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Contents Introduction Walk or Cycle around Stanley Park Gas Town Yaletown Cycling around Vancouver Granville Island Market Coal Harbour, Vancouver Vancouver's Beaches A Walk around Downtown Vancouver Museum of Anthropology Grouse Mountain Capilano Suspension Bridge Queen Elizabeth Park Deep Cove Golden Ears Provincial Park Buntzen Lake Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler Squamish Loggers Sports Festival Hotels in Vancouver Transportation in Vancouver When to Visit Vancouver Links to my other blogs on Canada 1. Introduction We lived in Vancouver for 9 years and in September 2025 went back and spent 11 days there. It had been over 20 years since our last visit. Friends had warned us that Vancouver had changed a lot and about the drug problems in the downtown area. I was pleased to find that many of the changes in Vancouver were for the better. Much of False Creek and Coal Harbour used to be an industrial wasteland but these areas have now been developed well. As a result you can now walk or cycle for hours along Vancouver's seafront on dedicated cycle lanes and walkways. There is certainly a big drug and homelessness problem in Vancouver. It isn't very evident in the main area of interest for visitors which is north of Granville Street. However, it is noticeable south of Granville Street and the areas around Gastown and China Town can be impacted. Safety in downtown Vancouver isn't really an issue but I would be very careful walking south of Granville Street at night. We were really impressed with Vancouver although it helped that we had excellent weather. Vancouver does tend to have good summer weather but the wet winters are another matter! There is enough to do and see in Vancouver to justify spending at least 2 whole days there. The main places of interest for visitors are Stanley Park, Granville Island market, Grouse Mountain and the downtown area. You can easily spend more days in Vancouver, particularly if you explore some of the outlying areas. There are several very scenic lakes with good beaches within driving distance. There is also the Sea to Sky highway to Whistler with several sights along the way. Information on Vancouver's main sights and activities is provided below. 2. Walk or Cycle around Stanley Park Map of Stanley Park, Vancouver Stanley Park's main attraction is the 9 kilometre long sea wall that runs around Stanley Park from Coal Harbour to English Bay. From the sea wall there are great views of the North Shore mountains, downtown Vancouver's skyline, English Bay and Coal Harbour. From the sea wall sea planes can be seen taking off and landing. Cruise ships and freight vessels often sail by. There are several points of interest along the sea wall which include the Totem Poles, Brockton Point, Prospect Point, Siwash rock, Second Beach and Third Beach. Third Beach is an excellent spacious and sandy beach. Second Beach isn't quite as nice but there is a popular outdoor swimming pool there. Vancouver's aquarium is in Stanley Park but I didn't visit it. See the aquarium's website for details. If you want to walk around Stanley Park, but feel that 9 kilometres is too long, there is a way of shortening it by a couple of kilometres. On the east side of Stanley Park you can cut across the peninsular by Brockton Point. There is a paved path between the starting area for the horse drawn carriages and Lumberman's Arch. This path passes to the west of the aquarium. Cycling is a popular and fun way to see Stanley Park and there is a designated bike path around Stanley Park. It's a one way bike path and everyone must cycle anti clockwise. Mobi operates a bike sharing scheme but it is expensive at $1 for unlocking the bike and then 29 cents a minute. In comparison the bike share in Toronto only costs 12 cents a minute. It is better to rent a bike from one of the many bike rental stores on Denman Street near the intersection with West Georgia Street. I used Spokes which is probably the largest bike rental store in Vancouver. It was very easy to rent a bike and they provided a helmet and bike chain. I cycled around Stanley Park twice and walked once. It's also possible to drive around and I also did that. It was the only time that I visited Prospect Point viewpoint which is high up above the sea wall. Prospect Point viewpoint is near Lions Gate Bridge and there are excellent views of ships passing under the bridge. The interior of Stanley Park is massive but most of it is dense forest. The exceptions are the Lost Lagoon and the area around the aquarium. View of Coal Harbour from Stanley Park, Vancouver The Totem Poles in Stanley Park, Vancouver View of the North Shore from Stanley Park, Vancouver SS Empress of Japan Figurehead at Stanley Park, Vancouver Brockton Point Lighthouse at Stanley Park, Vancouver Cruise Ship passing under Lions Gate Bridge, Vancouver Siwash Rock at Stanley Park, Vancouver Third Beach in Stanley Park, Vancouver 3. Gas Town Gastown is the oldest part of Vancouver and one building dates back to 1887. The buildings aren't very special when compared to historic buildings in European towns. However, it's good that the area has been preserved and it's pleasant to stroll down Water Street, which is Gastown's main street. Gastown's main attraction is the steam clock which looks old but was actually only made in 1977. It's meant to whistle and shoot steam every quarter of an hour. When I was there the time on the clock was wrong and some visitors had been waiting a long time for it to whistle. It finally whistled just as I was about to leave. I was surprised that there are now some upmarket businesses in Gastown. Unfortunately they aren't of interest to visitors. There are a couple of shops that sell the usual tourist junk that has been made in China. Many years ago they used to sell quality native handicrafts but not any more. I saw a couple of comments on Tripadvisor about problems of homelessness and drug use in Gastown. Although Gastown is south of Granville Street I didn't experience such issues. The Steam Clock in Gas Town 4. Yaletown Yaletown used to be the western terminus of the Canadian Pacific railway. The warehouses on Hamilton Street and Mainland Street were transformed after Expo 1986 into restaurants, shops, offices and apartments. The entire area has been gentrified with high rise apartment towers built on the nearby north shore of False Creek. The 2 main streets in Yaletown are usually very quiet during the daytime but liven up in the evenings. Some visitors have reported on Tripadvisor that there isn't much to do in the daytime. The nearby False Creek waterfront is a real pleasure with its pedestrian walkway and cycle path. From there it is easy to take one of the frequent water taxis along False Creek and to Granville Island market. Opposite the Yaletown Sky Train station is the old railway roundhouse. There is a small museum there which is free to enter. The museum's main exhibit is the first locomotive to haul a trans continental passenger train into Vancouver in 1888. There is also an interesting exhibit about the Chinese workers who helped construct the trans continental railway. Yaletown The Roundhouse in Yaletown The Steam Engine that pulled the 1st Passenger Train into Vancouver 5. Cycling around Vancouver As I had hurt my foot I hired an electric bike from Spokes Bicycle Rentals and spent the day cycling along Vancouver's fantastic cycle paths. It was one of the best days of my 38 day holiday in Canada. I started near Coal Harbour and cut across the southern edge of Stanley Park to reach English Bay. From there I cycled to Burrard bridge and crossed over to Vanier Park. After Vanier park I rode past Kitsilano beach, Jericho beach, Locarno beach and Spanish Banks. They are all excellent wide and sandy beaches. I turned round shortly after Spanish Banks and retraced my route. Instead of crossing the Burrard bridge back to downtown Vancouver I continued cycling along the south shore of False Creek. I stopped at Granville Island Market for lunch. When I reached the end of False Creek there were great views of the futuristic Science World dome, BC Place Stadium and the Rogers Centre. From there I cycled along False Creek's north shore back to English Bay and retraced my route through Stanley Park to Spokes Bicycle Rental. I changed bikes there as the battery was becoming a bit low and then cycled around Stanley Park. I paid $93 for the day's rental and it was worth every cent. A manual bike would have been about $40 less but I did enjoy the ease of riding an electric bike for the distance I covered. It was totally worth it and it's the best way of seeing the area. First Beach at English Bay A-Maze-Ing Laughter art work at English Bay False Creek's North Shore Near Vanier Park on South Side of False Creek View of English Bay and Sunset Beach Jericho Beach View of Downtown Vancouver from near Jericho Beach Locarno Beach View of North Shore Mountains from Spanish Banks View of Downtown Vancouver from Granville Island Science World at False Creek BC Place 6. Granville Island Market Granville Island is one of the most popular places in Vancouver for visitors. The main attraction is the large indoor market. Granville Island a great place to buy produce and have lunch or a snack. You can either eat inside or at the picnic tables by False Creek. There is often a musician playing there. Granville Island Market is only a small part of Granville Island and there are lots of shops and restaurants on the island. It's very pleasant wandering around. The indoor market is open 7 days a week from 09.00 to 18.00. The best and nicest way to reach Granville Island from downtown is by one of the very frequent water taxis. Aquabus and False Creek Ferries both operate water taxis on False Creek. The water taxis serve the entire False Creek area from Vanier Park in the west to Science World in the east. The fares are reasonable and there are great views along the way. Granville Island Public Market Food Court at Granville Island Public Market Musician at Granville Island Market Outdoor eating area at Granville Island Market Aquabus serving Granville Island Market 7. Coal Harbour, Vancouver Coal Harbour runs from the Cruise Ship Terminal in downtown Vancouver to Stanley Park. Prior to 1995 the southern part of Coal Harbour's waterfront was occupied by Canadian Pacific Railways and it wasn't a very attractive area. Since then it has been developed well and the railway tracks no longer exist. There is a wide walkway all the way from Stanley Park to the Cruise Ship Terminal. There are are excellent views to Stanley Park and over to North Vancouver and the north shore's mountains. The sea plane terminal is located at Coal Harbour and it's fascinating watching, and hearing, them take off and land. Coal Harbour isn't used by freight vessels but is frequented by pleasure boats, cruise ships and ferries to places like Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. There are many interesting information plaques along the walkway about historical events in Vancouver and British Columbia. Vancouver's Cruise Ship Terminal Vancouver Cruise Ship Terminal & Convention Centre Coal Harbour, Vancouver View of the North Shore Mountains from Coal Harbour View of North Vancouver from Coal Harbour 8. Vancouver's Beaches Vancouver has several good sandy beaches that can be easily accessed by visitors. The closest beach to downtown Vancouver is First Beach which is at the western end of Denman Street. It's an excellent wide and sandy beach with logs to rest on. Third Beach on the western side of Stanley Park is very similar but not quite as accessible. To the south of English Bay there are excellent sandy beaches from Kitsilano to Spanish Banks. In between these 2 beaches are Locarno Beach and Jericho Beach. There is convenient paid parking at all these beaches. There are outdoor pools at Kitsilano and 2nd Beach in Stanley Park. First Beach at English Bay Third Beach in Stanley Park Jericho Beach 9. A Walk around Downtown Vancouver The streets with the most activity in downtown Vancouver are Robson Street, Denman Street, Davie Street and Granville Street. They can be seen by doing an interesting circular walk. Robson Street is my favourite street in Vancouver and it's lined with shops and some of them are exclusive. Robson Street slopes down to Denman Street which has lots of reasonably priced restaurants. Both Robson and Denman Streets are safe and very pleasant to walk around at night time. Davie Street runs parallel to Robson Street. Many years ago Davie Street had a notorious reputation but it has now been cleaned up. There are shops and restaurants along Davie Street but it isn't as busy as Robson and Denman Streets. Davie Street becomes more vibrant nearer the junction with Granville Street. I enjoy walking along Davie Street in the daytime. It isn't particularly interesting at night time and also a bit rough near Granville Street. Granville Street is probably the main street in downtown Vancouver but not the most pleasant one. There are shops, cheap eateries, bars and night entertainment. Unfortunately there are also homeless people and drug users, particularly as you get closer to the intersection with Davie Street. It's worth wandering along Granville Street but watch where you step! The street comes alive at night time with all the neon lights. At night time it becomes a bit rough near Davie Street. At th e junction of Granville and Robson there is access to the underground Pacific Centre shopping mall. It's probably about a 2 hour circular walk. It's likely to take much longer with stop offs for food, drink, shopping etc. 10. Museum of Anthropology The Museum of Anthropology is at the University of British Columbia and it takes about 30 minutes to drive there from downtown Vancouver. There is parking at the museum and it costs about $4 an hour. The museum can also be accessed by bus. The Museum of Anthropology is housed in a spectacular building designed by the renowned Canadian architect Arthur Erickson. It's open from 10.00 to 17.00 each day and the entry fee is $26 for an adult and there are discounts for seniors and children. The Museum of Anthropology mainly receives very good reviews but some reviewers complain about the lack of information about the artifacts, history and culture of the indigenous population. I thought that the building was very impressive but was disappointed with the actual museum. There are masses of artifacts with no meaningful narrations. I wanted to learn about Canada's indigenous population, and their history, but that wasn't covered. Some reviewers said they spent several hours in the museum but we spent just over an hour there. We didn't learn any more by paying to visit the museum than if we had freely walked around the exterior of the museum and peered through the huge glass windows. We were also disappointed with the museum's shop. The museum displayed so much indigenous handicrafts but very little was for sale in the shop. Most of the items for sale were the usual tourist tat. Exterior of the Museum of Anthropology The Main Display at the Museum of Anthropology 11. Grouse Mountain Grouse Mountain is one of the top visitor attractions in Vancouver. I didn't take the gondola up this visit as I had skied at Grouse Mountain many times in the past and didn't want to pay the admission fee. The views from Grouse Mountain are fantastic if the weather is good. I personally wouldn't spend the money to go up if it was cloudy or there was smoke from wild fires like I experienced in early September. There are many free and paid activities at the top of Grouse Mountain. Most visitors enjoy the ranger and owl talks, the grizzly bear habitat and the lumberjack show. These activities are all free but be aware that outside the peak summer season the lumberjack show is only at weekends and holidays. The online entrance fee is $82 with discounts for seniors and children. Online tickets cannot be bought on the day of admission. Tickets can be bought at Grouse Mountain and Canada Place but cost a bit more. During the summer season there is a free coach service between Canada Place and Grouse Mountain. Coaches run about every half an hour from 09.00 to 18.00. It's also possible to hike up Grouse Mountain and take the gondola down at a reduced fee. The hike up is called the Grouse Grind and it has an elevation gain of 800 metres. Grouse Mountain states that it takes 2 to 2.5 hours on average. However, many people hike up faster. I did the Grouse Grind many years ago. The hike is completely through forest and there aren't any views before the top. The only reasons to do the Grouse Grind are the challenge, fitness and to save a bit of money. 12. Capilano Suspension Bridge It was free when I visited a very long time ago. Since then I have crossed numerous spectacular suspension bridges in the Himalayas for free. Therefore when I saw that the entrance fee for the Capilano Suspension Bridge was an outrageous $78 I decided not to visit. There are other activities included in the entrance fee and there is a free shuttle from Canada Place. However, if you drive there is a charge for parking. I feel that Capilano Suspension Bridge is an expensive tourist trap. Surprisingly there are a lot of positive reviews on Tripadvisor. If you want to experience walking over a suspension bridge it is better to visit the nearby Lynn Valley Canyon Park which has free entry. 13. Queen Elizabeth Park Queen Elizabeth Park is a 130 acre municipal park that's free to enter. The main attractions are in the centre of the park where there were 2 quarries. The quarries have been turned into very spectacular gardens. There are also good views of Vancouver's skyline and the North Shore mountains from Queen Elizabeth Park. The Bloedel Conservatory is near the quarry gardens and it consists of a glass domed building housing a botanical garden. The entrance fee is $9 with discounts for seniors and children. Queen Elizabeth Park is a 15 minute drive from downtown Vancouver. Fountains in front of the Bloedel Conservatory The Bloedel Conservatory Queen Elizabeth Park's Main Quarry Garden Queen Elizabeth Park's Main Quarry Garden 14. Deep Cove Deep Cove is on the eastern side of North Vancouver and is a 30 minute drive from downtown Vancouver. Parking is very limited at weekends and holidays. We went by Uber. Deep Cove is on Indian Arm which is a tributary of Burrard Inlet. The water is usually calm and is popular for boating and canoeing. Canoes can be rented at Deep Cove. There are a few small beaches and also open parkland at the waterfront. It's a pleasant place to wander around. There is small high street with a few restaurants and shops Deep Cove Deep Cove Deep Cove's Shops and Restaurants 15. Golden Ears Provincial Park Golden Ears Provincial Park used to be one of our favourite places to go to for swimming when we lived in Vancouver. It has a large pristine lake surrounded by mountains and the water temperature is fine as the lake isn't glacier fed. It's about a one hour drive eastwards from Vancouver. Unfortunately with Vancouver's expanded population it is now very popular and in peak summer time a day pass is required up to the beginning of September. The day passes are free and can be applied for online 2 days in advance. I would avoid weekends and holidays. There are 3 main areas at the lake for swimming. South Beach is the first beach off the access road and it's the nicest and largest beach. It has a large grassy picnic area by the beach and there are good toilet facilities. Further along the access road there is parking for Gold Creek and North Beach. It's a one kilometre walk along Gold Creek to North Beach. The first part of Gold Creek is too shallow for swimming but nearer the lake it's deeper and is a popular swimming spot. The North Beach area is very scenic but the beach is stony and the water too shallow for swimming. It's popular with dog owners as dogs aren't allowed on South Beach. Entrance to Golden Ears Provincial Park The main beach at Golden Ears Provincial Park North Beach at Golden Ears Provincial Park Gold Creek at Golden Ears Provincial Park 16. Buntzen Lake Buntzen Lake is 45 minute drive eastwards from downtown Vancouver. It's similar to Golden Ears Provincial Park but there is only one beach accessible by vehicles. From the middle of May to beginning of September a free permit must be obtained online from BC Hydro . Beach at Buntzen Lake 17. Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler We drove the Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler in mid September and weren't as impressed with the scenery as we thought we would be. It didn't help that it was a bit cloudy. Unfortunately trees block a lot of the views from the highway. This is a common problem in British Columbia. Whistler is a pleasant destination to visit but if you are visiting outside the main summer season do check before you go that the gondolas and peak chairlift are open. See my section on Whistler for further information about that. It only takes 1.5 hours to drive on the Sea to Sky Highway from downtown Vancouver to Whistler. Most visitors take a lot longer as there are a few places worth visiting on the way. Information about the main stops is provided below. Porteau Cove Provincial Park Porteau Cove Provincial Park is a 35 minute drive from downtown Vancouver. There's free parking and a picnic area just off the highway. On a clear day there are good views of Howe Sound and the coastal mountains. Porteau Cove Picnic Area & Parking at Porteau Cove Britannia Mine Museum The Britannia Mine operated from 1904 to 1974. At one time it was the largest copper mine in the British Commonwealth and it supplied 17% of the world's copper. On the hillside above the Britannia Mine there is a 20 storey building that was used for processing the copper ore. The exterior looked more impressive before they renovated it in 2007. The interior hasn't been renovated and is very impressive. As a result it's a popular filming location. The $42 entrance fee for the Britannia Mine Museum includes a 75 minute guided tour with an underground train ride. You should allow at least 2 hours for a visit. The Britannia Mine Museum is a 45 minute drive from downtown Vancouver. We visited about 20 years ago and enjoyed it. Most of the reviews are very positive but some visitors feel that it isn't worth the $42 entrance fee. In t he peak summer period it's advisable to make an online reservation as the Britannia Mining Museum can be fully booked. Exterior of the Britannia Mine Museum Interior of the Britannia Mine Museum Shannon Falls Shannon falls is only a 7 minute drive north of Britannia Mine Museum. There's a free car park and flush toilets. It's a popular stop. It's a 350 metre walk along a good path to the main viewpoint of the falls. There's another viewpoint a bit further up but we didn't walk there. After seeing several spectacular waterfalls in Banff National Park I wasn't so impressed with Shannon Falls. We visited in mid September after several dry months. Shannon Falls would be more impressive in winter and spring. Shannon Falls Brandywine Falls Brandywine Falls is a 1.25 hour drive from Vancouver. There's free parking but the car park can be very busy at weekends. It's a 10 minute walk to the falls and there are 2 viewing areas. Brandywine Falls Whistler Hikers and mountain bikers could spend days at Whistler in the summer time. Visitors not participating in outdoor pursuits can easily keep themselves fully occupied for a day. Gondolas at Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains The top activity is taking the gondola: there is a gondola up Whistler and another up Blackcomb. The Peak 2 Peak gondola connects the upper stations of the Whistler and Blackcomb gondolas and spans 4.4 kilometres. The Peak Express chairlift goes from the upper station of Whistler's gondola to the top of Whistler Mountain (2,181 metres). This saves a one hour hike up and provides access to the Cloudraker Skybridge. This is a 130 metre bridge between Whistler Peak and West Ridge. Tickets cost around $100 and covers the 3 gondolas, the Peak Express chairlift and the Cloudraker Skybridge. Before buying tickets check what is open and this can be checked online. During the peak summer period from mid June to Labour day all of these attractions should be open. However, at other times they may only be open at weekends or only some of the attractions may be open. I discovered that after Labour day only the Blackcomb and Peak 2 Peak gondolas were open and even these gondolas stopped operating after 21st September. It seemed a rip off that the full price was being charged when the Peak Express chairlift to the Cloudraker Skybridge was closed. There are a couple of attractive lakes at Whistler. Lost lake is the nearest to the centre of Whistler. In summer the water temperature is warm enough for swimming. Green Lake is a bit further north. It is larger and the water isn't as warm as it's glacier fed. Whistler Town Centre Green Lake, Whistler Lost Lake, Whistler 18. Squamish Loggers Sports Festival The Squamish Loggers Sports Festival is the largest and best loggers festival in Canada. It has a fantastic action packed show highlighting the skills of British Columbia's loggers. Be prepared for the noise of the chain saws! The Loggers Festival is normally held on a weekend at the end of July or start of August. The main show is on the Sunday and tickets should be booked early online as this show sells out. 19. Hotels in Vancouver Hotel rooms are very expensive in Vancouver during the summer season. In 2025 a decent hotel room cost around $400 a night. Staying outside of downtown Vancouver saves very little. We spent a few nights in the Holiday Inn Express in Metrotown, Burnaby and even that cost $400 a night. Hotel costs are high as Vancouver is a major cruise ship terminal for Alaska cruises. Also British Columbia has placed restrictions on the short term rental of apartments. We initially rented a 2 bedroom apartment near the Rogers Centre as our son was with us. This cost a whopping $850 a night through VRBO . It was a nice apartment and it should have been for the price! We then stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Metrotown, Burnaby as we wanted to visit some areas outside the downtown core. I booked directly with Holiday Inn as they had a better deal than Booking.com. The Holiday Inn Express in Metrotown, Burnaby was very good and included breakfast and free parking. It was right next to the huge Metrotown shopping centre and opposite the Skytrain station. It only took about 20 minutes to reach downtown Vancouver. At the end of our road trip around British Columbia we stayed at the Blue Horizon Hotel on Robson Street. Again I booked directly with the hotel as they had a special summer deal. As a result we paid $350 a night for a superior room. It would have cost over $400 on Booking.com. The Blue Horizon was built in the 1970's but was completely refurbished in 2025. All rooms are corner rooms with balconies. We had a room on the 23rd floor with views over the city to English Bay. The room was huge and had been refurbished very well. We were delighted with the hotel and it was very central. It's worth paying for a sea view room as they are sunnier. Also the rooms on the other side of the hotel look onto apartment towers. 20. Transportation in Vancouver We used Uber a lot in Vancouver as there were 3 of us and it often didn't cost much more than public transport. We also used the very efficient and regular Skytrain and also the Canada Line which is connected to the Skytrain network at the waterfront station. Skytrain and the Canada Line are automated light railway systems that run mainly above ground. Visitors mainly use the Canada Line which runs frequently between the airport and downtown Vancouver. The fare is about $4.85 but it depends on the time of day. There's a $5 surcharge on top of Canada Line's fare for rides originating from the airport. This surcharge doesn't apply to rides to Vancouver airport. Visitors might find the Skytrain useful for travelling to Chinatown, Yaletown and the large shopping centre at Metrotown, Burnaby. The fare for travelling to these locations in central area of Vancouver is $3.35 and it can be paid by tapping a credit card at the start and end of each journey. There is a good bus network in Vancouver but we didn't use buses during this visit. We rented a car for a few days but unless you are travelling some distance out of downtown Vancouver it's cheaper and easier to use Uber. Most hotels and parking areas charge for parking and car rental isn't cheap. 21. When to Visit Vancouver Vancouver is notorious for it's rainfall and it's pretty miserable when it rains for days on end. Fortunately most of the rain falls in winter between October and May. Vancouver tends to have good summers unlike in the U.K. The official weather statistics for Vancouver are taken at the airport which is about the driest and sunniest place in the Vancouver area! The rainfall increases, and the number of hours of sun decreases, the closer you get to the mountains. Fortunately the climate in downtown Vancouver isn't too much worse than at the airport. Another factor to take into account is smoke from forest fires. Summer forest fires have become a big problem in British Columbia and the smoke can obscure the scenery. Vancouver isn't as badly affected as inland areas. 22. Links to my other Blogs on Canada Vancouver to Canadian Rockies Road Trip Plain of 6 Glaciers & Lake Agness Hike Kootenay National Park Travel Guide Yoho National Park Travel Guide The Icefields Parkway Drive

Map of the Plain of 6 Glaciers & Lake Agness Circular Hike We lived in Vancouver for 8 years where I worked for Canadian Pacific. My very first assignment involved staying at the Chateau Lake Louise for 3 weeks! I did some hiking at the weekends but never hiked to the Plain of 6 Glaciers or Lake Agness. In late August 2025 we came back to Vancouver for a month's holiday. We did a 3 week road trip from Vancouver to the Canadian Rockies ( see my blog ) and I finally did the Plain of 6 Glaciers and Lake Agness circular hike. I had set out intending to just hike to the Plain of 6 Glaciers as I thought the Lake Agness trail would be too busy and forested for my liking. I changed my mind at the Plain of 6 Glaciers tea house and hiked back via the Big Beehive and Lake Agness. It was a good decision. It was a fantastic circular hike and it wasn't busy as I went at a good time of day and hiked clockwise. Read on for information about this hike including how to avoid the crowds, the route, how to get there etc. Contents Getting to Lake Louise When to do the Plain of 6 Glaciers & Lake Agness Hike Clockwise or Anti Clockwise? Choosing between Plain of 6 Glaciers & Lake Agness Hikes Description of the Plain of 6 Glaciers Hike and Lake Agness circular hike Refreshments What to take Other hiking options Links to my other blogs on Canada 1. Getting to Lake Louise Map of Lake Louise Advance planning is very important when visiting Lake Louise as access is restricted due to its popularity. Visitors can drive to Lake Louise but the car park often becomes full by 06.30 in the peak summer months and costs $37 for the day! I assume most of these early visitors come for the Lake Agness and Plain of 6 Glaciers hikes. Parking becomes available again in the afternoon once the early hikers have departed. The cheapest way to visit Lake Louise is by booking in advance  a Parks Canada shuttle which costs $8 plus a $3.50 admin fee (with discounts for over 65's and children). A private bus service costs $55 but it may be a bit cheaper if booked online . Parks Canada's shuttle buses to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake depart from the free park and ride at the Lake Louise Ski Resort. It's a huge parking lot and capacity isn't an issue. The expensive private buses also leave from the Lake Louise Ski Resort. At the Lake Louise Ski Resort proof of the reservation has to be presented at the Parks Canada booth. They issue a ticket (see below) to be shown to the bus driver. The ticket doesn't state whether the destination is Lake Louise or Moraine Lake. Parks Canada Shuttle Ticket for Lake Louise It isn't necessary to buy separate Parks Canada shuttle bus tickets to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake when visiting both lakes on the same day. After visiting the lake specified on the Parks Canada reservation there are 2 options: a shuttle bus back to the Park and Ride or a shuttle bus to the other lake. After visiting the second lake the shuttle bus to the Park and Ride can be taken. Reservations  for the Parks Canada shuttles are for 1 hour departure time slots from the Lake Louise Park and Ride. Any shuttle bus can be taken back to the Park and Ride or the other lake. The ticket must be presented to the driver. There isn't so much flexibility with the private buses as the return time must be booked when purchasing tickets. In 2025 the shuttle buses for Lake Louise and Lake Moraine could be reserved from 08.00 Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) on 16th April. It's advisable to create a Parks Canada account well beforehand and to gain an understanding of how the reservation process works. We flew to Madeira on the 16th April 2025 and couldn't make reservations until the evening. The very earliest shuttle departure times had been taken but there was still plenty of space for departures from 09.00. For early shuttle departures times log in before 08.00 MDT on the day the reservation process begins as they get booked quickly by hikers. The first departure of the day is at 06.30. Parks Canada releases additional tickets 2 days before each departure day for the Lake Louise and Moraine Lake shuttles. I logged in before 08.00 MDT and at exactly 08.00 tried to purchase tickets to Lake Louise. The site churned and after refreshing the page the morning tickets had been taken. I managed to buy tickets for the early afternoon. If you can't make a reservation for Parks Canada's Lake Louise shuttle try to book the Lake Moraine shuttle instead. The shuttle tickets issued by Parks Canada at the Park and Ride car park don't state which lake they are for. You can therefore take the shuttle from the Park and Ride to Lake Louise even if your shuttle reservation is for Lake Moraine. 2. When to do the Plain of 6 Glaciers & Lake Agness Hike Time of Year Lake Louise is covered with ice up to late May and sometimes early June. The ice on Mirror Lake and Lake Agness melts slightly later as they are at a higher altitude. The lakes are far more attractive when they aren't frozen. Snow is often on the trail until mid June and by late September it can begin snowing again. If it's icy the trail is more difficult and micro spikes might be required. Therefore mid June to late September is the best time of the year to hike to the Plain of 6 Glaciers and Lake Agness but it's unfortunately when it is the busiest. The hike to Lake Agness is probably the most popular hike in Banff National Park. Reviews of the hike indicate that it can be unpleasantly crowded in peak season. Time of Day The starting time and the route followed are very important factors in determining if the trail will be busy. Hikers arriving by car will usually arrive between 05.30 and 06.30 in summer in order to obtain a parking place. The majority of these hikers will hike to Lake Agness and then return to Lake Louise on the same route. Some people continue hiking from Lake Agness to the Big Beehive and the Plain of 6 Glaciers. The early hikers to Lake Agness and the Big Beehive will usually return to Lake Louise in the mid to late morning. This makes the Lake Agness trail busy later in the morning as there are hikers ascending and descending. Not as many people hike to the Plain of 6 Glaciers. I hiked there in mid September and started at 10.00. After leaving the lakeshore there were other hikers on the trail but it wasn't at all bad. That's coming from someone who dislikes busy trails. I therefore recommend hiking to the Plain of 6 Glaciers first and then continuing to Lake Agness. I wouldn't start before 09.00 as you will encounter crowds at the Big Beehive and back down to Lake Agness and Lake Louise. The later the better if you like quiet trails. Unfortunately if you are parking at Lake Louise you probably either need to arrive very early in the morning or in the afternoon after some of the early hikers have left. 3. Clockwise or Anti Clockwise for the Plain of 6 Glaciers & Lake Agness Circular Hike Parks Canada and most travel guides recommend hiking anti clockwise. The only reason seems to be that the steepest part of the hike is from Lake Louise to Lake Agness and it's best to do it before becoming tired. As a result virtually everybody hikes anti clockwise. Following the herd is a disaster if you dislike busy trails! If you hike clockwise to the Plain of 6 Glaciers, and start mid morning, the trail shouldn't be that busy. By the time you reach the Big Beehive in the early afternoon the majority of trekkers will have returned to Lake Louise or be well on their way back. I also think the view is better when hiking clockwise. When descending from the Big Beehive to Lake Agness there are excellent views of the lake and mountains. If you do this section anti clockwise you are facing the wrong way. 4. Choosing between Plain of 6 Glaciers & Lake Agness Hikes? More people hike to Lake Agness than the Plain of 6 Glaciers. However, most travel guides say that the views on Plain of 6 Glaciers hike are better as the trail to the Lake Agness teahouse is forested! If I had to choose between the 2 hikes I would choose the Plain of 6 Glaciers hike as it's less crowded and more scenic. The view from the Big Beehive is spectacular and the trail between Lake Agness and the Big Beehive is beautiful. Therefore the best option is to do a circular hike covering the Plain of 6 Glaciers, the Big Beehive and Lake Agness. The hike isn't that long or demanding. 5. Description of the Circular Plain of 6 Glaciers Hike and Lake Agness Hike Map of the Plain of 6 Glaciers & Lake Agness Hike The first section of the trail to the Plain of 6 Glaciers follows the northern shoreline of Lake Louise and there are excellent views. This section of the trail will usually be busy as many visitors who are only visiting Lake Louise walk along the lakeshore. Chateau Lake Louise is the starting point of the hike Lake Louise from the Chateau Lake Louise Lake Louise with the Chateau Lake Louise in the background At the western end of Lake Louise the trail ascends 370 metres to the Plain of 6 Glaciers teahouse. It's a gradual ascent and there are excellent views most of the way. It takes about 1.5 hours to reach the tea house from the Chateau Lake Louise. Trail to the Plain of 6 Glaciers View of Lake Louise from the Plain of 6 Glaciers Trail The Plain of the 6 Glaciers Tea House The official trail terminates at the popular Plain of 6 Glaciers tea house but there is a good unmaintained trail for another half an hour past the tea house. It's worthwhile continuing on the trail even if you don't go to the very end. End of Trail Sign just past the Plain of 6 Glaciers Tea House The trail terminates soon after running along a ridge of moraine. Some hikers go further up on the scree. I didn't as the views wouldn't have been better and I hadn't brought hiking poles. The final ridge to the Plain of 6 Glaciers Viewpoint You have to retrace your steps back to the tea house. About half an hour past the Plain of 6 Glaciers tea house the trail to Lake Agness and the Big Beehive branches off to the left. Initially the Highline trail is through open terrain and then it becomes forested. There were very few hikers on the Highline trail in the early afternoon. Highline Trail from Plain of 6 Glaciers to the Big Beehive Highline trail through the forest After 15 minutes the Highline trail turns off to the left and ascends steeply for 45 minutes to the Big Beehive. The Big Beehive is a large free-standing rock outcrop in the shape of beehive. There were very few hikers on the Highline trail but quite a number at the top of the Beehive. The area on top of the Beehive is q uite large and there are fantastic views of Lake Louise.  The best  view  of Lake Louise is obtained by slightly descending to the far cliff edge. It was also more peaceful there with no other hikers. View of Lake Louise from the Big Beehive View of Mirror Lake from the Big Beehive From the top of the Big Beehive it's a 15 minute steep descent to Lake Agness. It's a beautiful trail and surprisingly there were virtually no other hikers. Most people seem to hike to Lake Agness and the Big Beehive in the morning and I descended in the mid afternoon. Descent from the Big Beehive to Lake Agness Descent from the Big Beehive to Lake Agness Descent from the Big Beehive to Lake Agness Lake Agness There is a popular tea house at Lake Agness and there were quite a few people there. From the tea house there are 2 trails back to Lake Louise and they converge at Mirror Lake. I took the left trail which is less steep. At Mirror Lake there is an excellent view of the Big Beehive. The trail from the Lake Agness tea house to the Chateau Lake Louise wasn't busy but it was more forested than the trail from the Big Beehive to Lake Agness. Lake Agness Tea House Mirror Lake and the Big Beehive I had thought the Lake Agness hike would be too busy and forested for my liking. Neither were an issue and I really enjoyed the circular hike to the Plain of 6 Glaciers, Big Beehive and Lake Agness. The hike was well signposted and I had no problem route finding. The hike took 5.5 hours. 6. Refreshments I took a packed lunch but many people have something to eat at the Lake Agness or Plain of 6 Glaciers tea houses. The Lake Agness tea house is the busier of the 2 tea houses and the waiting time can be an issue at both of them. The tea houses generally receive good reviews but the food is pricey due to the remote location. Both the tea houses will accept credit cards if the internet is working but it often isn't. Therefore bring cash and bear in mind that USD is probably only accepted at a 1:1 ratio. 7. What to Take It obviously depends on the time of year and the weather forecast, although weather forecasts can be unreliable. The following should be considered: Bear spray Hiking poles. I didn't bring any and they would only have been useful at the very end of the Plain of 6 Glaciers hike. Water as it is very expensive at the tea houses Food and snacks Sun block Sun glasses Micro spikes when there is snow and ice. Waterproof jacket Phone for photos and internet. There was internet most of the way from the Big Beehive to Lake Agness and Lake Louise. I wore zip off trousers and was pleased to be able to convert them to shorts when it became hot. I wore lightweight boots but walking shoes would be fine in the summer. 8. Other Hiking Options The trail up to the Little Beehive starts near the Lake Agness Teahouse. It's an easier alternative hike than the Big Beehive as it's only 1 kilometre to the top and the elevation gain is 100 metres. There are excellent view of Lake Louise and the surrounding mountains from the top of the Littl e Beehive. It is definitely worth the short hike if you aren't hiking to the Big Beehive. View from the Little Beehive Some hikers go up Devil's Thumb after the Big Beehive. Devil's Thumb is much more difficult and some scrambling is required. 9. Links to my other Blogs on Canada Vancouver to Canadian Rockies Road Trip Vancouver Travel Guide Kootenay National Park Travel Guide Yoho National Park Travel Guide The Icefields Parkway Drive

