Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ADVENTURE SPORTS
With its temperate climate and varied topography Crete is a great place for
adventure
holidays
, and there are numerous companies across the island offering everything from
mountain biking and canyoning to trekking and horseriding. Here's a selection of what's on
offer. Watersports and diving operators are also listed throughout the chapter.
CLIMBING/ADRENALINE SPORTS
Liquid Bungy
T
693 76 15 191,
W
bungy.gr.
White-
knuckle bungee jumping (Europe's second highest) at
the Arádhena Gorge, Haniá.
Trekking Plan
T
28210 60861,
W
cycling.gr.
Rock
climbing, mountaineering, canyoning, rapelling, kayaking
and mountain biking in Haniá province.
HORSERIDING
Melanouri
T
28920 45040,
W
melanouri.com.
Horseriding holidays (one to seven days) from a stable
near Mátala.
Odysseia
T
28970 51080,
W
horseriding.gr.
One-
to six-day guided and unguided horse treks from their
base at Avdhoú near the Lasíthi Plateau.
Zoraïda's Horseriding
T
28250 61745,
W
zoraidas
-horseriding.com.
Horseriding holidays and treks
from their stables in Yeoryoúpoli, Haniá.
WALKING AND CYCLING
Alpine Travel
T
28210 50939,
W
alpine.gr.
Hiking,
rock climbing, sea kayaking and biking holidays (or
combinations thereof ) in Haniá province.
Cretan Adventures
T
28103 33772,
W
cretan
adventures.gr.
Hiking, horseriding and jeep safaris
throughout Crete.
The Happy Walker
Tombázi 56, Réthymnon
T
28310 52920,
W
happywalker.com.
Walking tours
from one day to two weeks from €30 (for the day-hike
which includes minibus from your hotel to start point).
Hellas Bike
T
28210 60858,
W
hellasbike.net.
One- to seven-day bike tours from Ayía Marína in Haniá
province.
Korifi Tours
T
28930 41440,
W
korifi.de.
Hiking
and climbing holidays in central, southern and western
Crete.
Olympic Bike
Adelianos Kampos 32, Réthymnon
T
28310 72383,
W
olympicbike.com.
Guided bike
tours from €139 for three one-day trips, or bike rental
only from €20 per day.
Strata Walking Tours
T
28220 24336,
W
stratatours.com.
Guided trekking holidays in the
Kastélli Kissamou area of Haniá.
7
City walls and fortifications
The massive
Venetian walls
, in places up to 15m thick, are the most obvious evidence
of Iráklion's history. Though their fabric is incredibly well preserved, access is virtually
nonexistent. It is possible to scramble up and walk along them from Áyios Andhréas
Bastion over the sea in the west, as far as the Martinengo Bastion and the
tomb of Nikos
Kazantzakis
, Cretan author of
Zorba the Greek
, whose epitaph reads: “I believe in
nothing, I hope for nothing, I am free.” If the walls seem altogether too much effort,
the
port fortifications
are much easier to see; the Venetian
arsenáli
(arsenals), their
arches rather lost amid the concrete road system all around, and, opposite, the
fortress
at the harbour entrance.
Venetian fortress
The impressive sixteenth-century
Venetian fortress
, known by its Turkish name of
Koúles
, stands at the harbour entrance; emblazoned with the Venetian Lion of St Mark,
it withstood a 22-year siege before finally falling to the Ottomans. Unfortunately the
siege of time has caught up with the underwater foundations - in early 2011 the
building was deemed unsafe and closed to visitors for an expected two- to three-year
renovation programme; once completed, it should once again be possible to stroll out
along the jetty, explore the interior and enjoy the views from the top floor.
25-Avgoústou Street and around
Heading inland from the harbour the pedestrianized
25-Avgoústou Street
is lined with
shipping and travel agencies, a few restaurants, banks and stores.
El Greco Park
, to the
right as you approach Platía Venizélou, is crowded with cafés and bars, while opposite,
on the left, are some of the more interesting of Iráklion's older buildings including the
