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DAY
1:
The trip begins at Heraklion airport where the group will be met.
From the airport, we will head to Knossos, the famous Minoan palace
just outside Heraklion. We will have a tour of Knossos, then shuttle
down to Matala on the south coast. Late afternoon we get together
to enjoy the incredible sunset, have a drink and begin to get
to know one another. Overnight: local Inn, Matala. (D)
DAY
2:
After breakfast, the group will be outfitted with paddle, PFD
and spray skirt, and then will go to the beach for basic kayaking
instruction. The protected bay in Matala offer’s a perfect
location for instruction, surrounded by the famous caves (legendary
homes to Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan and others in the
60’s). The group will then paddle to two neighboring beaches,
the Red Beach and Kommos Beach. Kommos offers some viewing on
ancient ruins. We will return to Matala. Overnight: local Inn,
Matala (BD)
DAY
3:
We get an early start in order to stop and visit the ruins of
the Minoan Palace of Festos on our way to the Samarian Gorge.
The Samarian Gorge is a “must see” for every visitor
to Crete and this incredible national park draws 1,000-2,000 visitors
per day. We spend the night in Agia Roumeli, the town where the
Gorge ends. Overnight: local Inn, Agia Roumeli (BD)
DAY
4:
The group will depart from Roumeli in kayaks, heading along the
coastline to Agios Pavlos for our cappuccino stop. The small 11th
Century chapel built in honor of St. Paul is a remarkable site
and traditionally wonderful photo opportunity. From Ag. Pavlos,
we’ll continue along the coastline to Marmara Beach, one
of our prettiest lunch stops. We then paddle to the water-access-only
town of Loutro. Overnight: local Inn, Loutro (B,D)
DAY
5:
We will be spending two nights in Loutro, allowing for a day with
multiple options. From Loutro, we may continue up the coastline
to Sweetwater Beach where the freshwater springs bubbling out
of the sand provide a unique experience. After stretching our
legs, enjoying a refreshing swim and a cappuccino, we can paddle
on to Hora Sfakia for our lunch stop. We paddle back to Loutro
leaving us with some free time in the afternoon and a chance to
relax before our sunset hike. Overnight: local Inn, Loutro (B,D)
DAY
6:
Today the group has the option to paddle to Hora Sfakia or hike
the trail which follows the coastline. We will then continue paddling
or shuttle by van along the coast to the Venetian fortress at
Frangokastello for a brief tour. After Frangokastello we continue
paddling to Ammoudi. We’ll have a chance to explore Plakias
that evening- some great shopping opportunities as well as one
of our favorite bakeries on the island (the “Cretan Specialty”
is another highlight of the trip!). Overnight: local Inn,
Plakias (B)
DAY
7:
Heading out from Ammoudi Bay, our next stop is Palm Beach, an
idyllic setting crowded with tourists by mid-day. We always manage
to arrive before the crowds, giving us an opportunity to enjoy
the beauty of our semi-private beach. An optional paddle up the
inland fresh water creek provides some varied scenery. Our lunch
stop today is near Trio Petra beach. After lunch, we will paddle
on to the beach at Agios Pavlos. At this point, part of the group
can opt to shuttle the last section or paddle the final 7-mile
stretch (making total distance for the day 29 km!). We will
celebrate with a final dinner overlooking the harbor at Agia Galini.
Overnight: local Inn, Agia Galini (BD)
DAY
8:
Those wishing to complete the paddling circle can launch early
in the morning from Agia Galini and paddle across the bay into
Matala (approximately 13 km in an open water crossing). Others
will van to Matala where we will have a brief stop en route to
Heraklion. (B)
This
itinerary is subject to change, final itinerary will depend on
sea and weather conditions.
Please
contact ITT for a quote.
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