Map of the northern section of Kootenay National Park Map of the Southern Section of Kootenay National Park Contents Introduction Canada National Parks' Passes Sinclair Canyon Radium Hot Springs Numa Falls Paint Pots Marble Canyon Stanley Glacier Hike The Continental Divide Scenery along the Highway Where to Stay Links to my other Blogs on Canada 1. Introduction It takes about one hour to drive through Kootenay National Park without stopping. However, you need a whole day or more if you want to see the main sights, soak in the Radium Hot Springs' pool and do the Stanley Glacier hike. The scenery in Kootenay National Park is not as spectacular as in the Banff and Jasper National Parks. The scenery becomes impressive nearer the northern boundary with Banff National Park. However, Kootenay National Park is definitely worth visiting. Most of Kootenay National Parks Attractions are in the northern end of the park with the exception of Radium Hot Springs. We stayed at Invermere for 2 nights and then drove through Kootenay National Park to Canmore near Banff. We saw all the sights in the north of Kootenay National Park on our drive to Canmore. See my blog Vancouver to Canadian Rockies Road Trip for information about this road trip and what to do and see. 2. Kootenay National Park Admission Fee You must have an annual Parks Canada Discovery pass, or a Parks Canada day pass, to stop in Kootenay National Park. Passes aren't needed if you drive through Kootenay National Park without stopping. The annual Discovery Pass costs $75.25 for adults, $64.50 for seniors, $151.25 for families (up to 7 people in a vehicle) and it's free for under 18's. A daily pass costs $11 for adults, $9.50 for seniors, $22 for families (up to 7 people in a vehicle) and it's free for under 1 8's. The daily pass is valid until 16.00 on the day after purchase. Therefore visitors can use it for almost 2 consecutive days of sightseeing in Canada's National Parks. It 's more convenient to buy an annual pass and if you are spending more than 7 days in Canada's National Parks it can work out cheaper. Park's Canada doesn't have offices at all the entrances to the National Parks and this can make visiting the National Parks difficult if you are relying on one day passes. If you are coming from the west there is a Parks Canada Office in the town of Radium Hot Springs and passes can be bought there. The town is just outside Kootenay's National Park's southern boundary whereas the Radium Hot Springs' pool is a few kilometres away in Kootenay National Park. 3. Sinclair Canyon Sinclair Canyon is just within the southern boundary of Kootenay National Park. Highway 93 runs through the canyon so it's not exactly peaceful! There are car parking areas at both ends of Sinclair Canyon and it's roughly a 5 minute walk through the canyon. Sinclair Canyon isn't spectacular but it's worth stopping to walk through. There is a hike on the Juniper trail from the southern end of the Sinclair Canyon to Radium Hot Springs. The Juniper trail goes above the Sinclair Canyon. It's 2.9 kilometres long each way and the hike takes about 2 hours. Mosquitoes can be an issue in mid summer. Sinclair Canyon in Kootenay National Park 4. Radium Hot Springs The pools at Radium Hot Springs are not in the town but 3 kilometres further north in Kootenay National Park. Radium Hot Springs has a large hot pool which is at a temperature between 37 and 40 centigrade. There's also a swimming pool at a temperature of about 28 centigrade. We really enjoyed the Radium Hot Springs pool and spent 2 hours soaking in it. It was very sociable and people were chatting to each other. It wasn't crowded in early September and the hot pools in Banff are far busier. It's advisable to get out of the water every so often as the water is hot. There is drinking water and paper cups at the hot pool. There are changing rooms, toilets and free lockers. Towels cost extra so it's best to bring your own. Towels can be taken out to the pool area. Radium Hot Springs costs $17.50 for an adult and there are discounts for seniors and youths. The pool are open from 08.30 to 20.00 in the peak summer months. After Labour Day Radium Hot Springs doesn't open until 11.30 which is very late. It's advisable to check the opening hours  before going. Radium Springs Hot Pool Radium Hot Springs Hot Pool Radium Hot Springs Swimming Pool 5. Numa Falls in Kootenay National Park It's a 50 minute drive from Radium Hot Springs to Numa Fall. The car park is just off Highway 93 and the falls are a 2 minute walk from the car park. There's a bridge over the river which provides a good view of the falls. It doesn't take long to see Numa Falls. Numa Falls in Kootenay National Park 6. Paint Pots in Kootenay National Park The parking lot for the Paint Pots is only a 3 minute drive from Numa Falls. The Paint Pots are 1 kilometre from the car park and it's a 15 minute scenic walk. The Paint Pots are 3 colourful pools of mineral water. Map of the Paints Pots & Marble Canyon Bridge crossing the Kootenay river at the start of the Paint Pots trail Kootenay River Trail to the Paint Pots in Kootenay National Park  Paint Pot in Kootenay National Park  Paint Pot in Kootenay National Park Paint Pot in Kootenay National Park 7. Marble Canyon in Kootenay National Park Marble Canyon is a 2 minute drive from the Paint Pots. It's possible to hike between the Paint Pots and Marble Canyon but the trail can be muddy. Most people drive there. The trail from the car park to Marble Canyon follows the canyon upwards and there are 7 bridges crossing it. The 700 metre long path is steep at times.  There  a re good views of the canyon and river along the trail. Start of the Marble Canyon trail Middle section of Marble Canyon trail Middle section of Marble Canyon trail End of the Marble Canyon Trail 8. Stanley Glacier Hike The best scenic hike in the Kootenay National Park is to Stanley Glacier . The hike on the maintained trail takes about 4 hours and is about 4.5 kilometres each way. It's possible to continue hiking up on a rocky unmaintained loop trail and this takes a couple more hours. The Stanley Glacier parking lot is a 3 minute drive from Marble Canyon. It can be full by mid morning during the peak summer months. 9. The Continental Divide The Continental divide is at the boundary of Kootenay and Banff National Parks and is the dividing line between the Pacific and Atlantic watersheds. Most people stop to take a quick photo of the sign. There isn't anything else to see. The Continental Divide between Kootenay and Banff National Parks 10. Scenery along the Highway The photos below were taken when driving northwards through Kootenay National Park and give an impression of the scenery seen from the highway. Scenery north of Radium Hot Springs Scenery north of Radium Hot Springs Kootenay River 1 hour north of Radium Hot Springs Scenery 1 hour north of Radium Hot Springs View from the south of the Continental Divide 11. Where to Stay The northern section of Kootenay National Park contains most of the main sights and is only a 35 minute drive from Banff. However, accommodation is expensive in Banff. There is plenty of more reasonably priced hotel and motel accommodation in the town of Radium Hot Springs. We stayed 2 nights in Invermere, which is only a 15 minute drive away from Radium Hot Springs, and rented an excellent apartment . 12. Links to my other Blogs on Canada Vancouver to Canadian Rockies Road Trip Vancouver Travel Guide Plain of 6 Glaciers & Lake Agness Hike Yoho National Park Travel Guide The Icefields Parkway Drive

Map of Yoho National Park We visited Yoho National Park in mid September 2025 during a 3 week road trip from Vancouver to Banff and Jasper (see my blog Vancouver to Canadian Rockies Road Trip ) . We stayed for 4 nights in Field which is the only town in the Yoho National Park. During our stay we also visited Lake Louise and Moraine Lake as they are so close by. The main sights in Yoho National Park could be visited in one full day. A 2 or 3 day visit would be more appropriate if you like hiking. The Iceline Trail starts at Takakkaw Falls and is a fantastic hike. If you are lucky enough to obtain a shuttle ticket to Lake O'Hara the Alpine Circuit is another great hike. Contents Emerald Lake Natural Bridge Takakkaw Falls Upper Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint Lower Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint Wapta Falls Lake O'Hara When to Visit Where to Stay Links to my other blogs on Canada 1. Emerald Lake Emerald Lake is the highlight of Yoho National Park and it's popular as a result. It's reached by turning off the Trans Canada Highway onto Emerald Lake Road. This road is open all year but Emerald Lake can be covered with ice up to early June. The car park at Emerald Lake isn't large and was full when we arrived just before 10.00 a.m. in mid September. There were still plenty of parking spaces along the road though. There was a queue of people waiting for the canoe rental office to open at 10.00. Canoe rentals cost $100 an hour which is cheap compared to the $160 an hour charged at Moraine Lake! We did the 5 kilometre scenic walk around Emerald Lake. Most people walk clockwise as the trail on the west side of the Emerald Lake is maintained. We went anti clockwise and the trail on the eastern side initially runs through Emerald Lake Lodge. The trail on the east side of Emerald Lake can be muddy in places but in September it was fine. Some board walks were being constructed along the worst sections. The trail on the east side of the lake goes through forest but there were plenty of views of great views of Emerald Lake and the surrounding mountains. The mid point of the circular walk around Emerald Lake is at the northern end. Emerald Lake is very open here and there are beautiful views and some benches to rest on. Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park View from the trail on the eastern side of Emerald Lake Trail on the eastern side of Emerald Lake View at the northern end of Emerald Lake View at the northern end of Emerald Lake Car Park at Emerald Lake 2. Natural Bridge Natural Bridge is at the start of Emerald Lake Road and most people visit it when going to Emerald Lake. The car park isn't that large but spaces soon open up as visitors don't spend much time at Natural Bridge. There is a concrete bridge over the Kicking Horse River which provides the best view of the Natural Bridge over the river. The Natural Bridge was formed by the river eroding the softer rock below a layer of hard limestone. I didn't think the Natural Bridge was impressive but the river and scenery is very nice. It's worth a quick stop when driving to Emerald Lake. Natural Bridge in Yoho National Park Natural Bridge in Yoho National Park Kicking Horse River at Natural Bridge 3. Takakkaw Falls Takakkaw Falls is reached by driving along Yoho Valley Road. There are a couple of tight hair pin bends along this road. They aren't a problem for cars but vehicles over 7 metres long must reverse down one section! Shortly after turning onto the Yoho Valley Road there is a viewpoint of the Upper Spiral Tunnel (see section 4 ) and parking for the Meeting of the Waters Confluence. The confluence is where the Yoho and Kicking Horse rivers meet but there is little to see and it isn't worth stopping. There's a large car park at Takakkaw Falls and there was plenty of space when we visited in mid September. It's a 10 minute walk from the car park to the base of the spectacular waterfalls. The Takakkaw Falls are 373 metres high and they are the second highest waterfalls in Canada. The Takakkaw Falls car park is the trailhead for the Iceline Trail which is one of the best hikes in Yoho National Park. The hike can either be done as a 20 kilometre circular hike  or a 14 kilometre there and back hike. The hike up and down is through forest but the middle section of the hike is through spectacular alpine scenery. Hair Pin Bends on the Yoho Valley Road Warning Sign on the Yoho Valley Road Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park 4. Upper Spiral Tunnel Shortly after turning onto the Yoho Valley Road there is a viewpoint of the Upper Spiral Tunnel. We were fortunate to see a long CP Rail freight train passing through the spiral tunnel and we saw both ends of the train on either side of the tunnel. It's a distant view of the tunnel and as the trains are infrequent you have to be fortunate to see one. I was particularly pleased to see it as I had worked for Canadian Pacific. If you aren't a train enthusiast it probably isn't worth stopping. Viewpoint for the Upper Spiral Tunnel View of train going through the Upper Spiral Tunnel 5. Lower Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint The Lower Spiral Tunnel viewpoint is just off Highway 1 between Lake Louise and Field. There's a large car park and many interesting information boards. We stopped 4 times but never saw a train passing through the tunnel. Unfortunately trees around the tunnel block most of the view of the trains. It's worth stopping at the viewpoint for the interesting information boards. Lower Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint 6. Wapta Falls Wapta Falls is on the western boundary of Yoho National Park and is a 40 minute drive from Field. Wapta Falls isn't signposted when driving westwards on the Trans Canada highway which might be because the turn off is on the other side of the highway. We were driving westwards and went sailing past the turn off. I had entered "Wapta Falls" in Google Maps and it took us to Wapta Falls Campsite rather than Wapta Falls! Wapta Falls campsite is several kilometres past the correct turnoff from the Trans Canada highway and then along several kilometres of dirt road. The Wapta Falls car park is on the other side of the river and there isn't a trail from the campsite to Wapta Falls. You have to enter "Wapta Falls Main Trail" in Google maps to take the correct route. We wasted at least 30 minutes driving to the campsite. Many visitors driving westwards make this mistake. There is a good road to Wapta Falls car park and in mid September there were parking spaces available. In peak season parking can be difficult. From the car park it's a 2.2 kilometre hike through the forest to Wapta Falls. There aren't any views until you reach Wapta Falls. There are 3 viewpoints above the spectacular Wapta Falls and it's worth continuing to the last one. The third viewpoint involves a bit of descent but it isn't difficult. Some people hike all the way down to the river and then right up to Wapta Falls. If you do this it's advisable to wear a waterproof as the spray near the falls is tremendous. Map showing the route to Wapta Falls First Viewpoint at Wapta Falls Second Viewpoint at Wapta Falls Third Viewpoint at Wapta Falls 7. Lake O'Hara Lake O'Hara can only be accessed by a Parks Canada shuttle bus. The shuttle tickets are very hard to obtain as Parks Canada only allows 3,000 day use visitors at Lake O'Hara every year. Lake O'Hara can be visited from mid June to early October. You can try to obtain shuttle tickets by entering the random draw  in March. Each application for the Lake O'Hara's random draw costs $10 and up to 6 different times/dates can be entered on an application. I completed 2 application forms but wasn't successful. It's possible to go to the Lake O'Hara parking lot on the day to see if there is space on the next shuttle due to no shows. There would be a very limited number of spaces on the shuttle, if any, and you would need to be one of the first there. It's only worth the hassle of obtaining shuttle tickets to Lake O'Hara if you intend to do a hike. The Lake O'Hara Alpine circuit is a fantastic hike that takes around 6 hours. It starts with a demanding 500 metre ascent. Lake O' Hara 8. When to Visit Yoho National Park The main season for visiting Yoho National Park is from April to October. Our recent visit was in mid September and many years ago we visited in late April. We had excellent weather both times. April and May are offseason for summer activities. There will still be snow on many hiking trails and ice on Emerald Lake. The access road to Takakkaw Falls is closed from mid October to mid June. June isn't a good month to visit as usually it's the wettest month of the year. Emerald Lake may still be covered with ice in early June and it wouldn't be as special without the reflections and colour of the water. July and August are the busiest and most expensive months. I would therefore avoid those months if possible. The weather should be good but there is a high risk of forest fires and the smoke can obscure views. September is a popular month but is not as busy as July and August. The weather is usually good although it will be getting cooler in late September. There can be snow at higher altitude when hiking in late September. There could still be a problem with smoke from forest fires for most of the month. A big attraction towards the end of September is the golden larch trees, particularly around Lake O'Hara. Unfortunately this also brings more local visitors into Yoho National park. October is offseason and the first half of October could be a reasonable time to visit if you don't mind cooler, and shorter, days. Winter tyres are a legal requirement from 1st October to 31st March. 9. Where to Stay Field is the only town in Yoho National Park. Field is a small town and only has one hotel which is the Truffle Pigs Restaurant & Lodge . There are also several guest houses in Field. We stayed at the Truffle Pigs Lodge and had a good room with 2 queen beds for $315 a night. The Truffle Pigs Lodge is near the railway and there is noise from both stationary and moving trains. As there isn't air conditioning we had to have the window open. The noise didn't bother us but it could disturb light sleepers. Staying in Banff is a possible alternative as it's a one hour drive east from Yoho National Park. However, accommodation in Banff is pricey. Golden would be a better alternative to Banff as the accommodation is cheaper and closer to Yoho National Park. Golden is 45 minute drive to the centre of Yoho National Park and has several hotels. Some of these hotels belong to international chains. Truffle Pigs Lodge & Restaurant in Field 10. Links to my Other Blogs on Canada Vancouver to Canadian Rockies Road Trip Vancouver Travel Guide Kootenay National Park Travel Guide Plain of 6 Glaciers & Lake Agness Hike The Icefields Parkway Drive

The Temple of Apollo We brought our UK car to Naxos by taking the car ferry from Syros (see my blog Syros, Greece: Travel Guide ). We spent 5 nights on Naxos island and it was our favourite Cyclades island. We left Naxos by taking a car ferry to the island of Andros (see my blog Andros, Greece: Travel Guide ). Contents 1. Introduction 2. Naxos Town 3. Hikes on Naxos Mount Zas (Zeus) Hike Melanes - Flerio - Potamia Hike Halki to Moni Hike 4. A Drive from Naxos Town to Apollonas Apiranthos Koronos Apollonas Kouroi at Flerio 5. The Beaches south of Naxos Town 6. Halki 7. Filoti 8. Accommodation 9. Links to My Other Blogs 1. Introduction to Naxos Island When planning our trip I was concerned that Naxos might be spoiled by tourism. Naxos Town was certainly busy in June but we still enjoyed walking around the delightful old town every evening. Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades and there is very little tourist development on the remainder of the island. We visited 4 of the Cyclades islands and Naxos was our favourite as: Naxos Town is interesting to explore. There are many old and picturesque villages. Naxos is very scenic and mountainous. There are some excellent sandy beaches south of Naxos Town. We had a couple of good hikes including a hike up Mount Zas. This is the highest point in the Cyclades. 2. Naxos Town 2.1 Parking in Naxos Town There is a very large free car park just north of the centre of Naxos town. It is a 10 minute walk to the harbour. We always found a parking spot when we were there in early June. It is shown as " Naxos Municipal Parking " on Google maps. Be careful as there are a couple of other municipal car parks in the same area with similar names. There is a free municipal car park on the southern side of Naxos town. It is more convenient than the northern car park. It's not quite as large so it is more difficult to find a parking space. It is shown as " Municipal Parking 1 " on Google maps. 2.2 Old Naxos Town Naxos Town is a very picturesque old coastal town on a hill with a Kastro on the top. There is a maze of winding narrow streets and alleyways, some of which pass through tunnels, between the seafront esplanade and the Kastro. There are shops and restaurants on the waterfront and in the alleyways in the lower section of Naxos old town. They cater for tourists rather than locals. It is still very pleasant and interesting to wander around. It is definitely worth walking up to the Kastro but there isn't much to do or see when you get there. The only view is to the east towards the interior of Naxos. There is a cathedral at the top which was closed when we went in the evenings. There is also an Archaeological Museum in the Kastro. 2.3 The Temple of Apollo The Temple of Apollo which was built in 530 BC, but never completed, lies at the end of the causeway leading from Naxos Town. From the Temple there is an excellent view back to Naxos Town. It is a very popular place to stroll to in the evenings. 2.4. The New Section of Naxos Town & the Beaches The newer part of Naxos is south of the old town and Evripeou is the main square. The main road north of the square has shops and restaurants aimed more at locals. To the south west of Naxos's main square is the long, sandy and shallow Saint George beach. It gets good reviews on Google . The road between the square and the beach has many restaurants frequented by tourists. Grotto beach, just north of the causeway to the Temple of Apollo, is a stone beach. It is not as appealing. A View of Naxos Town from the Temple of Apollo A View of Naxos Town from the Ferry A Church in Naxos Town The Catholic Cathedral in Naxos Town Covered Alley in Naxos Town The View from the Castle in Naxos Town Covered Alley in Naxos Town A Street in Naxos Town 3. Hikes on Naxos Island There were 3 circular hikes that I wanted to do on Naxos island but we only did 2 of them. The Alltrails website provides details of many hikes on Naxos with very useful reviews. The reviews often indicate the condition of the trail. 3.1. Mount Zas (Zeus) Hike Mount Zas is 1,003 metres high and is the highest point in the Cyclades. It is a popular hike as many people like to reach the highest point. Try to do the hike up Mount Zas in good weather so you can enjoy the views from the top. We had low clouds so we couldn't see anything! There are 3 main hiking routes up Mount Zas: Hike from Ayia Marina Chapel to Mount Zas It is a 40 minute drive from Naxos Town to the Ayia Marina Chapel. There is some car parking at the small chapel and also along the road. Enter " Saint Marina Holy Chapel " on Google maps to locate the chapel. This is the easiest and quickest trail up Mount Zas and it was the one we hiked. The trail is well marked, ascends 396 metres and it took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes to reach the summit of Mount Zas. The final 15 minutes is steep and rocky. Take care not to twist an ankle. It was raining when we descended and the rocky trail was very slippery. Luckily we brought walking sticks which made it safer and faster. The Alltrails website and App show this trail up Mount Zas and it can be downloaded onto your phone. It isn't really necessary as the trail is well marked. On the way down don't take the trail forking off to Aria Spring. Hike from Aria Spring to Mount Zas It is a 40 minute drive from Naxos town to Aria Spring. Enter Fontaine d’Aria on Google maps to locate the starting point. The turn off from the main road is clearly signposted. There is limited parking on the road. The Alltrails website and App show this trail up Mount Zas. It is worth downloading the trail onto your phone as the trail isn't clear at one point . The first 20 minutes of the hike is along a paved path to the Cave of Zeus. It then becomes a rocky trail that is more difficult than the Ayia Marina trail. It ascends 484 metres to the summit of Mount Zas compared to 396 metres on the Ayia Marina trail. The hike takes about 2.5 hours. Hike from Filoti to Mount Zas This is the most difficult trail up Mount Zas and normally undertaken by people relying on public transport. The trail ascends 607 metres to the summit of Mount Zas and the hike takes about 3 hours 45 minutes. The route is shown on the Alltrails website . The Beginning of the Walk up Mount Zas Middle Section of the Walk up Mount Zas The Middle Section of the Walk up Mount Zas Near the Top of Mount Zas At the Summit of Mount Zas A View on the Descent from Mount Zas 3.2. Trail 6 Melanes - Flerio - Potamia Hike This is a beautiful walk that passes right by the archaeological site at Flerio on Naxox island. There you can see the 2 famous kouroi dating back to 570 BC. See my blog for further details. You will pass through the pretty and unspoiled villages of Ano Potomia and Mesi Potomia. We hiked clockwise from Melanes and the trail is marked with a red dot and a red number 6 until Mesi Potomia. After that it helps to use the AllRoutes app for a section of the trail. The hike took us 3 hours and 15 minutes. We didn't stop to see the kouroi at Flerio as we were wet from the rain. The hike can be shortened by taking other trails from east to west before reaching Ano Potamia. These trails are shown on the AllRoutes App. The first section from Melanes is down a steep, wet and slippery path and it wasn't raining at the time. Hiking poles would definitely help. The next section was a bit overgrown but after that the trail was very good. The trail descends steeply to Ano Potamia and then climbs up to Mesi Potomia. It is an easy walk once you reach the dirt road after Mesi Potomia. Village of Melanes on Naxos On the Path between Melanes and Flerio Cacti on the Path The Path going down to Ano Potamia Kato Potamia Melanes Village on Naxos Island 3.3 Trail 4 - Halki to Moni Circular Hike I planned to do this hike as it seemed to be an interesting circular hike. Sadly we ran out of time. The route is detailed on the AllRoutes website . The reviews of this route indicate that in 2023: About 30% of it isn't well maintained. The second section of the trail on AllRoutes trail isn't correct and the signs for trail 4 and 4A should be followed instead. The hike takes 3 to 4 hours. Other useful information about this hike is on the Tripadvisor forum and the Cycladen website . 