Activities

THE TOWN OF KISSAMOS   The northern western edge of Crete, located between the capes of Gramvousa and Spathas, forms a natural bay. The present-day town of Kissamos is built on its inlet at 38 km west of Chania. It is the second largest town in the prefecture and the administrative centre of the Municipality of Kissamos that comprises the regional communities of Kissamos, Inachorio and Mythimni, following the passing of the Kallikratis bill. This is a modern, autonomous, hospitable and fully organised seaside town with an economy that depends on farm produce, olive oil and wine as well as tourism and commerce.   HISTORY   With a history spanning centuries, Kissamos – which, even in ancient times, served as…

Balos lagoon is a heaven on earth of turquoise waters, pink-tinged white sands and wild, exotic beauty. Located at 17 km northwest of Kissamos, between the Gramvousa Cape and small rocky peninsula of Tigani, which connects with the rest of Crete via a thin strip of land, thus forming the famous Balos lagoon. Its southwest side is open to sea and forms a natural harbour, protected by winds due to the islet of Imeri Gramvousa across from it. On its open side the shore is deeper and rockier at places; a favourite for spearfishermen and scuba divers. The other side of the lagoon is closed to the sea and forms a generally quite shallow lagoon, except for some deeper places…

It takes a few seconds for the visitor arriving at Elafonisi to grasp the majestic, natural masterpiece that is laid out before them. A small peninsula split at its tip by the sea’s waters, resembling a separate island. The setting is tropical and enchanting, triggering an instant sense of marvel. Thin, white and pink tinted sands, cedars, jade crystal-clear waters, a natural lagoon at its north side, the open sea at its south, all underlined by the endless horizon. The beach prompts to an exotic paradise similar to the Caribbean, though perhaps of more beauty because of its iridescent shore; scores of minuscule crustaceans, called Foraminifera shed their shells on the beach, as they die, which are crushed to smithereens…

The once upon a time commercial center of Kissamos, the old market area that enfolded all the buzz of the town with historic shops and personalities. Every inch of Skalidis Street has a different story to tell.