wild life by ghislain69
Stavros's almost circular bay forms a shallow lagoon ideal for children to splash happily and the few tavernas make an ideal lunch stop. Hikers and explorers can leave their vehicle, or the local bus, behind and venture over Zorba's mountain past the cave reputed to be an ancient sanctuary in search of the little documented remains of an ancient settlement about an hour and a half's trek away. The peninsula's lanes form a criss-cross network leading to more rural hamlets and beaches such as Marathi, Loutraki and Tersanas not to mention the local airport and two fine monasteries. The first and most imposing of the monasteries is the seventeenth Century Agia Triada where you can wander at will within its walls whilst the working monks tend their fields and olive groves, to help swell the funds for the restoration programme. A four kilometre drive, past more olives and numerous goats roaming freely to the accompaniment of their tinkling bells, and on up through a cleft in the rocky hillside brings you to the smaller and older monastery of Gouverneto where monks still live and work in a tranquil, if somewhat lonely, setting. From Gouverneto there is a stunning walk, leading firstly to the cave of John the Hermit and on down past the ruined monastery of Katholiko to eventually reach the sea where you can swim from the rocks in a small cove before facing the hike back.
Should you feel the need to leave the Akrotiri peninsula, it is only a short drive to the sophisticated pleasures of Chania or down the winding, panoramic road to dine royally on delicious shrimp and feta omlettes, or maybe splash out on locally caught lobster, in one of Souda's famous fish restaurants.