4. A Drive from Naxos Town to Apollonas We took the inland route north up to Apollonas and stopped off at Apiranthos and Koronos. We drove back south on Naxos's coastal road and turned off to see the kouri at Flerio. The drive took about 6.5 hours and it was very scenic. It was tiring driving on Naxos's mountainous roads and there were very few places to pull over to take photos and to enjoy the views. 4.1. Apiranthos We thought that Apiranthos was the prettiest and most interesting village on Naxos island. Apiranthos is quite large and we spent an hour walking around the alleyways. There aren't any particular sights to see. We reached Apiranthos before 10.00 a.m. and there were very few other visitors. There were several restaurants and shops so I am sure Apiranthos would be busy later in the day. There was parking along the main road. A View on the Drive to Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos 4.2. Koronos Koronos is a pretty village but not nearly as interesting as Apiranthos. There is a nice taverna at the bottom of the village, with a good outdoor seating area, but there is no tourism infrastructure. I don't think Koronos is worth visiting. We parked on the main road and walked down a steep road to the bottom of the Koronos and then back up a different way. We couldn't find a car park. Koronos Agia Marina Church in Koronos Koronos 4.3. Apollonas There is limited free parking at the southern end of Apollonas. Apollonas is a modern, and not very pretty, village with a couple of beaches. Tavernas surround the beach in the centre of Apollonas. There is not a lot to see or do in Apollonas but it would be a good place to have a swim. Apollonas Apollonas Apollonas 4.4. Kouroi at Flerio Flerio is a 25 minute drive from Naxos Town. Enter " Faragi Kouros " in Google maps to obtain directions. The parking area and the entrance to the Kouroi are free. Kouroi are sculptures of men. There are 2 kouroi at Flerio and they date back to 570 BC. These 5 metre long kouroi were unfinished due to damage to the stone. There is an ancient sanctuary nearby which dates back to the 7th century BC. There is very little left to see. The marble quarry high up in the hill above the site is much more impressive. It takes about 30 minutes to see the 2 kouroi and the ancient sanctuary at Flerio. They can be visited when doing the circular hike from Melanes to Potamia . A Marble quarry near Flerio Kouros of Flerio Kouros of Faranghi at Flerio 5. The Beaches south of Naxos There are some excellent beaches on Naxos Island and the best ones are south of Naxos Town. We drove south to Agiassos on the tarred interior road that goes via Galanado and Ano Sagri. We then drove up the coastal road to Naxos Town and stopped off at the beaches on the way. 5.1. Agiassos Beach There is a dirt road from Agiassos to Alkyo which is suitable for saloon cars. We swam at Agiassos beach and had the long beach to ourselves. It is a lovely sandy beach but there are sections with rocks in the water. Agiassos Beach 5.2. Alkyo and Hawaii Beach Our next stop was at Alkyo to see the famous Hawaii beach. There are 2 beaches on either side of the promontory at Alkyo. The beach on the southern side had a car park. Hawaii beach is across the road on the northern side. It is known as Hawaii beach due to the vibrant blue colour of the sea. There are no facilities at either of these beaches. Hawaii Beach Near Hawaii Beach 5.3. Mikri Vigla/Orkos Beach There are long sandy beaches on either side of the promontory. The beaches at Mikri Vigla and Orkos are both popular with kite surfers. We spent an enjoyable hour watching people learning to kite surf. It wouldn't be a relaxing place to sunbathe with the kites hovering above the beach. Mikri Vigla Beach 5.4. Agia Anna Beach The beach at Agia Anna was the most developed beach that we saw during our drive along the beaches south west of Naxos Town. This isn't surprising given its close proximity to Naxos Town. It merges into Agios Prokopios beach to the north. Agios Prokopios beach is said to be an excellent beach but we didn't visit it. Agia Anna Beach 6. Halki The village of Halki is very popular with tourists. It has several Byzantine churches including the 9th century Church of Panagia Protothronos. Halki is a pretty village but a bit touristy. There is a large free car park on the north eastern edge of Halki. Halki Halki Thge Main Square in Halki Halki A Church in Halki Church of Panagia Protothronos in Halki 7. Filoti Filoti is a popular village and there is a large free car park on the left side of the road when driving from Naxos Town. There isn't much to see in Filoti and half an hour is sufficient for wandering around. The main sight in Filoti is the Church of Panaglia Filotitissa which was built in 1718. Entry to the interior is free. The Church of Panaglia Filotitissa in Filoti The Church of The Interior of Panaglia Filotitissa in Filoti 8. Accommodation We stayed in an excellent 2 bedroom apartment in the village of Galanado. It was a 10 minute drive to Naxos Town. We booked it through Booking.com and paid Eur 75 per night. My review of the accommodation is on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 " (number 2). 9. Links to My Other Blogs about Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

Map of Andros Contents Introduction Andros Town A Drive around Andros island The Beach at Agios Petros Batsi and Gavrio Hiking on Andros Car Repairs on Andros Accommodation on Andros My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Introduction to Andros Island I first heard of Andros about 4 years ago when I read a newspaper article about the wonderful hiking trails. Unfortunately when we got there the trails didn't live up to expectations. Andros isn't particularly popular with foreign tourists despite being only a 2 hour ferry ride from Athens. Another reason why we visited Andros is that we had our own car and there are several daily car ferries from Andros to Athens and Naxos. We arrived from Naxos (see my blog Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide ) . Before Naxos we visited the islands of Syros and Tinos and have done travel guides for these islands. 2. Andros Town 2.1. Parking in Andros Town The centre of Andros Town is pedestrianised and the streets around the centre are a bit narrow. There is limited parking. Google maps show 2 car parks and we went to the car park to the north of Andros Town. The car park was small and we got the last space. The car park is very convenient as it is on the seafront and near the centre. The other car park is to the west of the town centre. 2.2 What to See in Andros Town Andros Town is very attractive and juts out into the sea on a rocky spur . It isn't spoiled, or touristy, as most visitors stay on the northwest side of the island. We spent a pleasant hour or so wandering around the streets of Andros Town. There are two museums and beaches on either side of Andros town. A View of Andros Town from the Coastal Road The Main Street in Andros Town A Street in Andros Town Agios Georgios Church in Andros Town A Church in Andros Town At the back of Andros Town A Church in Andros Town A Church in Andros Town An Alley in Andros Town 3. A Drive around Andros Island We drove from the northwest of Andros island to Andros Town on the east coast. We then drove southwards to Korthi where we stopped for lunch. The road crosses back over to the west coast after Korthi and we drove up to Gavrio. The drive around Andros island took 5 hours and the scenery was beautiful. Unfortunately there were few places to pull over on the mountain roads to enjoy the views and take photos. View of Andros Town from the Road Korthi Korthi 4. The Beach at Agios Petros There are lots of good beaches on Andros island but we only visited the one at Agios Petros. It is an excellent sandy beach but it is fairly open and could be affected by wind. Most of Agios Petros beach is for public use but at the southern end there are 2 roadside tavernas that have sun loungers and umbrellas on the beach. There was no charge, but at least Eur 8 of food or beverages had to be ordered from the taverna. I think this is Eur 8 for 2 people. There was plenty of parking near these tavernas. The Beach at Agios Petros 5. Batsi and Gavrio View towards Batsi from our Accommodation 5.1. Batsi Batsi is the main resort on Andros island. There is nothing of historical interest but Batsi has been developed well. We usually had our evening meals at one of the waterfront restaurants followed by a pleasant stroll on Batsi's seafront. There is a large beach in the centre of Batsi and plenty of free parking in June. The Harbour at Batsi 5.2. Gavrio Gavrio is the port for Andros island. It is a small pleasant town with very little for visitors to do. There are free car parks at the southern end near to where the ferries dock. The Seafront at Gavrio 6. Hiking on Andros 6.1. Overview Andros was the last of the 4 Cyclades islands that we visited. On the other 3 islands the hiking trails were well signposted but often overgrown. Hiking trail 11 on Andros passed within 100 metres of our accommodation so it was the first hike we attempted. Unfortunately the first section was overgrown so we abandoned the hike. We ended up only doing one short hike on Andros island. This was due to concerns about trail maintenance and because I couldn't find circular hikes that appealed. 6.2. Planning Hikes on Andros The Andros routes website is run by volunteers who hike, and maintain the trails. There is a page that details all the hikes and another page that provides information on path maintenance . It does seem that they try to maintain the trails. The AllTrails website shows trails for 48 hikes on Andros island. They all have reviews providing useful information. If the reviews are recent they can provide a good guide to the condition of the trails. 6.3. Trail 9A - Paleopolis Archeolgical Site This short trail is described on the Androsroutes and AllTrails websites. It takes about half an hour each way and is in good condition. The Androsroutes website showed the route condition as " open, with a lot of overgrown vegetation at parts ". Bizarrely there was no overgrown vegetation in June 2023. Whereas for trail 11 the website didn't report any overgrown vegetation but we found it to be a problem. The route on the Alltrails website starts above the main road. We parked in a layby off the main road, just past the museum at Paleopolis. When driving from the north the layby is on the right hand side and has space for about 10 cars. From the layby walk back along the road to Paleopolis until you see a 9A sign pointing to the left. Don't descend the steps before that. There is a sign indicating that there is no access. Half way down you can go left or right. These paths lead to different ends of the beach. At the north end of the beach there are rocks from where a couple of people were swimming. At the far south end there is a small sandy beach, but you have to clamber over a large boulder to reach it. We didn't see any archaeological remains. A View from the Main Coastal Road at Paleopolis The Initial Steps Down Half Way Down to the Beach The Northern End of the Beach Looking towards the Southern End of the Beach On the Way Back Up A View up to the Coastal Road 7. Car Repairs on Andros We had to have the front springs and shock absorbers replaced on our car. I found AutoTechnics on the internet and the owners of our accommodation recommended them. The garage ordered the parts from Athens and they received and fitted them 2 days later. They did a good job and the cost was reasonable. It was very convenient. They are located at Agios Petros, across the road from a great beach. We spent half a day on the beach while they fixed our car. We could see our car in the workshop from our sun loungers! 8. Accommodation on Andros We stayed in a 3 bedroom house on the mountainside high above Batsi which we booked through Booking.com for Euro 65 per night. It was very good value which is probably because the house is a 10 minute drive up a steep hillside. I reviewed the accommodation on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 " (number 4). 9. My Other Blogs on Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

Map showing the circular route we drove to Perast & Herceg Novi We drove to Perast and Herceg Novi during our 6 night stay in Kotor (see my blog Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide ). We really liked Perast and Herceg Novi but found Our Lady of the Rock Island too touristy and busy. Contents Introduction Perast, Montenegro Parking Our Lady of the Rock Island Perast Old Town 3. Herceg Novi, Montenegro 4. Ferry from Kamenari to Lepetane 5. Links to My Other Montenegro Travel Blogs 1. Introduction We based ourselves in Kotor for 6 nights and went on day trips from there to see other places in Montenegro like Budva and Lipa Cave . Another day trip was to Perast, which is only a 20 minute drive from Kotor, and from there we drove a further 1 hour to Herceg Novi. The road to Perast and Herceg Novi is in good condition. The road is very scenic as it follows the northern shore of a fjord. On the way back it is possible to take a ferry over to the southern side of the fjord and do a circular drive back to Kotor. It is a very nice day trip to 2 historic towns with spectacular scenery the whole way. We left Kotor at 08.00 to avoid the traffic congestion in Kotor and parking problems at Perast. As a result we benefited from having little traffic on the road to Perast. Another way of seeing Perast and Herceg Novi would be to take one of the numerous boat tours on offer when wandering around Kotor's waterfront. These boat tours are normally about 3 hours long and also stop at a few other places like the Blue Cave. It seems most coastal resorts in Europe have a Blue Cave! These boat tours cost around Eur 40 per person, but usually only stop at the islands off Perast and Herceg Novi. We wanted to see the towns and didn't want to spend Eur 80. 2. Perast, Montenegro 2.1. Parking at Perast You cannot park in the centre of Perast unless you are staying there. There is a barrier to prevent unauthorised entry. There is limited free parking along the road above Perast but we paid for parking. Parking is a problem in high season unless you arrive early. Most private parking is off the main road and is free. However, the deal is that you must pay to go to Our Lady of the Rock Island or on a boat tour. Apparently they charge Eur 10 per person to the Island, whereas independent boats only charge Eur 5 per person. So if there are 2 people in your car you are effectively paying Eur 10 for parking! Some of these parking sites have toilets. There is paid parking on the side of the road just before the western entrance to Perast. They charge Eur 8 per day and there is a booth with an attendant there. There aren't that many parking places, but when we arrived at 08.30 we got a space. Input " Parking 1 " on Google maps to locate it. We found the parking attendants to be very helpful and pleasant. For some reason a number of reviewers on Google thought they were like the mafia! 2.2. Our Lady of the Rock Island We were strolling along Perast's waterfront just before 09.00 when a friendly boatman offered us a ride to Our Lady of the Rock Island for the usual round trip charge of Eur 5 per person. He promised he would return for us in 30 minutes and assured me that it would be long enough. I had my doubts but it was actually too long! Our Lady of the Rock Island is a very small island with a church on it. Fortunately there was initially only one other boatload of people there. Unfortunately the church was closed and didn't open until about 09.20. It is therefore best not to go before 09.30 if you want to enter the church. There is a Eur 2 entrance fee for the church. There is a pay toilet on the island and an advantage of getting there early was that it was free. By the time we left at 09.30 a lot more people had arrived on the island and there was a queue to enter the church. Our Lady of the Rock Island is one of those places that everyone wants to visit, but in reality it is nicer seeing the island from the mainland. It's a bit of a tourist trap. Our Boat to Our Lady of the Rock Island The Church on Our Lady of the Rock Island 2.3. Perast The majority of tourists seem to only visit Our Lady of the Rock Island. This may be because most boat tours only stop at the island. As a result wandering around the quiet streets of the old Venetian town of Perast was very pleasant. Perhaps the tour groups hadn't yet arrived as we were there early. We were impressed by the number of historic buildings along Perast's waterfront. We also enjoyed wandering up most of the streets above the waterfront and admired the Venetian churches and dwellings. It took us 2 hours to see Perast. You could easily spend longer if you go to the beach and have a drink or a meal. Perast St. Nicholas Church in Perast View from Upper Perast Bujovic Palace and Museum A Street in Perast St. Marko Church in Perast 3. Herceg Novi, Montenegro 3.1. Parking in Herceg Novi The Bradt guide states that " parking here is quite the ordeal ". I dislike trying to find parking in new places and usually use Google reviews beforehand to determine where to park. For some reason I didn't do my usual research and was surprised by the size of Herceg Novi when we got there. The main road runs high above the town and when I saw a free metered parking spot on the road I grabbed it. It would have meant a steep and hot walk down to the historic centre, and back up again, but I didn't want to drive around looking for parking. However, the parking meter was faulty and I couldn't pay. It turned out to be fortunate as a local man gave me directions to a cheap and very convenient multi storey car park about 5 minutes walk from Herceg Novi's historic centre. There are free toilets at this car park. The car park is called " Parking Opstina " and can be located by entering this name on Google Maps. 3.2. Sightseeing in Herceg Novi We explored Herceg Novi's old town, but didn't climb up high to see the Spanish Fort, nor did we walk to Savina Monastery to the east. It doesn't seem worth visiting the Spanish Fort as the Bradt guide describes it as "a messy, graffiti-scrawled ruin". The Bradt guide book suggests starting exploring from the main square (Trg Nikole Durkovica). If you use Parking Ostina it will be the first part of Herceg Novi's old town that you reach. From there you can climb up past the Bell Tower to Trg Belavista which has the Church of St Michael in the centre. There are a few restaurants in this square and we had lunch at one of them. We later found a better selection of restaurants around the seafront promenade and wished we had eaten there. We could have then walked up northwards to the 16th century Kanli Kula tower. We decided not to as several reviewers on Google felt that the Eur 4 entrance fee wasn't worth it. In summer time it is a venue for open air productions. It would frustrate me to pay an entrance fee for a place spoiled by being used as a theatre. Instead we walked down to the seafront promenade via the Church of St Jerome and the imposing Forte Mare. The entrance fee is Eur 4 for the Forte Mare (Sea Fortress). Again we decided not to go in as the consensus of Tripadvisor reviews seems to be that it is only worth it for the views. Herceg Novi's seafront promenade is very pleasant and runs for about 5 kilometres to the town of Igalo. We only walked along part of it as it was very hot. There is a narrow beach on the one side and a lot of restaurants and cafes on the other side. Trg Nikole Durkovica in Herceg Novi The Clock Tower in Herceg Novi The Parish Church of St. Jerome Church of St. Michael in Trg Belavista Forte Mare  in Herceg Novi  Herceg Novi's Seafront Promenade 4. Car Ferry from Kamenari to Lepetane We drove back from Herceg Novi to Kotor as far as the village of Kamenari. There is a car ferry that goes from Kamenari to Lepetane on the south side of the estuary. The ferry only takes about 10 minutes and costs Eur 5. It is a very regular ferry and we didn't have to wait long before boarding. We were at the end of the queue and didn't realise we had to pay before boarding at an office near the jetty. We weren't the only ones and the ferry staff let me drive onto the ferry while Lani paid. The road that runs along the south side of the estuary from Lepatane to Kotor is very narrow in places. It is too narrow for vehicles to pass at times. As a result I didn't enjoy driving along there despite the stunning scenery. A good strategy is to follow other cars as this usually forces the oncoming vehicles to give way. The Car Ferry between Kamenari and Lepetane View on the Drive from Lepetane to Kotor View on the Drive from Lepetane to Kotor View of Kotor from Muo 5. Links to My Other Montenegro Travel Blogs Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide Budva, Montenegro: Travel Guide The Kotor Serpentine Road to Lipa Cave Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10

