-18:00 : Free time for lunch, relaxing, enjoying the beach and/or swimming.
    • 18:00-19:30 : Yoga and meditation.
    • 19:30 – … : Free time for enjoying the evening in the nearby tavernas.
    DAY 7
    • 7:30-9:00 : Yoga and meditation.
    • 9:00-10:00 : Breakfast.
    • Check out and transfer to Chania airport.
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