Sfakia: The authentic region of Crete

Sfakia, in the southwest of Crete, is the famous and most authentic region of Crete. Here you can find the last pieces of the old Cretan culture and nature, far away from mass tourism. Whether you are looking for the nice and quiet, on the natural beaches, or want to be active, with mountain hiking, swimming, diving and fishing: this is THE place! By the way, did you know Sfakia is Europe's southernmost part?

Nowadays Crete's main businesses are olive oil, wine and tourism. The latter is mainly centered along the North coast. The South West is sheltered from the masses by huge mountain ranges of over 2500 metres high. Only a few roads go south. There you arrive in a better climate region, even better than the Mediterranean climate! Since the mountains appear to sink directly in the sea, only small locations are suitable for villages. This scales down the possibilities for holiday resorts. Since Sfakia is quite remote, also the culture of their inhabitants is less business focused. Hospitality is still an art over here, with good tavernas, fresh fish and meat and very fair prices. The drinking water is mineral water from wells deep into the mountains. The natural beaches are wells of mountain rivers, with sweet water mixing with the sea. The best and most clear swimming water is here.



The hills and mountains are crossed by huge gorges; Sfakia's Samaria gorge is the biggest of Europe, but there are many more and all can be walked fairly easily. A ferry is connecting the villages along the South West coast; there is no noisy ongoing road. Directly from your hotel in Chora Sfakion, the small capital of Sfakia, you can start your daily programme: the beaches are only 25 meters away, more than 20 hiking routes start from here, all ferries come to Chora Sfakion and there is a good bus connection to the East and the North, by renovated 2 lane streets. You can also rent a car to explore the region, with its many small traditional villages.

In the evenings you have a choice of fine restaurants and tavernas, with local dishes of fresh fish, lobster, lam and goat or more international dishes. The Cretan wine is excellent and so is the olive oil and the Raki or Tsikoudia, as they call it: a tasty spirit made from the remains of the wine production. The Sfakians like to join you at your table and tell their stories or listen to yours. For disco and night clubs you have chosen the wrong place.

When you arrive by plane on Crete, you have the choice of 2 airports: Heraklion and Chania. If you have the chance, take Chania. This one is far more close to Sfakia, but even more important: it's small and quiet: check out is very quick and outside you can take the local bus, a pre-ordered taxi from Sfakia or rent a car. A one-and-a half hour's drive through the impressive White Mountains range down south brings you to paradise!

Rising from Minoan Civilization (Part II)

Rarely is a social event conducted outside of a meal in Crete. Food is a tasty, central element in most family gatherings. And, the Cretans have a particular flair for preparing fresh, healthy foods gathered from the vast countryside. Already from the ancient times of the Minoan civilization, Cretans appear to have been aware of the value of food like olive oil, olives, green vegetables, herbs and many other products that are found in the Cretan soil in great abundance.
During their history of many centuries, it is obvious that Cretans based their diet on those products - with cooking recipes preserved to today. But, that doesn't mean that fermented beverages were overlooked. Grape-gathering, wine-making and tsikoudia-making are activities enjoyed in the autumn every year. Wine-making involves crushing the grapes in special stone constructions called "patitiria". This is done by several people taking turns, walking or running in place on top of the grapes. While recovering from their exercise or waiting for their turn, the people consume food and wine. Tsikoudia or "raki" is a strong local drink made from the remains in the patitiria, after most of the grape juice has been removed. This is allowed to ferment and then is distilled. Traditional methods and machinery are still used. The licensed owner of the still will often take time off his regular work to fulfil his function as village distiller in the autumn. Very often this still has been in his family for generations. People who come to make their raki often bring food to barbecue on the fire and the brew is sampled copiously.
The major celebration for the Orthodox Church is Pascha, the Greek Easter. This is celebrated normally after the Roman Easter, due to the use of different calendars for determining this feast's date. Nature is at its most verdant and the green fields, wild flowers, blue skies and sea, and snow-capped mountains all combine to present magnificent scenery. During Holy Week (Megali Evdomada) there are long evening church services attended by large crowds. Good Friday is especially colourful, since the Epitaphi, depicting the burial cloth of Christ, is carried through the streets around the parish boundaries. In the cathedrals of the cities this procession is accompanied by soldiers, priests and the bishop of the area.
On Holy Saturday night, there is the Liturgy of the Anastasi (Resurrection). Just before midnight the lights are extinguished and the people and the priests move outside to continue the liturgy. At the moment of the Resurrection, the Easter Candle is lit (representing Christ as the light of the world) and the flame is passed from person to person to light their individual candles. Each family takes the light back to the house, where a cross is then marked on the doorway with the flame and a feast is waiting. Two of the traditional foods eaten on this night are "magiritsa", a soup made from lamb liver, and hard-boiled eggs dyed red. On Easter Sunday there is another liturgy at noon, but many people have already started their "souvla", lamb barbecued on a spit, and all the sweets being offered now that Lent is over.