Route of the Kotor Serpentine Road to Lipa Cave Contents Introduction The Kotor Serpentine Road Lovcen National Park Njegos Mausoleum Lipa Cave Links to My Other Montenegro Travel Blogs 1. Introduction We drove from Kotor (see my blog Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide ) up the steep, narrow and scenic "Kotor Serpentine" road to Lovcen National Park. We visited Njegos Mausoleum in Lovcen National Park and then drove through Cetinje, the once royal capital of Montenegro, to the impressive Lipa Cave. We took a 1 hour tour of Lipa Cave before driving back on a good road to Budva. We decided to visit Budva another day (see my blog Budva, Montenegro: Travel Guide ) and continued on back to Kotor. We didn't walk around Cetinje as it is very spread out and it was hot. We drove around this quiet and spacious town and liked what we saw. It looks like it is a very pleasant town to live in. There isn't much of interest to see unless you want to visit a number of museums. We didn't! This drive could obviously also be easily started from Budva, Tivat and Perast. It took us about 7 hours. 2. The Kotor Serpentine Road The Kotor Serpentine road is a historic road that weaves its way up the mountain from the outskirts of Kotor to the western entrance of Lovcen National Park. We have driven on some difficult roads during our 3 month European road trip and this was one of the most difficult. The Kotor Serpentine road is only a single lane in many places and climbs steeply up the mountain with numerous hair pin bends. When vehicles meet on narrow sections of the road one vehicle has to partially pull off the road or reverse back. Unfortunately there is often a bit of a drop off from the edge of the road and I was concerned I would damage our tyres if we pulled over. One tactic is to follow other vehicles up. The more the merrier and the bigger the better! This forces the oncoming traffic to give way. Don't drive down the road to Kotor in the morning as we saw several tour buses coming up. Usually the buses expect, and insist, that smaller vehicles give way. Trees often block the views down to Kotor, but drivers should be concentrating on the road anyway! There are not many viewpoints where you can stop so take advantage if you see one. The views of Kotor Bay are fantastic. View on the way up the Kotor Serpentine Road View from near the top of the Kotor Serpentine Road 3. Lovcen National Park We were relieved when we reached the top of the Kotor Serpentine road. Shortly afterwards we turned onto an excellent new road through Lovcen National Park. We were immediately stopped by a man on the side of the road who was collecting a toll fee of Eur 6. He did give us a receipt so it must have been legitimate. It was a scenic drive through Lovcen National Park. On the eastern side of Lovcen park the not so new road steeply descended down to Cetinje. There was very little traffic. Apparently there are a few hiking trails, but we didn't see any trail signs nor did we see any one hiking. It would be quite easy to park the car and hike in the open countryside. Most people seem to just drive through Lovcen National Park or visit Njegos Mausoleum. Lovcen National Park Lovcen National Park Lovcen National Park 4. Njegos Mausoleum We went to the Njegos Mausoleum as it was highly recommended on the Tripadvisor forum. Also the Bradt guide book says " it's as glorious as anything Montenegro has to offer ". Unfortunately I can't confirm that as we were put off by the Eur 8 entrance fee. It was a hazy day and the views wouldn't have been great. I didn't think it would be worth shelling out Eur 16 for the two of us. Since our visit I have looked at photos of the Njegos mausoleum on several websites and believe we made the right decision. The Njegos mausoleum itself isn't that special in my opinion. The setting is special, but you need a clear day to appreciate the views and justify the entrance fee. The view of the Bay of Kotor is no better than from the Kotor Sepentine Road or from the top of the fortress wall at Kotor. The road up to the Njegos Mausoleum was fine and ended at a turning circle at the steps to the Mausoleum's entrance. You then park on the side of the road (see the photo). The Bradt guide book says " good luck in finding a space " but we didn't have a problem. You can get good views of Lovcen National Park by just climbing the steps to the Mausoleum's entrance. It is worth the drive up to appreciate these views The adriacom website provides some historical information and photos of the Njegos mausoleum and the views. You can see from their hazy photo of the Kotor Bay that it probably isn't worth paying to enter if the weather isn't good. Steps leading to the Njegos Mausoleum View from the Entrance to the Njegos Mausoleum. View from near the Njegos Mausoleum. 5. Lipa Cave Lipa Cave is about 6 kms south west of Cetinje. The final 3 kilometres is along a narrow dirt road which is in reasonable condition. There is a large paved car park at Lipa Cave with a restaurant and toilets. There are 5 tours of Lipa Cave each day from 10.00 to 16.00 and they last 1 hour. Entrance to Lipa Cave costs Eur 15.90 for an adult. They do advise on their website that you should arrive 30 minutes before the tour starts. I am sure you can arrive a bit later as long as there is space on the land train. Our land train was almost full when we visited in late June, so don't arrive late in peak season. The Lipa Cave is cold so don't wear shorts and a T shirt unless you are a very hardy soul. We changed into jeans and wore a jacket. The tours of Lipa Cave have very good reviews on Tripadvisor . We thoroughly enjoyed it and Lipa Cave was very spectacular. The guide was excellent and English was the language for the tour. Tractor Train for transporting people to the Lipa Cave. Entrance to Lipa Cave Lipa Cave Lipa Cave Lipa Cave Lipa Cave Lipa Cave 6. Links to My Other Montenegro Travel Blogs Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide Budva, Montenegro: Travel Guide Day Trip to Perast & Herceg Novi Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10

Map of Crete Contents Introduction 2. North West Crete Base Drive to Elafonissi Beach Hike to the Monasteries on the Akrotiri Peninsular Chania Agia Marina Beach German War Cemetery & Late Minoan Tomb Falasarna Beach Hike from Paleochora to Sougia Balos Beach 3. South West Crete Base - Plakias Plakias Hike from Loutro to Agia Roumeli Samaria Gorge Hike from Agia Roumeli How to avoid Crowds on the Samaria Gorge Hike Frangokastello Drive around the Amari Valley Palace of Phaistos Rethymno Late Minoan Cemetery of Armeni 4. South East Crete Base - Ierapetra Spinalonga Gournia Archaeological Site & Moni Faneromeni Hike from Xerokambos to Kato Zakros Myrtos and Tertsa beaches Kritsa Town & Lato Archaeological Site Diaskari beach Ierapetra Accommodation in Crete Car Rental in Crete Link to other blogs on Greece 1. Introduction We spent 3 weeks in Crete from the 1st June 2025. We wanted to avoid the busier and very hot period from mid June to late August. We wanted it to be hot enough to be able to sit in the shade on the beach but not so hot that we couldn't hike. We found that the weather in Crete was excellent for the beach in June whereas when we visited the Cyclades islands in May 2022 it wasn't quite hot enough. The heat didn't prevent us from hiking but by the time we left Crete it was almost too hot for hiking. The month of May would be better for hiking. Crete is a large island and it is necessary to stay in several locations to explore it. We stayed in 3 different locations and spent a week in each sightseeing with a rental car. We avoided staying at the main tourist beach resorts. Our favourite part of Greece was the relatively unspoilt south west coast between Paleochora and Hora Sfakion. There is some road access to this coast but the most convenient way to travel is by ferry, taxi boat and hiking. I wish we had spent more time in this area. We really enjoyed our time in Crete and would like to return. It is a beautiful island with friendly locals who can speak English. We deliberately didn't visit some of the places listed as "must see" in the guide books. They are usually overcrowded and spoiled by tourism. For example: We were going to visit Knossos but it would have meant a tiring 3 hour round car trip. In the end we decided it wasn't worth visiting an archaeological site that was speculatively rebuilt in the early 1900's. The entrance fee is now Eur 20 to visit an overcrowded attraction. If you do go try to visit early or late in the day to avoid the crowds and heat. Also check the cruise ship schedules as when cruise ships are berthed in Iraklio it will be busier at Knossos. We only visited one of the "must see" beaches and that was Elafonissi beach. Even in early June Elafonissi beach was too busy for our liking. We found many of the less well known beaches to be more enjoyable and cheaper to visit. See my section on Balos beach for why we didn't visit it. Palm beach is difficult to access unless you arrive by boat and it's overwhelmed by visitors. Vai beach is also far too popular. I like hiking but the hike down Samaria gorge is too popular. Between 500 to 1200 people hike down the gorge each day. Most hikers set out between 07.00 and 11.00 and that equates to between 2 to 5 trekkers every minute! Instead we hiked up the best part of the Samaria gorge from Agia Roumeli ( see section 3.3. ) and only saw 15 other hikers in 3.5 hours! See section 3.4. for how to avoid the crowds on the Samaria gorge hike. 2. North West Crete Base Map of Western Crete 2.1. Drive to Elafonissi Beach We stayed about a 20 minute drive east from Kissamos. From Kissamos it's possible to do a circular drive when visiting Elafonissi beach. There is a road that follows the west coast and also a road further to the east which goes through the Topolia gorge. We drove on the road through the Topolia gorge both ways and it's a good scenic road through the mountains. The Rough Guide to Crete mentioned several villages to visit along this road but there was in fact very little to see in them. Elos was the nicest village but it's frequented by tourist buses. The villages of Perivolia and Kefali weren't worth visiting. We stopped off at Moni Chrysoskalitissa which is near Elafonissi beach. It's in a very pleasant setting. Surprisingly very few tour buses stop here. The present church only dates back to the 19th century. We had a pleasant half an hour visiting Moni Chrysoskalitissa. There is an entry fee of Eur 2.50. I had read that parking at Elafonissi beach was a problem in peak season so I booked online with Mega Parking and it cost Eur 5. When we arrived at Elafonissi beach there were several car parks with plenty of space. A small car park named Mega tried to wave us in but it wasn't the right car park. Our car park was the last one, closest to the beach and had toilets. Some of the car parks further from the beach cost Eur 3. There are restaurants and cafes near the car parks and it's about a 10 minute walk down to the beach. The beach was too busy and windy for us. Elafonissi beach was pretty but in my opinion the less commercialised beaches are better. Our intention had been to do a 3 hour round hike eastwards along the coast from Elafonissi beach to Ammolophi beach. This is hike number 13 in the Rother Walking Guide to Crete. Unfortunately the path was poorly signed, rough and difficult to follow. One hour after leaving Elafonissi beach we reached beautiful Kedrodasos beach and decided not to go any further. Kedrodasos beach is prettier than Elafonssi beach but smaller. There is a road part of the way to Kedrodasos beach but it does involve more walking from the road to reach the beach compared to Elafonissi beach. Moni Chrysoskalitissa near Elafonissi beach Moni Chrysoskalitissa near Elafonissi beach Elafonissi beach in Crete Elafonissi beach in Crete Sun loungers & sunbeds at Elafonissi beach Kedrodasos beach in Crete Ottoman Aqueduct in Elos Chapel of Ayios Yeoryios in Elos Topolia Gorge 2.2. Hike to the Monasteries on the Akrotiri Peninsular We did hike number 8 in the Rother Walking Guide to Crete. This hike starts at Moni Gouvernetou which is north east of Chania on the Akrotiri peninsular. The drive from Chania to Moni Gouvernetou passes the 17th century Moni Ayia Triadha so we visited it. It cost Eur 3 to enter Moni Ayia Triadha and there are some impressive buildings including a church and museum. In summer it's open from 09.00 to 19.00 except on Wednesdays and Fridays. The road from Moni Ayia Triadha to Moni Gouvernetou is scenic but a bit rough towards the end. There is a free car park from where a path descends down to Moni Katholiko. There is a booth at the start where an entrance fee of Eur 2.50 is payable. Moni Gouvernetou is shortly after the booth but as it's closed on Wednesdays we couldn't visit it. It's then about a 200 metre descent to Moni Katholiko and the interesting Bear Cave is passed on the way. Moni Katholiko was abandoned in the 16th century due to pirate raids and cannot be entered. The 150 metre long St. John's cave is located here but we didn't see it and forgot to search for it. The round hike takes about 2 hours and it's a fairly popular hike despite the tiring ascent. There are good views of the countryside and the sea in the distance. We enjoyed it and it's a good excursion. It's possible to continue down to the sea. The Rother Walking Guide stated that the trail to the sea was closed but it wasn't in June 2025. Agia Triada in Crete Agia Triada in Crete Agia Triada in Crete Museum at Agia Triada in Crete Moni Gouverneto on the Akrotiri Peninsular Bear Cave Bridge next to Moni Katholiko Moni Katholiko 2.3. Chania Parking in Chania Parking in Chania is very difficult unless you use the new and free Park and Ride facility . Electric buses run every 20 minutes from 07.00 to 22.40 to the edge of Chania's old town. There is a major road intersection just before the car park which can make it a little difficult to locate. The sign at Chania's Park and Ride shows that the buses stop at 4 locations. Most people alight at the KTEL bus station on Kidonias Street which is the second stop. This bus stop is very close to Halidon Street which is a main street leading to Chania's Cathedral and Old Venetian Harbour. Make a note of where you got off the bus so you know where to return to! I have marked the route from Chania's KTEL bus station to the Old Venetian harbour on Google Maps . Tourist Office & Toilets in Chania The tourist office at 40 Kriari Street has maps and information on the places to see in Chania. This tourist office is only a 3 minute walk from the KTEL bus stop on the way to the harbour. There are also public toilets in the nearby square. What to see in Chania It takes about 4 hours to see most of the main sites if you don't visit the museums. Sights at the Venetian Harbour Area on the Western side of old Chania: The Cathedral is in a square just off Halidon Street. It isn't that old as it was constructed in the mid 1800's. The Yali Mosque is on the eastern side of the harbour and was built in 1645 when Chania fell to the Ottomans. It's no longer used as a mosque and is used for temporary exhibitions. There is no charge to enter the Firka Fortress on the west side of the harbour. It was the main Venetian barracks in Chania and later the Ottoman's forces used it. There isn't much to see but it's pleasant to wander around. Firka Fortress is open Monday to Friday from 08.00 to 14.00. Nearby to Firka Fortress is the Bastion of San Salvatore. This is the best section of Venetian fortifications that were constructed in the 16th century. It's free to enter but visiting hours are limited. It is worth walking along the alleys surrounding the western and southern side of the Old Venetian harbour. They are mainly lined with shops and restaurants for tourists. The Venetian harbour is at its busiest and most attractive in the evening. Sights at the Inner Harbour Area on the Eastern side of old Chania: Walking along the outer sea wall towards the lighthouse provides good views of Chania's old town and the distant mountains. The arched Venetian Arseneli are on the waterfront. They were built in the 15th century as ship repair bases. There used to be 17 of them but now only 7 are left. You cannot enter them but they form an impressive ancient structure. The very distinctive church of Ayios Nikalaos is in the 1821 Square. It was constructed in the 14th century. In 1645 the Ottomans converted the church into a mosque and added a minaret. It's now a church with a minaret! The area around Ayios Nikalaos is known as Splantzia and it's an interesting area to walk around. When walking around Chania's old town one comes across several other ancient structures: Remains of Minoan Kydonia that was destroyed by fire in about 1450 BC. The Byzantine walls of Chania dating back to the 7th century. The area between Splantzia in the east and the cathedral in the west is full of shops and restaurants that cater for locals as well as tourists. Chania Park & Ride Information Chania's Park & Ride Car Park View over to Firka Fortress, Chania Chania's Harbour Chania's Harbour Yali Mosque in Chania The Venetian Dockyard in Chania Firka Fortress in Chania Bastion of San Salvatore in Chania Church of St Nicholas in Chania The Cathedral in Chania Minoan remains of the Kydonia Palace Complex in Chania Byzantine Wall of Chania 2.4. Agia Marina Beach Agia Marina is a popular beach resort just west of Chania and next to Platanias. When driving along the main road it's difficult to distinguish the 2 resorts as it is a long urban sprawl. The beaches at Agia Marina and Platanias can't be seen from the road and most of the access to the beaches is via hotels and restaurants. We therefore weren't initially very impressed when walking down the main street in the hot sun looking for a recommended restaurant. Once we found the recommended Palirria Taverna we were happy. The taverna offered free sunbeds and umbrellas on the sandy beach for customers having lunch and there was a good view over to the island of Ayii Theodori. The Palirria taverna is run by a very welcoming family and the food is good. There is rock at the water's edge so it's best to use swimming shoes. The beach at Agia Marina is long and I walked the entire length. The middle section of the beach is the nicest. It 's also more commercialised than the western end where the Palirria Taverna is lo cated. The beaches at Platanias and Agia Marina are similar but I preferred Agia Marina. Beach at Ayia Marina in Crete Palirria Taverna on Ayia Marina beach, Crete 2.5. German War Cemetery & Late Minoan Tomb near Chania The German War Cemetery and the late Minoan tomb are 10 kilometres west of Agia Marina and we combined it with a visit to Agia Marina's beach. There is car parking right in front of the entrance to the German War Cemetery and there are toilets as well. There is an excellent exhibition at the entrance detailing Germany's invasion of Crete and the impact it had. The narrations are in several languages including English, German and Greek. We probably spent half an hour absorbing this very moving information. The actual war cemetery is higher up on a hill. The cemetery is beautifully attended and has fantastic views. Just before the cemetery there is further information about some of the very young German soldiers who died in the war. Although the Germans committed terrible atrocities in Crete I found it very sad that they died so young. The late Minoan tomb is a short walk away from the German War Cemetery. However, we were lazy and drove there! There isn't any parking but we managed to park on the side of the road. From the road it is a short walk to the late Minoan tomb which dates back to the 14th century B.C. Unfortunately the roof was damaged by a German bomb but it is still worth seeing if you visit the German War Cemetery at the same time. The German War Cemetery The exhibition Centre The late Minoan tomb 2.6. Falasarna Beach Falasarna beach is a large and sandy beach on the west coast, just a bit south of Balos Bay. It's a popular beach with locals and can get very busy at weekends. Falasarna beach can be windy so check the weather forecast before going. There are several free car parking lots at Falasarna beach. We took the second turn off for parking as it seemed closer to the beach. We ended up at the northern end of Falasarna beach. A sun umbrella and 2 sun loungers cost Eur 20 for the rows closest to the sea and Eur 15 for the back rows. There was a taverna at the back of the beach with toilets. We enjoyed our time at Falasarna Beach. Falasarna beach 2.7. Paleochora to Sougia Hike The first 4.5 kilometres of the hike from Paleochora to Gialiskari beach is on a dirt road. We therefore decided to take a taxi from Paleochora to Gialiskari beach. We called Sergentanis Manolis for a taxi upon our arrival at Paleochora and he collected us 5 minutes later! He drove us in his large van as the road to Gialiskari beach is a bit rough. The large van was more expensive and we paid Eur 20. We had driven from near Kissamos to Paleochora in the morning to do the hike and had parked our car on Paleochora's seafront road just east of the pier. We hadn't realised that this road becomes pedestrianised after 19.00. This would have been a problem as at the end of the hike our ferry from Sougia was arriving at Paleochora after 19.00! Luckily Sergentanis warned us and we moved our car to another street. Gialiskari beach is a nice sandy beach with a car park, taverna, sun loungers and umbrellas at both ends. The east end of the beach was frequented by nudists. I wouldn't want to lie on their sun loungers afterwards! Gialiskari beach would make a good stop when hiking from Sougia to Paleochora but we didn't want to swim and sun bathe at the start of our hike. We didn't begin the hike at Sougia as the latest ferry in the morning from Paleochora to Sougia leaves at 08.30. That's fine if you are staying in Paleochora but it was too early for us as we were staying a 1.25 hour drive away. As the temperature was about 30 degrees centigrade we took 6 litres of water with us. There is a spring at Lissos but it can dry up. As it turned out water was flowing from the spring. We only saw one other hiker before we reached Lissos. There were more people at Lissos who had either hiked or arrived by taxi boat from Sougia. The archaeological site at Lissos is very interesting and the buildings date from the Classical Greek and Roman periods. There is a shady area around the spring which has benches. A good spot for lunch in hot weather! Lissos beach is rocky and is in small bay which is also used by taxi boats from Sougia. We managed to enter the sea without shoes and really enjoyed cooling off in the beautiful bay. In case of emergencies there seems to be an official at Lissos until about 14.00. There is also a sign with the telephone numbers for the taxi boats. We didn't have a cell phone signal