Starting point of this tour is the seaside hamlet of Georgioúpolis, built in an area with a lot of water, plenty of vegetation and an endless beach -perhaps the largest in the whole of Crete.
Enjoy a relaxing swim or indulge in various sea sports. If nature trekking is your game, all you have to do is go to the nearby horseback riding centre and get a horse for a short ride.
From Georgioúpolis you go south, over the national road bridge, and after a while you will get to the village of Kournás, where a stop is definitely in order.
Walk downhill to the lake (it is the only natural lake on the island of Crete), which is worth visiting and from where you may rent pedalos, whereas if you want to enjoy the majestic view from above, your choice is to hand glide or paraglide from the launch site in the area.
Leaving Kournás behind, take the provincial road to Episkopí, go past the village of Fylakí and continue southbound towards Argyroúpolis, a village with lots of streams and of unique natural beauty, combined with traces of both ancient and more recent culture.
Look for the area where the springs of Agía Dýnami are located, a verdant place with streams flowing everywhere. In the past, there were numerous watermills used for grinding cereals and pressing olives; today there is but one. A little further on, you will come to the sources of the river Petrés, amidst and impressive scenery comprising centennial platanus trees.
The sights you simply can’t afford to miss are the ancient necropolis, the Roman period mosaic and a tree that is several centuries old. You may also visit the unique churches in the village and finally make a stop at the Museum of Popular Art to admire exhibits such as tools, weapons, handicrafts, etc.
Continue going uphill on a westbound course and at a mere 8 km you will come across Así Goniá, a village of herdsmen at the foot of the Sfakianá Mountains. Leaving Así Goniá behind and continuing on a difficult yet impressive path uphill, you will have to travel approximately 11 km to come to Kallikrátis, a very beautiful village with traditional houses that is only inhabited between the months of May and November. If you are nature aficionados, just outside the village you may find the 1 km-long ravine with the same name, through which you may walk.
Then you head west and at a close distance you will see the small village of Asféndos, with the homonymous cavern perched on a steep slope. This cave is of tremendous archaeological value, since in 1960 rock paintings were discovered, dating all the way back to the late Palaeolithic Age.
In the area you may also visit the (also homonymous) Asféndos Ravine. Continue your tour (now going downhill, towards Chaniá), go through the village of Petré and head north to meet Alíkambos, 11 km down the way. Just before entering the village, on your left, you will see an impressive winery that you may visit, after making the necessary arrangements with the owner, and taste local wines.
From Alíkambos, you take the Vrýses - Sfakiá provincial road towards the beautiful village of Vrýses, which is built in a valley full of trees, luxuriant vegetation and lots of streams. Here you should make a stop at the central square with the platanus trees and enjoy the scenery with the river and the ducks. There are but a few rooms to stay in, but the food here is a true delight, since you can enjoy it at one of the tavernas situated right next to the river. The village is famous for its dairy products.
Try the local goat cheese and yoghurt (perhaps the most scrumptious you have ever had), well-known all over Crete for their distinctive taste. Furthermore, the village of Vrýses is by far the best place for you to sample one of the most characteristic dishes of Western Crete: the traditional Sfakianés pies with cheese and honey.
Continuing eastward, in about ten minutes you will be all the way back to Georgioúpolis, the starting point of this most impressive route.