but some people did. A couple of water taxis arrived whilst we were on the beach. The hike from Lissos to Sougia passes through the beautiful Lissos gorge. The pier for Anendyk's ferries is passed just before reaching Sougia. The hike from Gialiskari beach to Lissos took us 3 hours and it was another 2 hours to Sougia. The hike from Paleochora to Gialiskari beach would take another hour. The hike was very well marked and we had absolutely no problem in following the trail. Sougia is a small and very laid back village and we really liked it. We had a good meal at the Liviko restaurant which is right on the coast. This restaurant has sun umbrellas and sun loungers on the beach and they cost about Eur 10. The ferry from Sougia to Paleochora sailed at 18.20 and cost Eur 16. The ticket office opens about 30 minutes before the ferry sails and they accept credit cards. Masses of hikers disembarked when the ferry docked at Sougia as the ferry had come from Agia Roumeli where the Samaria gorge hike ends. However, the ferry was almost empty when we departed and it was a very pleasant voyage back to Paleochora. We really enjoyed this hike and highly recommend it. It would have been even better if we could have spent a few nights in Paleochora and Sougia. The hike from Hora Sfakia to Agia Roumeli is similar and details are in section 3.2 . Gialiskari beach near Paleochora Paleochora is in the distance Looking down to Lissos Lissos beach Boat transfers from Lissos The Odeum in Lissos The Church of Panagia in Lissos The Church of Panagia in Lissos The Church of Ss Cyricus and Julitta in Lissos The Church of Ss Cyricus and Julitta in Lissos The spring in Lissos The ascent from Lissos Looking back to Lissos Lissos Gorge The beach at Sougia Main street in Sougia The ferry from Sougia to Paleochora Paleochora 2.8. Balos Beach Balos beach is beautiful but extremely popular. We didn't visit it for several reasons: Balos beach has been spoiled by tourism. We don't like crowded boat tours. The final 7 kilometres of the dirt road to Balos beach is rough and most car rental insurance policies don't cover driving on dirt roads. Many tourists with rental cars take the risk and go anyway. Although I have driven on a lot of dirt roads in Africa I didn't want risk it. Strata Tours has a thrice daily mini bus service from Kissamos to the parking lot for Balos beach that costs Eur 20 per person. This is a good option if you don't want to go on a boat tour or risk driving a rental car to Balos beach. It's a 20 minute hike from the parking lot down to the beach and there are excellent views of Balos beach on the way. 3. South West Crete Base - Plakias 3.1. Plakias We liked Plakias although it can suffer from wind blowing down the Kourtaliotiko gorge. It isn't overdeveloped yet or spoiled by tourism. However, it does have good facilities. There is a nice sandy beach on the east side of Plakias. Sun umbrellas and sun loungers cost between Eur 10 and Eur 15. There is plenty of parking along the road. Several boat trips depart from Plakias' pier and there are numerous boards advertising the trips. They include trips to Preveli Palm beach, Gavdos island, Loutro and Agia Roumeli. We had lunch several times at Antonis Place and really enjoyed our meals. It's a very popular restaurant. Damnoni beach is just a couple of kilometres east of Plakias and is usually more sheltered. It's a long sandy beach with a road running along it. There is parking along the road and 3 good tavernas at the western end. All receive good reviews and we had an excellent lunch at Taverna Violakis . Plakias Town The beach at Plakias Plakias Damnoni beach near Plakias 3.2. Loutro to Agia Roumeli Hike Hike 24 in the Rother Walking Guide is from Agia Roumeli to Loutro and it states that it takes 5 hours. We decided to do the hike the other way around so we could spend the night in Agia Roumeli and hike part of the way up the Samaria gorge the next day ( see section 3.3 ). It's possible to start this hike in Hora Sfakion but I thought that the hike from Loutro to Agia Roumeli would be long enough in the heat. Also the first part of the route from Hora Sfakion to Loutro is on the road. It turned out to be a good decision as Lani was suffering from the heat during the final section of the hike An Anendyk ferry  departs Hora Sfakion for Loutro at 09.30 but as we wanted to leave earlier we took a water taxi  for Eur 45. There is paid parking along the port road and there were plenty of parking spots when we arrived. A man on a motor bike came to collect the parking fee of Eur 5 for 24 hours. When we returned the next day he collected another Eur 5 as we had stayed longer than 24 hours. It was only a 10 minute boat ride to the small village of Loutro. Loutro is now popular and has expanded over recent years. There are quite a few hotels and 2 narrow beaches. Loutro was very nice even though the narrow waterfront was busy. There is a ruined Venetian Castle to the west of Loutro's harbour and the trail to Agia Roumeli goes past it. We didn't go that way and instead climbed up to the better preserved Ottoman fortress above Loutro. From the Ottoman fortress we descended down to the hamlet of Finix. The trail had been well marked until about Finix but the section after that to Lykos, and towards Marmara, wasn't well marked as road construction has interfered with the trail. I wished I had downloaded the trail onto my phone but we did manage to follow the trail with difficulty. Both Finix and Lykos have small hotels. From Lykos it doesn't look like the trail can continue along the steep coastal cliffs but it does! It involves a bit of minor scrambling and there are some chains to assist. After 1.5 hours of walking from Loutro we reached the pretty small beach at Marmara. We had a drink in the taverna that overlooked Marmara beach. They have sun umbrellas and sun loungers on the beach and it looked very pleasant. It was tempting to have a swim but we still had a long way to hike. There is a little chapel on the hill above Marmara and from there it was a 3 hour hike to the next taverna at the beach by the Byzantine chapel of Agios Pavlos. Unlike the previous section of the hike there was some shade along the trail from pine trees. We stopped for a picnic lunch on the way. We had run out of water by the time we reached Agios Pavlos and it looked as if the taverna was closed. We were relieved to find it was open and stopped for a drink and a swim. It was still very hot when we left at 16.30 and the owner of the taverna advised us to wait until it had cooled down and to take plenty of water. We didn't wait any longer but luckily bought more water. On the final stretch to Agia Roumeli Lani suffered from the heat and we had to stop several times. Just before Agia Roumeli the trail wasn't clear and we walked along the seafront avoiding barbed wire. The trail is in fact a bit inland. We reached our hotel in Agia Roumeli at 18.00. Agia Roumeli was very quiet as most of the Samaria gorge hikers had taken the 17.30 ferries to Sougia and Hora Sfakion. Our room in the Calypso Hotel had a great shower and after cleaning up we had supper at the hotel and a wander around peaceful Agia Roumelli. It had been a very enjoyable day and I highly recommend the hike. The next morning we set off to hike up part of the Samaria gorge before taking the 11.30 ferry back to Hora Sfakion. See section 3.3  for details. It turned out to be a great 2 day hike and it was the most enjoyable part of our 3 week holiday in Crete. I really like the coast from Paleochora to Hora Sfakion in south west Crete. A similar great coastal hike is from Paleochora to Sougia (see section 2.7 ). Parking at harbour in Hora Sfakion The boat from Hora Sfakion to Loutro View from boat to Sweetwater beach Loutro Beach at Loutro Ottoman castle above Loutro Looking down to Loutro Approaching Finix A bit of a scramble between Finix and Marmara Marmara Beach Chapel above Marmara beach View between Marmara and Agios Pavios beach in Crete View between Marmara and Agios Pavios beach in Crete Agios Pavlos Chapel Waterfront at Agia Roumeli 3.3. Samaria Gorge Hike from Agia Roumeli Before going to Crete I researched the Samaria Gorge hike on the internet and decided that it was too busy for my liking. An average of 900 people a day hike the Samaria Gorge. The Samaria Gorge opens at 07.00 and you can only hike down the entire way if you start hiking by 13.00. At the end of the hike most hikers take ferries from Agia Roumeli to Sougia or Hora Sfakion that depart at 17.30. Consequently most hikers won't start the hike later than 11.00. This is because the hike down the Samaria gorge takes 5 to 6 hours and they don't want to miss the 17.30 ferries. That means there are almost 4 hikers a minute starting the hike between 07.00 and 11.00! To make matters worse some of these hikers will have done little hiking before. I envisaged hikers blocking the trail and making it difficult to pass. See section 3.4 for ways of avoiding crowds when hiking down the Samaria gorge. I thought, a much better hike would be to take the morning ferry to Agia Roumeli and hike back to Loutro or Hora Sfakion along the beautiful coast. Agia Roumeli to Loutro is a 5 hour hike and to Hora Sfakion it's probably a 7 hour hike. This is hike number 24 in the Rother Walking Guide. When we arrived in Crete I did a bit more research. I determined that we could do the coastal hike the reverse way, spend the night in Agia Roumeli and then hike up through the Samaria Gorge from Agia Roumeli early the next morning. We would turn around in time in order to catch the 11.30 ferry from Agia Roumeli to Hora Sfakion. The only disadvantage was that I had already booked all our accommodation for our 3 week stay in Crete. However, a room in the very good Calypso Hotel in Agia Roumeli is only about Eur 60 per night. We decided to take a taxi boat from Hora Sfakion to Loutro and hike to Agia Roumeli. Then spend a night at Agia Roumeli and start hiking up the Samaria gorge early the next morning. See section 3.2 for details of our hike from Loutro to Agia Roumeli. We reached Agia Roumeli at 18.00 after most of the Samalia Gorge hikers had departed on the 17.30 ferries. We had a good dinner and night's sleep at the Calypso Hotel. We started hiking at 06.30 the next morning and reached the entrance to Samaria gorge just before 07.00. We were the first people to enter the Samaria gorge and there was no one else in sight. We walked up to the narrow "Iron Gates" part of the Samaria gorge frequently stopping for photos. The Iron Gates are where the Samaria gorge is only 3 metres wide. We still hadn't seen any other hikers and had the Samaria gorge to ourselves. After the Christos rest area one hiker passed us. We continued hiking up the Samaria gorge for another half an hour before turning back. I think we had enough time to hike to the abandoned Samaria village but Lani's foot was hurting. A park official informed us that the best section of the Samaria gorge hike was between the Iron Gates and the abandoned Samaria village and the section from Samaria village to the top of the Samaria gorge wasn't particularly special. We passed a group of Italian hikers on the way back. We got back to the Calypso hotel at 10.00 where we had breakfast. Then after a stroll around Agia Roumeli we took the 11.30 ferry to Hora Sfakion. The voyage was very scenic and it was enjoyable as there were few people on the ferry. It would be a different matter on the 17.30 ferry packed with hikers! We were both very pleased that we had hiked part of the Samaria gorge and really enjoyed our stay at Agia Roumeli and the hike from Loutro to Agia Roumeli. I highly recommend doing it. Path from Agia Roumeli to Samaria Gorge Ticket office at entrance to Samaria Gorge in Crete Start of Samaria Gorge in Crete The "Iron Gates" at Samaria Gorge Christos Rest Area at Samaria Gorge Up the Samaria Gorge from the Christos rest area Up the Samaria Gorge from the Christos rest area Up the Samaria Gorge from the Christos rest area Up the Samaria Gorge from the Christos rest area Up the Samaria Gorge from the Christos rest area Beach at Agia Roumeli Ottoman castle high above Agia Roumeli View from ferry between Agia Roumeli and Hora Sfakion View towards Marmara and Finix from the ferry 3.4. How to avoid Crowds on the Samaria Gorge Hike I stated in section 3.3 that on average 900 people a day hike down the Samaria gorge each day. On very busy days there can be as many as 1,200 hikers. As most hikers start hiking between 07.00 and 11.00 this equates to about 4 to 5 people hiking down the Samaria gorge every minute. Some people won't be bothered that the Samaria gorge trail is crowded but hikers that don't like busy trails should read on for advice on how to hike the Samaria gorge at a quieter time: Start the Samaria Gorge Hike after 11.00 Most hikers will start hiking down the Samaria gorge by 11.00. This is because the hike takes 5 to 6 hours and the ferries from Agia Roumeli to Sougia and Hora Sfakion depart at 17.30. Therefore hikers leaving later, say midday, should have the trail to themselves. Hikers aren't allowed to start hiking down the Samaria gorge to Agia Roumeli after 13.00. Starting the Samaria gorge hike late would probably involve staying the night in Agia Roumeli which is a very pleasant place to stay once all the hikers have left. The Calypso hotel is very comfortable. It would also mean doing the hike in the heat of the day. If you did spend the night at Agia Roumeli you could hike the next day to Loutro ( see section 3.2 ) and from Loutro catch the late afternoon ferry back to Hora Sfakion. That's the same ferry that all the hikers returning from the Samaria gorge hike will be on. Hike the Samaria Gorge at the Weekend The official at the check point told us that fewer people hike the Samaria gorge at the weekend. She said that on week days there is an average of 900 hikers and at weekends the number of hikers drops to about 500 per day. The reason could be that the weekends are when most tourists are arriving and departing Crete. Don't Hike the Samaria Gorge the day after a Closure The Samaria gorge is often closed for safety reasons. It can be too hot, too windy, rain can cause rock falls etc. It is likely that the day after the Samaria gorge has been closed the hike will be busier. Incidentally it is best to check before you leave for the hike that Samaria gorge hasn't been closed. Usually any closure is indicated on the official web page for buying tickets for Samaria gorge. Start the Samaria Gorge Hike very early Most travel guides recommend starting the hike as soon as the Samaria gorge opens at 07.00. If too many people follow this advice it would be counter productive. Hike partly up the Samaria Gorge from Agia Roumeli That's the hike we did. See section 3.3 . A park official informed us that the best section of the Samaria gorge hike was between the Iron Gates and the abandoned Samaria village. The park official said the section from the abandoned Samaria village to the top of the Samaria gorge wasn't particularly special. If you start hiking as soon as Samaria Gorge opens it should be possible to reach the abandoned Samaria Village, or get very close to it, and still be able to catch the 11.30 a.m. ferry from Agia Roumeli to Hora Sfakion. When we hiked up Samaria gorge we only saw about 15 hikers in 3.5 hours. We had the Samaria gorge to ourselves and it was fantastic. 3.5. Frangokastello Frangokastello is a 50 minute drive west of Plakias. There is no centre to the sprawling small town. Most visitors head to the imposing castle where there is paid parking. Next to the castle is a field with free parking. Frangokastello castle was built in 1371 to deter pirates and the exterior of the castle is impressive. There is very little to see in the interior and that's probably why there isn't an entrance fee! From Frangokastello castle it's a short walk to the very nice sandy beach. Frangkastello's beach is on a spit of land and there are sun umbrellas and sun loungers on either side of the spit which cost about Eur 10. The Venetian Castle at Frangokastello The beach at Frangokastello 3.6. Amari Valley Drive We did a circuit of Plakias - Thronos - Moni Asomaton - Monastiraki - Amari - Spili - Plakias and the drive took 6 hours. Unfortunately most of the villages in the Amari Valley were destroyed by the Germans in the 2nd World War and the reconstructed villages have little of interest for tourists. In Thronos only the 11th century Church of Panayia is of interest. It was locked when we arrived but an old man came out of a house opposite and opened it for us. The Church of Panayia has beautiful frescoes but unfortunately photography isn't allowed. Part of the floor is a mosaic from the previous Byzantine church on this site. We were asked to put a small donation in the donation box. We walked up to the acropolis of ancient Syvritos above Thronos but there is very little to see to justify the effort. We had a quick stop and look at the church at Moni Asomaton and then drove on to the nearby Minoan archaeological site of Monastiraki. It was a bit difficult to locate and unfortunately it was the one day of the week that it was closed. We were disappointed that we couldn't visit Monastiraki as the site was quite extensive and looked interesting. It is open from 08.30 to 15.30 every day except Tuesday. The entrance fee is Eur 5. We continued on to Amari hoping to find a restaurant for lunch but there was nothing. The Venetian clock tower is the only building of interest at Amari and we walked up to see it. On the way back to Plakias we stopped off at the pleasant town of Spili which is visited by tourists and tour groups. There were several restaurants in Spili but they didn't appeal as too much fast food was on the menus. Unfortunately there seems to be little of interest in the Amari valley for tourists. Mountain road in the Amari Valley Ayia Paraskevi at Moni Asomation Church of the Panayia at Thronos Acropolis of ancient Syvritos Venetian Clock Tower in Amari The main square in Spili 3.7. Palace of Phaistos We visited the Palace of Phaistos on the way from Plakias to our new accommodation in Ierapetra. It's one of the best Minoan sites in Crete and it has just been designated a World Heritage site. The site dates back to 2000 B.C. In the last couple of years the entrance fees to Greece's archaeological sites have been drastically increased and it now costs Eur 15 to visit the Palace of Phaistos. Phaistos is open every day of the year except on holidays. The opening hours are 08.00 to 20.00 from the 1st April to 1st September. There is free parking near the site and a snack bar and toilets at the entrance. We arrived at Phaistos in the late morning. Although there were other visitors Phaistos wasn't busy and there weren't any tour groups. We spent an hour looking around the impressive site of Phaistos. Theatral Area & West Court at Festos The Grand Stairway at Festos Festus Archaeological Site The King's Megaron in the Royal Apartments of Festos The Kouloures at Festus 3.8. Rethymno Rethymno is a 1.25 hour drive east of Chania and an hour's drive north of Plakias. We drove there when moving from our accommodation near Kissamos to Plakias. I had read that parking in Rethymno can be difficult but we didn't have a problem when we arrived at 10.30 a.m. in early June. There are 2 large car parks at the port . One of these car parks is completely free and there isn't a barrier. There are toilets at the end of this car park (Eur 0.50). The car park next to it has a barrier but parking is free from 02.00 to 17.00. There is another large paid car park across from these 2 port car parks. It's about a 10 minute walk westwards from these car parks to Rethymno's old town. Rethymno's large main beach is just on the eastern side of these car parks. There aren't many specific sites to see in Rethynmo but it's very pleasant wandering around the old alleys. Unfortunately most of the restaurants and shops now cater for tourists. Half a day is sufficient for visiting Rethymno. There are numerous restaurants for tourists in Rethymno and it's difficult to know which ones are good. We wanted to have lunch at Stella's kitchen  as it had very good reviews but unfortunately it was closed on Sundays. We therefore ate at another restaurant which had average food. The main sites in Rethymno are: Venetian Fortress The imposing fortress is the largest ever built by the Venetians. It was built in the 16th century to prevent pirate raids. The fortress quickly fell to the Ottomans in 1645. The fortress is open from 08.00 to 20.00 and there is an entry fee of Eur 5. There is a 50% discount for people over 65 even if you don't reside in the EU. There are free toilets near the entrance. There isn't much to see at the Fortress apart from the mosque which has a very impressive dome. Otherwise it is a matter of just walking around the extensive walls. Venetian Harbour This harbour has always had a problem with silting up and it's only used by a few pleasure boats. During the day time it is worth a quick look but there isn't much going on. Rimondi Fountain The attractive 17th century Rimondi fountain is near to the Venetian Harbour and most tourists want to take a photo of it! Loggia This was built in the 16th century but can't be entered. Nerantzes Mosque This was originally a church but converted to a mosque by the Ottomans. The tall minaret dominates Rethynmo's skyline. It isn't open to the public. Rethymno's Harbour The Venetian Harbour in Rethymno The Augustinian Monastery of our Lady in Rethymno Church of our Lady of the Angels in Rethymno Typical Alley in Rethymno Rimondi Fountain in Rethymno The Loggia in Rethymno The Fortezza in Rethymno The Mosque in the Fortezza at Rethymno The beach at Rethymno 3.9. Late Minoan Cemetery of Armeni We visited the Late Minoan Cemetery of Armeni when driving from Rethymno to Plakias. It is only a 15 minute drive from Rethymno and a 30 minute drive from Plakias. The Late Minoan Cemetery of Armeni is open every day from 09.00 to 17.00 except Tuesdays. The entrance fee is Eur 5 and there is parking and toilets at the site The Late Minoan Cemetery of Armeni is worth visiting if you are driving by but I wouldn't make a special journey. There are many tomb entrances but most tombs are too small to enter. It's possible to enter tomb 159 which dates back to 1200 B.C. The Late Minoan Cemetery of Armeni can be seen in 45 minutes. Typical entrance to tombs at the Minonian cemetery Entrance to Tomb 159 at the Minonian Cemetery 4. South East Crete Base - Ierapetra Eastern Crete 4.1. Spinalonga Island Spinalonga island is one of the most popular sights on Crete and is an idyllic setting. The Venetians built the imposing fortress on Spinalonga in 1579 and it encompasses the entire island. The fortress was impregnable and was handed over to the Ottomans by treaty in 1715, fifty years after the rest of Crete had surrendered. A town was established inside the fortress by the Ottomans. In the first half of the 20th century Spinalonga was a leper colony and the lepers lived in this town. Spinalonga was the last leper colony in Europe as drugs had already been found to control leprosy. The leper colony was very primitive and the lepers were treated very harshly. Spinalonga island is open from 08.30 to 18.00 every day from 1st April to 31st October. It's closed in winter. The entry fee is Eur 20. The entry fee was only Eur 8 a couple of years ago but the entry fees for all Greece's archaeological sites have been drastically increased. Spinalonga island can be accessed by half hourly taxi boats from Plaka and Elounda . The boat ride takes about 10 minutes and costs Eur 12 from Plaka and Eur 14 from Elounda. Tickets can be bought on arrival. Any boat from Spinalonga can be taken back to the mainland. There are 2 free car parks at Plaka and the car park on the northern side has more space. I had read that it was best to visit Spinalonga either early or late in the day to avoid tour groups. We couldn't do that but I had also read that most tour groups visited in the morning so we visited in the afternoon. We went at 14.00 in mid June and it wasn't busy. Upon arrival at Spinalonga the entry fee is payable and then access to the fortress is through a tunnel. The main part of Spinalonga fortress is around the area immediately after the tunnel. After passing through the tunnel it is possible to climb on to the fortress walls and obtain a good view. The street running along the western side of the fortress has most of the remaining dwellings. There are very interesting exhibits detailing the history of Spinalonga in several of the houses on the left hand side. Eventually the only other gate to the fortress is reached. We also climbed up the hillside to explore other parts of Spinalonga's fortifications. There are good views but there is little else to justify the effort. We finished by walking around the walls of the entire island. The fortifications are very imposing and it doesn't take that long to walk around them. We thoroughly explored Spinalonga and spent 1.5 hours doing so. We were fortunate that after walking around the island we spotted the taxi boat arriving. We quickly descended and saved up to half an hour wait. I heard reports that some tourists have been put off visiting Spinalonga due to the high cost of the entrance fee and taxi boat. It's expensive but we really enjoyed our visit to Spinalonga and thought it was worth the cost. Boat from Plaka to Spinalonga Spinalonga The tunnel entrance to Spinalonga's fortress Spinalonga's fortress Settlement within Spinalonga's fortress View from Spinalonga island Museum at Spinalonga Disinfection kiln for Spinalonga's leper colony Fortress walls at northern end of Spinalonga islan 4.2. Gournia Archaeological Site & Moni Faneromeni The Gournia archaeological site is on the north coast but it's only a 20 minute drive from Ierapetra on the south coast. Gournia is open from 08.30 to 15.30 every day except Tuesday and the entrance fee is Eur 5. Parking is on the quiet road near the entrance. Gournia is the most completely preserved Minoan town in Crete and dates back to 1500 B.C. It was an important town as it controlled the narrow isthmus between north and south Crete. We enjoyed wandering around the old streets and houses of Gournia. However, there is nothing over 2 metres high and some people might consider the site to be a mass of walls! We visited a few other archaeological sites in Crete and felt that Phaistos Palace and the Lato archaeological site were more interesting. Moni Faneromeni is very near Gournia but it involves driving 5 kilometres up a hillside to reach it. Fortunately the monastery had a very good relationship with the wife of the previous prime minister and a tarred road was constructed to it. There are excellent coastal views all the way up to Moni Faneromeni. Two monks reside at the monastery and the one who greeted us was very friendly. We were allowed to take his picture on the understanding we wouldn't publish it. We have kept our promise! The main frescoes in the church look ancient but in fact they aren't very old. It was atmospheric inside. Once a year many pilgrims walk up to the monastery and pray for a few days. The ancient Minoan Town of Gournia Moni Faneromeni Moni Faneromeni View from Moni Faneromeni 4.3. Xerokambos to Kato Zakros Hike This is hike 70 in the Rother Walking Guide but the book starts the hike at Kato Zakros. We did the walk the other way around and it turned out to be a good decision. When we arrived at Xerokambos we drove on a dirt road to Krinakia beach and there is a car park there. It's a nice beach and is popular with nudists. There was a sign at the car park pointing the way and from there the trail was clearly marked all the way to Kato Zakros. There was no shade at all and we only saw 3 other hikers. The scenery was nice but it doesn't vary enough. The only tricky section is just before Kato Zakros and a little bit of scrambling is required. The hike took us 2 hours and 45 minutes which is longer than what the Rother Guide indicated. We had a good lunch at the Nostos restaurant in Kato Zakros and afterwards relaxed on the free sun loungers on the beach. Whilst there we heard a couple, who had hiked down the nearby Dead's gorge, asking the restaurant owner to arrange a taxi back to their vehicle at the top of the gorge. We were surprised that there was a taxi at Kato Zakros. The restaurant owner informed us that the taxi driver did a good business transporting hikers who only wanted to hike the Dead's gorge one way. We decided to take a taxi back to Krinakia beach rather than hike the same trail back again in the heat. The restaurant owner arranged the taxi for us and it cost Eur 35. The taxi driver was reluctant to drive the final section along the dirt road so we walked it. If we had started the hike from Kato Zakros we probably wouldn't have known about the taxi. Also there isn't a taverna at Krinakia beach and the nearest one is 2 kilometres further south. Trail sign at Krinakia beach Krinakia beach Hike from Krinakia beach to Kato Zakros Rouso Spasma Hike from Krinakia beach to Kato Zakros Hike from Krinakia beach to Kato Zakros Beach at Kato Zakros 4.4. Myrtos and Tertsa Beaches Myrtos beach is a 20 minute drive west from Ierapetra. Myrtos is a busy little village with lots of restaurants along the sea front. Some restaurants provide free sun umbrellas and sun loungers if you have lunch there. Myrtos is very pleasant and seems a popular place. Reviews state that parking isn't problem at Myrtos but when we went on a Sunday we found it difficult to find a parking place. Tertsa beach is a further 15 minute drive west from Myrtos. The drive there is along a scenic, but narrow, road with high cliffs on the one side and the sea on the other side. At Tertsa there are 3 Tavernas and the Stefania and Lambos restaurants provide ample parking. We went to the Stefania restaurant and used their sun umbrella and sunbeds for free on the sandy beach as we were staying for lunch. Lunch was good and we had a nice day at Tertsa. Tertsa is much quieter than Myrtos and parking is easier. The beach at Tertsa Stefania Restaurant in Tertsa 4.5. Kritsa Town & Lato Archaeological Site We drove from Ierapetra to Kritsa on the minor mountain roads that go via the Bramianon reservoir and the village of Prina. We hardly saw any other traffic which was fortunate as in a few places the road was only single lane! We found a free parking lot in the centre of Kritsa. Kritsa can also be reached on a good road from the resort of Agia Nikolaos. Kritsa is frequented by tourists and tour buses as it's a pretty town with craft shops for tourists. Unless you are a shopper there isn't a lot to see in Kritsa but it's pleasant wandering around. We had a good lunch at the Agadiko restaurant . There is good 1.5 hour circular hike through the nearby Kritsa gorge. It is hike number 57 in the Rother Walking Guide. We didn't do the hike as it was very windy and we were concerned about falling rocks. The Byzantine church of Panagia Kera is only one kilometre from Kritsa and it has the most complete and famous Byzantine frescoes in Crete. Unfortunately we had a late lunch and by the time we got there it had just closed. It is open every day, except Tuesday, from 08.30 to 15.30. We visited the Lato Archaeological site which is three kilometres from Kritsa. It's open every day, except Tuesday, from 08.30 to 15.00 and the entrance fee is Eur 5. Lato was of Doric origin and dates back to the 5th century B.C. Lato's ruins are impressive and are in a scenic location. Tourist store in Kritsa Street in Kritsa The Lato archaeological site The Prytaneion at Lato Archaeological Site The Cistern at Lato Archaeological site The temple at the Lato archaeological site 4.6. Diaskari beach Diaskari beach is a 35 minute drive from Ierapetra. It is a quiet beach with one taverna and plenty of parking. A sun umbrella and 2 sun loungers cost Eur 10. The beach is sandy but there is some rock as you enter the sea. We really liked it and went twice. The taverna only provides a limited menu of cold meals on Thursdays. The beach at Diaskari Diaskari Taverna 4.7. Ierapetra The seafront promenade in Ierapetra Venetian fortress at Ierapetra Church of Afendis Hristos in Ierapetra Ierapetra's Old Town Napoleon's house in Ierapetra Ugly greenhouses surround Ierapetra 5. Accommodation in Crete We spent 3 weeks in Crete and booked apartments and houses through Booking.com in 3 different locations. We avoided the main tourist areas and tried to find accommodation that was quiet, spacious and clean. 5.1. Apartment in North West Crete We stayed at the Christine Luxury Villa which is a fantastic 3 bedroom apartment in the village of Kolymvari, a 30 minute drive west of Chania and a 20 minute drive east of Kissamos. It's new, modern, well finished and nicely furnished. It was centrally located for exploring the north west of Crete and there was enough to do for a full week there. We paid Eur 790 for a week in June which was a bargain. 5.2. Town House in Plakias We stayed at the Michaela Beach House which was a pleasant 15 minute walk away from the centre of Plakias. It's a 3 bedroom end town house in a modern development. We enjoyed our stay. We paid Eur 907 for 6 nights in June. It wasn't up to the same very high standard as Christine Luxury Villa but was still good accommodation. The potential issues with this property are: On our final night the land next to the town house was being cleared. It's likely they will build more houses there. That would block the view and create noise during construction. The largest bedroom is on the lower floor and is accessed through an outside entrance. You can hear some noise from the adjoining town house and if the occupants were noisy it could be a problem. 5.3. House in Ierapetra (South East Crete) We stayed at Apple Home which is a luxury 3 bedroom house in Ierapetra. We paid Eur 1,148 for the week. This house was of the same very high standard as Christine Luxury Villa. The house was spacious, modern, well furnished and had everything one could need. Penelope (the owner) was fantastic and provided us with lots of information on what to do. The only disadvantage is that Ierapetra isn't a very interesting or beautiful town. However, it was a good base and the north coast was only a 20 minute drive away. 6. Car Rental In Crete I wanted to rent a car from a local car rental agency as they are usually cheaper than the international agencies. Unfortunately I couldn't find a good local car agency which allowed vehicles to be collected at Chania and returned at Iraklio. We therefore rented a car from Hertz through Booking.com and we were happy with their service. We didn't take out their full collision damage insurance as it was too expensive and we didn't pay for Lani to drive because of the cost for an extra driver. They weren't fussy when checking the condition of the car when we returned it. When we returned to the UK I discovered that Auto Rentals Crete rents vehicles at both Chania and Iraklio airports and has excellent reviews . They provide full collision damage cover in the quoted price and there is no charge for a second driver. 7. Link s to other blogs on Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide   Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide   Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide   Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide   Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide   Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide   Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide   The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide   Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide   Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide   Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide   Mystros: Travel Guide

Langtang Trek Map I did the Langtang trek in late November 2023 and my blog provides information that will assist you in planning your trek. My blogs Day Hikes on the Langtang Trek and Langtang Trek - Trip Report will also help with the planning. Contents When to do the Langtang Trek Getting to Syabrubesi Itinerary for the Langtang trek Costs, Permits & Guides Hiking Times for the Langtang Trek Information on the Tea Houses for the Langtang Trek Pairo's Tea Houses Bamboo's Tea Houses Rimche's Tea Houses Lama Hotel's Tea Houses Riverside's Tea House Chhunama's Tea House Ghoratabela's Tea Houses Thyangsyap's Tea Houses Gumba Danda's Tea Houses Langtang Village's Tea Houses Mundu's Tea Houses Sindum's Tea House Kyanjim Gumba's Hotels Sherpagaon's Tea Houses Bhanjyang's Tea House Other Langtang, Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek Blogs 1. When to do the LangtangTrek The main 2 considerations for when to do the Langtang trek are the weather and the number of trekkers: 1.1 Weather for the Lantang Trek The best months to do the Langtang trek are: March to early June Early October to mid December The monsoon season is from around 10 June to early October. The views would be restricted and there would be leeches during the monsoon. Click here to see the historic data for the start and finish dates for the monsoon (section 6 of the blog). The winter period from mid December to early March would be cold and there is a greater risk of snow. 1.2 Number of Trekkers on the Langtang Trek The Langtang trek is not a circuit, differing from many of the other Nepali treks which are circular. The same trail is used for ascending and descending the Langtang trek so you pass trekkers coming from the other direction. Each person trekking on the Langtang trek has double the impact compared to treks like the Annapurna circuit. Nepal Tourism publishes annual statistics of the number of foreign trekkers on the main treks. These statistics show that October and early November is the busiest period and April is the second busiest period. These statistics only provide a partial picture as they exclude Nepali trekkers. The Langtang trek is very popular with Nepali trekkers so they have a major impact on how busy the trail can get. I believe that the holiday period during the festivals of Dashain and Diwali (Tihar) would be the busiest period for Nepalese trekkers. The dates of these festivals are based on the lunar calendar and take place in October and November. In 2024 Dashain is from October 3rd to 16th and Diwali (Tihar) is from October 21st to November 2nd. The Nepalese often seem to take a holiday after Tihar and there will still be many Nepali trekkers doing the Langtang trek 7 to 10 days after the end of Tihar. 1.3 Conclusion The trail for the Langtang trek would be very busy in April. March would be much quieter, but colder, and there is more risk of snow on the ground. There is a risk of haze from wild fires at this time of year and smog in Kathmandu is becoming a problem. May and early June would be quieter and it would be warmer. However, there is a risk of some pre-monsoon rain. Usually the haze from wild fires disappears in early May once there has been some rainfall. In autumn the best weather is from late October to mid December. However, the trail for the Langtang trek is very busy from early October to mid November. The best time to do the Langtang trek is probably from about 10 days after the end of Diwali (Tihar) to mid December. 2. Getting to Syabrubesi The Langtang trek starts in Syabrubesi and you can get there by bus, shared jeep or private jeep. It would probably take 8 to 9 hours by bus or shared jeep. Enjoy Nepal Treks arranged a private jeep for me and it cost $180. I left Kathmandu at 05.00 and the early start meant that I avoided the awful traffic congestion in the Kathmandu valley. The journey took 5.5 hours and I had enough time to start the Langtang trek and to hike to Sherpagaon in daylight. I had read blogs stating the road from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi was scary but it didn't seem bad to me. 3. Itinerary for the Langtang Trek 3.1 The Ascent on the Langtang Trek for Acclimatised Trekkers If you are already acclimatised you can easily hike from Syabrubesi to Kyanjin Gompa in 3 days. If you are in a rush, and are fit, you could even do it in 2 days. Day 1 - Travel from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi (5.5 hours to 9 hours depending on the means of transport). Then either hike 5.5 hours along the upper trail to Sherpagaon (2,563 metres) or take the lower trail to Lama Hotel (2,480 metres). Day 2 - Hike 5.5 hours to the village of Mundu (3,543 metres) which has 2 good guest houses. Day 3 - Hike 1.5 hours from Mundu to Kyanjin Gompa (3,830 metres). Do a day hike after finding a hotel. See my blog on Day Hikes on the Langtang Trek . 3.2 The Ascent on the Langtang Trek for Unacclimatised Trekkers If you aren't acclimatised you should take an extra day to trek to Kyanjin Gompa. Ideally your extra night should be at Ghoratabela (3,030 metres) or Thangsyap (3,140 metres). They are at a good altitude for acclimatisation and the tea houses are of a reasonable standard. 3.3 The Descent on the Langtang Trek Trekkers continuing to Gosainkunda - It is about an 8 hour hike from Kyanjin Gompa to Pairo. Pairo is the last settlement on the Langtang trek before the turn off to the southerly trail to Gosainkunda is reached. Most trekkers stop earlier at Lama Hotel or Bamboo. See my blogs on the Gosainkunda and Helambu trek . Hiking back to Syabrubesi on the Lower Trail - It would be possible to hike back in one long and tiring day. It would have taken me about 10 hours but someone younger and fitter could do it faster. Most trekkers don't do it in 1 day and spend 1 night somewhere along the trail for the Langtang trek. Hiking back to Syabrubesi on the Upper Trail - If you didn't hike the upper trail on the way up it is worth doing so on the way down. The upper trail of the Langtang trek is more scenic and you can spend the night in good accommodation in the pleasant village of Sherpagaon. The hike from Kyanjin Gompa to Sherpagaon would take about 7.5 hours. 4. Costs, Permits & Guides for the Langtang Trek 4.1 Guides for the Langtang Trek In April 2023 the Nepal Tourism Office tried to make it mandatory for all trekkers to have a guide for the Langtang trek and most other trekking areas. They didn't succeed and when I trekked in November 2023 the majority of foreigners were trekking without guides. I had a porter/guide for the Langtang trek. I did the Kanchenjunga trek just before starting the Langtang trek and had used Enjoy Nepal Treks to organise the trek. I retained the same porter/guide for the Langtang trek and the cost was $25 a day. I could have done the Langtang trek by myself but some of the day hikes were safer done with a guide. Also I continued on to Gosainkunda and wouldn't have wanted to go up Surya Peak (5,150 metres) by myself. The terrain was very rough and there were no other people there. 4.2 Permits for the Langtang Trek A permit has to be purchased for entering the Langtang National Park. It costs R3,000 ($23) and is normally payable at Dhunche which is on the way to Syabrubesi. The office was closed when I got there and I continued on to Syabrubesi. I bought the permit the next day at the Langtang Park office in Ghoratabela. Permit for Langtang National Park 4.3 Cost of the Langtang Trek I was on the Langtang trek for 7 nights and spent on average R600 ($4.60) per day on rooms and R1,800 ($14) per day on food. I spent a total of R1,800 ($14) on wifi and quite a bit more on hot drinks. I also treated myself to cake in Kyanjin Gompa. The cost of rooms on the Langtang trek would probably be higher in peak season. I used a Steripen to sterilise water so I didn't incur any expense for drinking water. 5. Hiking Times for the Langtang Trek The purpose of these times is to give an idea, when planning your Langtang trek, of how long the sections are. I was acclimatised and wasn't carrying my own pack, but I wasn't walking particularly fast. These times exclude stops for meals and hot drinks. Day TO FROM TIME 1 Syabrubesi Sherpagaon 5 hrs 30 mins 2 Sherpagaon Rimche 1 hr 30 mins 2 Rimche Lama Hotel 20 mins 2 Lama Hotel River Side 1 hr 25 mins 2 River Side Ghoratabela 1 hr 10 mins 2 Ghoratabela Thyangsyap 40 mins 2 Thyangsyap Gumba Danda 45 mins 3 Gumba Danda Langtang Village 30 mins 3 Langtang Village Mundu 30 mins 3 Mundu Kyanjin Gompa 1 hr 30 mins 6 Kyanjin Gompa Mundu 1 hr 10 mins 6 Mundu Langtang Village 22 mins 6 Langtang Village Thyangsyap 1 hr 18 mins 6 Thyangsyap Ghoratabela 33 mins 6 Ghoratabela Chhunama 1 hr 12 mins 6 Chhunama River Side 10 mins 6 River Side Lama Hotel 1 hr 10 mins 6 Lama Hotel Rimche 15 mins 6 Rimche Bamboo 1 hr 10 mins 6 Bamboo Pairo 56 mins 6. Information on the Tea Houses for the Langtang Trek 6.1 Quality of Tea Houses on the Langtang Trek The tea houses on the first section of the lower route between Syabrubesi and Ghoratabela are old, basic and uncomfortable! The tea houses from Ghoratabela are better and from Langtang to Kyanjin Gompa the accommodation is good and many rooms have attached bathrooms. The upper route for the first section of the Langtang trek has some excellent accommodation at Sherpagaon. Most trekkers don't use this route on the way up as there is a 1,050 metre ascent. I did hike up this route and it was tiring! Some trekkers descend on this upper route but you can't do so if you are continuing onto Gosainkunda. 6.2 Other Guests at Langtang's Tea Houses When trekking I try to stay at tea houses that have few other guests and certainly no groups. On most treks you know that no other trekkers will arrive after dusk. Unfortunately this isn't the case with the Langtang trek. A lot of Nepalese do the Langtang trek and they usually do it very quickly. That often entails hiking in the dark with head torches. It isn't at all unusual to have a nice quiet tea house at dusk only to have a group of trekkers arrive as late as 21.00. 6.3 Cost of Tea House Accommodation on the Langtang Trek In the off season I had good rooms with attached bathrooms for R500 ($4) a night at Sherpagaon and Kyanjin Gompa. I was charged R1,000 $7.70) for a room with an attached toilet at Gumba Danda and that was too much. A very basic room at Pairo cost R700 ($5.40). I always determined the price beforehand as the list prices were higher. I never bargained and later met a trekker who had negotiated free rooms at all but 1 place on the Langtang and Gosainkunda trek. He wasn't Israeli! 6.4 Food at Langtang's Tea Houses I always ate the local rice and noodle dishes so I can't comment on the western food served at the tea houses. Western food is available along the entire Langtang trek, even at the basic tea houses on the first section of the trek. Dal bhat cost between R650 ($5) and R900 ($7). Black tea cost between R80 ($0.6) and R150 ($1.2). The cost of food increased with the altitude. 6.5 Internet, Electricity and Showers at Langtang's Tea Houses I couldn't obtain internet through Nepal Telecoms. I paid for internet at Sherpagaon, Gumba, Mundu and Kyanjin Gompa. The cost was between R300 ($2.30) and R500 ($3). At Kyanjin Gompa the R500 fee covered the 3 nights I stayed there. There wasn't any internet at Pairo. There was solar power at all the tea houses on the Langtang trek. The tea houses on the first section of the Langtang trek are in a wooded valley and don't receive much sun. I therefore couldn't charge my phone at Pairo. There was free charging at Sherpagaon, Gumba Danda, Mundu and Kyanjin Gompa. I had free hot showers at Kyanjin Gompa and it is likely that there would be hot showers at Sherpagaon, Langtang Village and Mundu. 7. Pairo's Tea Houses There are 2 basic tea houses in Pairo and I stayed at the Namaste Guest House. I had the tea house to myself until 5 Nepali trekkers arrived in the dark. Luckily they were very quiet and I had a good night's sleep. The lady running the tea house was a bit strange. The quality of the tea houses in Pairo is poor, like all the tea houses between Syabrubesi and Ghoratabela. There was no internet or charging of electrical devices. The Namaste Guest House in Pairo The View from the Namaste Guest House My Room at the Namaste Guest House in Pairo The Menu at the Namaste Guest House in Pairo. The Menu at the Namaste Guest House in Pairo. My Bill at the Namaste Guest House in Pairo The other Guest House in Pairo 8. Bamboo's Tea Houses There is at least one basic tea house in Bamboo. Bamboo Lodge is in the bottom left 9. Rimche's Tea Houses There is one basic and not very nice tea house in Rimche. The Evening View Moon Light Guest House in Rimche. 10. Lama Hotel's Tea Houses Lama Hotel is the name of the village and it has more accommodation than any other village on the first section of the Langtang trek. There are several basic tea houses. The Village of Lama Hotel The Kitchen & Dining Room of the Friendly Guest House in Lama Hotel The Hotel Sherpa 11. River Side's Tea House The River Side Hotel is the only tea house at River Side. I had lunch there and the food was good. The tea house is basic and run down like the other tea houses on the first section of the Langtang trek. The River Side Hotel The River Side Hotel The River Side Hotel 12. Chhunama's Tea Houses Chhunama is only 10 minutes from River Side. The tea house here is a bit better than the one at Riverside but still basic! Hotel Woodland in Chhunama 13. Ghoratabela's Tea Houses There are 2 reasonable tea houses at Ghoratabela, the best so far when walking up on the main trail of the Langtang trek. Hotel Tibetan is at Ghoratabela 14. Thyangsyap's Tea Houses There are about 4 reasonable tea houses at Thyangsyap. Summit Guest House & Restaurant in Thyangsyap Summit Guest House & Restaurant in Thyangsyap Buddha Guest House in Thyangsyap Potala Guest House in Thyangsyap 15. Gumba Danda's Tea Houses There are several tea houses at Gumba Danda which is at an altitude of 3,400 metres. I stayed at the Langtang View Guest House as it had been recommended by other trekkers doing the Langtang trek. It is the last tea house in the village when ascending. They have rooms in the main building and also 3 rooms in an annex which have attached toilets. I paid R1,000 ($8) for a room with an attached toilet. It seemed a reasonable price at the time but it turned out to be the most expensive room of the trek. They have 2 good dining rooms. The one in the photo below isn't heated but it is nice during the day as it is spacious and bright. The other dining room is in the main building and it was very warm in the evening. When I stayed everything was great until dark. Four Nepali trekkers arrived and were very noisy. My guide said they had been drinking. I decided to move into the unheated dining room but found that it was occupied by a large group of trekkers. They were having dinner before continuing on to Langtang Village. I therefore sat in the kitchen instead. I was going to stay here on the way back from Kyanjin Gompa thinking I couldn't be so unlucky twice. However, the owner of the hotel at Kyanjin Gompa warned me that many Nepali trekkers stay at Gumba Danda and they were often noisy. The Langtang View Guest House in Gumba. The Langtang View Guest House in Gumba. The Dining Room of the Langtang View Guest House in Gumba Bedrooms at the Langtang View Guest House in Gumba My Room at the Langtang View Guest House in Gumba. 16. Langtang Village's Tea Houses Langtang Village was destroyed by a landslide that was triggered by the 2015 earthquake. A new village has been built on a nearby site that should be out of the path of future landslides. There is a lot of accommodation at Langtang Village and many of the buildings are hotels rather than tea houses. It is likely to be a busy place and popular with groups. Langtang Village 17. Mundu's Guest Houses There are 2 good guest houses at Mundu. I stayed at the Golden Holiday's Guest House and paid R500 ($4) for a really good corner room with an attached bathroom. As is often the case in Nepal the bathroom didn't have a sink. The guest house was very clean and quiet. There was a comfortable dining room and I paid R500 ($4) to use the internet. The other guest house in Mundu is called the Tip Top. It also looked good. My feeling is that Mundu is a nicer and quieter place to stay than either Langtang Village or Gumba Danda. Golden Holiday's Guest House & Restaurant in Mundu The Dining Room at the Golden Holiday's Guest House & Restaurant in Mundu. My Room at the Golden Holiday's Guest House & Restaurant in Mundu My Bathroom at the Golden Holiday's Guest House & Restaurant in Mundu Tip Top Hotel in Mundu 18. Sindum's Tea House My guide said that the Me Very Happy Guest House in Sindum was very good when he last stayed there. Unfortunately it was closed in late November when I was trekking. It did look nice and as it is a single storey building you wouldn't have people stomping above your room. 19. Kyanjin Gompa's Hotels & Tea Houses I haven't seen a village like Kyanjin Gompa on any other trek in Nepal. It mainly consists of 4 to 5 storey hotels that look incongruous in the mountain setting. It isn't picturesque but there is plenty of good accommodation at very reasonable prices. I stayed at the Buddha Inn and I wouldn't be surprised if it was the nicest hotel in Kyanjin Gompa. I had a room with an attached bathroom for R500 ($4). The bathroom was clean and had a hot solar shower and a hand basin. The disadvantage of the hotel is that it is popular with groups. I wouldn't want to stay there in peak season. Some of the other hotels worth considering are: Hotel Super View Hotel View Point Mountain View Guest House & Lodge There is a popular cheesery in Kyanjin Gompa but it didn't look very hygenic. There are also several bakeries. The most well known one is Dorje Bakery but I was disappointed by the quality of the cakes. The Village of Kyanjin Gomba The Buddha Inn in Kyanjin Gomba The Dining Room of the Buddha Inn My Room at the Buddha Inn My Bathroom at the Buddha Inn in Kyanjin Gomba The Hotel Super View in Kyanjin Gomba The Hotel View Point in Kyanjin Gumba 20. Sherpagaon's Tea Houses Sherpagaon is on the upper trail of the Langtang trek and is a very pleasant village with good views. It is worth taking the upper trail just to stay in good accommodation rather than the poor quality tea houses on the first section of the lower main trail of the Langtang trek. There are several tea houses in Sherpagaon and the best one seemed to be the Namaste Guest House. It is at the end of the village when ascending the Langtang trek. I had a large room with a large attached bathroom. The bathroom wasn't particularly clean but this is probably typical for this type of hotel. I paid R500 ($4) although the list price was R1,500 ($12). The food was good, the owners were friendly and there was wifi for a cost of R300 ($2.20). The Namaste Guest House in Sherpagaon The View from the Namaste Guest House in Sherpagaon The Dining Room at the Namaste Guest House in Sherpagaon My Room at the Namaste Guest House in Sherpagaon My Bathroom at the Namaste Guest House in Sherpagaon My Bill at the Namaste Guest House in Sherpagaon 21. Bhanjyang's Tea House Bhanjyang is the first village on the upper trail of the Langtang trek from Syrabrubesi to Sherpagaon. It is a steep 2.5 hour walk from Syrabrubesi. The Hotel Mountain View would be a good option if you don't have the time to hike to Sherpagaon on the day you travel from Kathmandu. It looks better than the tea houses on the first section of the lower trail on the Langtang trek but not as good as the accommodation in Sherpagaon. 22. Other Langtang, Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek Blogs Day Hikes on the Langtang Trek Langtang Trek - Trip Report Planning the Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek Gosainkunda & Helambu Trip Report

Map of the Ponta de Sao Lourenco Hike The Sao Lourenco Peninsular hike is probably the most popular hike in Madeira. There are spectacular coastal views the entire way whereas most of Madeira's other hikes are through forest. Also the weather is more reliable than for the hikes in the interior of Madeira although wind can be a problem. Unfortunately this means that there are masses of people hiking the Sao Lourenco peninsular and it doesn't help that the trail isn't circular. In addition parking becomes difficult and it's only possible to park a long way from the trail head. Most people advise starting the Sao Lourenco hike early as otherwise the sheer number of tourists spoils the experience. The trouble is that too many people follow this advice! Also unless you start the Sao Lourenco hike very early you will meet lots of trekkers when hiking back. If you do start early then I would recommend starting at 08.00 at the very latest but 07.30 would be better. We didn't fancy a very early start and had read that the number of hikers, and availability of parking, wasn't bad from around 16.30. We therefore arrived at the Sao Lourenco peninsular trail head at 17.00. We found plenty of free parking places near the trail head. I had read that you had to pay an Eur 3 entrance fee for the Sao Lourenco peninsular hike and that fines of Eur 50 were issued to hikers who hadn't paid. I therefore tried to pay at the trail head but there wasn't a ticket office nor any notices about an entrance fee. It could be that the officials collecting the entrance fee had finished work for the day. For the first half hour of the Sao Lourenco Peninsular hike we passed quite a few other people finishing the hike. After that there were always a few other hikers in sight but it wasn't at all bad. The Sao Lourenco Peninsular hike took us 2.25 hours but we didn't do the final climb up the hill as there was a sign stating access was prohibited. Quite a few other hikers ignored this sign but my wife didn't want to. Just before the prohibited access sign there is a small cafe. It was closed when we reached it at 18.00. A few reviewers on the Walkmeguide.com  website had complained about the upkeep of this closed part of the Sao Lourenco trail! The metal rope is in poor condition and can cut your hand. Another hiker had to go to hospital as he injured his foot on the steep descent. The slope didn't look difficult to me if hiking poles were used for the descent. We really enjoyed the Sao Lourenco hike and the scenery was excellent. However, I think that you have to start very early or late or the sheer numbers of hikers will spoil the experience. See my 2025 Madeira Travel Guide for detailed information about what to see and do in Madeira. The Sao Lourenco Peninsular The Cafe at the end of the Sao Lourenco Peninsular The sign that a lot of hiker's ignore! The last section of the Sao Lourenco hike that is officially closed

Map of the Samaria Gorge Hike On average of 900 people a day hike down the Samaria Gorge to Agia Roumeli. On busy days there can be as many as 1,200 hikers. The Samaria Gorge opens at 07.00 and you are only allowed to hike down the entire way from Xyloskalo to Agia Roumeli if you start hiking by 13.00. Upon reaching Agia Roumeli hikers usually take ferries to Sougia or Hora Sfakion that depart at 17.30. As the hike down the Samaria gorge takes 5 to 6 hours most hikers start before 11.00 so they don't miss the ferries. That means there can be 4 to 5 hikers a minute starting the hike between 07.00 and 11.00! That's far too crowded for me. Hikers that don't like busy trails have the following options: Start the Samaria Gorge hike after 11.00 Hikers leaving later, say midday, should have the trail to themselves. However, hikers aren't allowed to start hiking down the Samaria gorge to Agia Roumeli after 13.00. Starting the Samaria gorge hike late would probably involve staying the night in Agia Roumeli which is a very pleasant place to stay once all the hikers have left. The Calypso hotel  is very comfortable. However, it would also mean doing the hike in the heat of the day. If you did spend the night at Agia Roumeli you could hike the next day along the beautiful coast to Loutro (see the next section for details) and then take the late afternoon ferry back to Hora Sfakion. That's the same ferry that all the hikers returning from the Samaria gorge hike will be on. If you don't want to hike any more there are 2 ferries in the morning to Hora Sfakion. Hike the Samaria Gorge at the Weekend The official at the check point told us that fewer people hike the Samaria gorge at the weekend. She said that on week days there is an average of 900 hikers and at weekends the number of hikers drops to about 500 per day. The reason could be that the weekends are when most tourists are arriving and departing Crete. Don't Hike the Samaria Gorge the day after a closure The Samaria gorge is often closed for safety reasons. It can be too hot, too windy, rain can cause rock falls etc. It is likely that the day after the Samaria gorge has been closed the hike will be busier. Incidentally it is best to check before you leave for the hike that Samaria gorge hasn't been closed. Usually any closure is indicated on the official web page  for buying tickets for Samaria gorge. Start the Samaria Gorge hike very early Most travel guides recommend starting the hike as soon as the Samaria gorge opens at 07.00. This would mean a very early start from your accommodation as the drive to the Samaria Gorge entrance at Xyloskalo would take at least 1.25 hours for most people. If too many people follow this advice it would be counter productive! Hike partly up the Samaria Gorge from Agia Roumeli A park official informed us that the best section of the Samaria gorge hike was between the Iron Gates and the abandoned Samaria village. The park official said the section from the abandoned Samaria village to the top of the Samaria gorge wasn't particularly special. If you start hiking as soon as Samaria Gorge opens it should be possible to reach the abandoned Samaria Village, or get very close to it, and still be able to catch the 11.30 a.m. ferry from Agia Roumeli to Hora Sfakion. This is what we did and we only saw about 15 hikers in 3.5 hours. We had the Samaria gorge to ourselves and it was fantastic. We travelled to Agia Roumelli by taking a taxi boat from Hora Sfakion to Loutro and then hiked for about 6 hours to Agia Roumeli. See the next section for details of this hike. It's also possible to take a ferry from Hora Sfakion to Loutro and Agia Roumeli. We reached Agia Roumeli at 18.00 after most of the Samalia Gorge hikers had departed on the 17.30 ferries. We had a good dinner and night's sleep at the Calypso Hotel . We started hiking at 06.30 the next morning and reached the entrance to Samaria gorge just before 07.00. We were the first people to enter the Samaria gorge and there was no one else in sight. We walked up to the narrow "Iron Gates" part of the Samaria gorge frequently stopping for photos. The Iron Gates are where the Samaria gorge is only 3 metres wide. We still hadn't seen any other hikers and had the Samaria gorge to ourselves. After the Christos rest area one hiker passed us. We continued hiking up the Samaria gorge for another half an hour before turning back. I think we had enough time to hike to the abandoned Samaria village but Lani's foot was hurting from plantar fasciitis. We passed a group of Italian hikers on the way back. We got back to the Calypso hotel at 10.00 where we had breakfast. Then after a stroll around Agia Roumeli we took the 11.30 ferry to Hora Sfakion. The voyage was very scenic and enjoyable as there were few people on the ferry. It would be a different matter on the 17.30 ferry packed with hikers! We were both very pleased that we had hiked part of the Samaria gorge and really enjoyed our stay at Agia Roumeli and the hike from Loutro to Agia Roumeli . I highly recommend both hikes. Path from Agia Roumeli to Samaria Gorge Cafe before the entrance to Samaria Gorge Ticket office at entrance to Samaria Gorge in Crete Start of Samaria Gorge in Crete The "Iron Gates" at Samaria Gorge Christos Rest Area at Samaria Gorge Up the Samaria Gorge from the Christos rest area Up the Samaria Gorge from the Christos rest area Up the Samaria Gorge from the Christos rest area Up the Samaria Gorge from the Christos rest area Up the Samaria Gorge from the Christos rest area The bus from near the Samaria Gorge checkpoint to Agia Roumeli Agia Roumeli Beach at Agia Roumeli Ottoman castle high above Agia Roumeli View from ferry between Agia Roumeli and Hora Sfakion View towards Marmara and Finix from the ferry Loutro to Agia Roumeli Hike Hike between Agia Roumeli and Loutro Hike 24 in the Rother Walking Guide is from Agia Roumeli to Loutro and it states that it takes 5 hours. We decided to do the hike the other way around so we could spend the night at Agia Roumeli and hike part of the way up the Samaria Gorge the next day. It's possible to start this hike in Hora Sfakion but I thought that the hike from Loutro to Agia Roumeli would be long enough in the heat. Also the first part of the route from Hora Sfakion to Loutro is on the road. An Anendyk ferry  departs Hora Sfakion for Loutro at 09.30 but as we wanted to leave earlier we took a water taxi  for Eur 45. There is paid parking along the port road and there were plenty of parking spots when we arrived. A man on a motor bike came to collect the parking fee of Eur 5 for 24 hours. When we returned the next day he collected another Eur 5 as we had stayed longer than 24 hours. It was only a 10 minute boat ride to the small village of Loutro. The village is now popular and has expanded over recent years. There are quite a few hotels and 2 narrow beaches. Loutro was very nice even though the narrow waterfront was busy. There is a ruined Venetian Castle to the west of Loutro's harbour and the trail to Agia Roumeli goes past it. We didn't go that way and instead climbed up to the better preserved Ottoman fortress above Loutro. From the Ottoman fortress we descended down to the hamlet of Finix. The trail had been well marked until about Finix but the section after that to Lykos, and towards Marmara, wasn't well marked as road construction has interfered with the trail. I wished I had downloaded the trail onto my phone but we did manage to follow the trail with difficulty. Both Finix and Lykos have small hotels. From Lykos it doesn't look like the trail can continue along the steep coastal cliffs but it does! It involves a bit of minor scrambling and there are some chains to assist. After 1.5 hours of walking from Loutro we reached the pretty small beach at Marmara. We had a drink in the taverna that overlooked Marmara beach. They have sun umbrellas and sun loungers on the beach and it looked very pleasant. It was tempting to have a swim but we still had a long way to hike. There is a little chapel on the hill above Marmara and from there it was a 3 hour hike to the next taverna at the beach by the Byzantine chapel of Agios Pavlos. Unlike the previous section of the hike there was some shade along the trail from pine trees. We stopped for a picnic lunch on the way. We had run out of water by the time we reached Agios Pavlos and it looked as if the taverna was closed. We were relieved to find it was open and stopped for a drink and a swim. It was still very hot when we left at 16.30 and the owner of the taverna advised us to wait until it had cooled down and to take plenty of water. We didn't wait any longer but luckily bought more water. On the final stretch to Agia Roumeli Lani suffered from the heat and we had to stop several times. Just before Agia Roumeli the trail wasn't clear and we walked along the seafront avoiding barbed wire. The trail is in fact a bit inland. We reached our hotel in Agia Roumeli at 18.00. Agia Roumeli was very quiet as most of the Samaria gorge hikers had taken the 17.30 ferries to Sougia and Hora Sfakion. Our room in the Calypso Hotel  had a great shower and after cleaning up we had supper at the hotel and a wander around peaceful Agia Roumelli. It had been a very enjoyable day and I highly recommend the hike. I really like the coastline from Paleochora to Hora Sfakion in south west Crete. A similar great coastal hike is from Paleochora to Sougia (see section 2.7 of my 2025 Crete Travel Guide ) . Parking at harbour in Hora Sfakion The boat from Hora Sfakion to Loutro View from boat to Sweetwater beach Loutro Beach at Loutro Ottoman castle above Loutro Looking down to Loutro Approaching Finix A bit of a scramble between Finix and Marmara Marmara Beach Chapel above Marmara beach View between Marmara and Agios Pavios beach in Crete View between Marmara and Agios Pavios beach in Crete Agios Pavlos Chapel Agios Pavlos Chapel Beach at Agios Pavlos Waterfront at Agia Roumeli