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Program Details
Our Cretan Coastal Treks program shares its DNA with our Trails to Tavernas retreats, boasting a traditional island schedule of daily activity in natural settings, followed by long, evening meals that feature healthy food, hospitality, and friendship. The difference is only in the trails—longer, higher, more challenging, and more rewarding to avid hikers seeking extraordinary treks.
Coastal Treks includes famous Cretan traverses like Samaria Gorge & sections of the E4 Trail, while adding a series of lesser known but equally dramatic traverses whose trailheads lie a short ride from our lodgings—the beautiful Villa Koukouvayia Farms overlooking the Aegean Sea. And like the Trails to Tavernas itineraries, at the end of each trail we’ll carry our earned appetites into a fantastic farm-to-table family-run taverna, and end each gorgeous hike with good food and Cretan camaraderie.
We’ve geared this program toward fit and mildly experienced hikers, and there’s no need for elite skills, experience, or extraordinary strength to meet the challenges of these trails. Almost all hikes are short enough to be done with small or no rucksacks; and older hikers will find equal success with the young, as will hiking-families with young children who love traversing natural settings.
Like all CDR retreats, your experience will start with a pick-up at our local airport, a welcome dinner of introductions, and ample time for settling into rooms and relaxing from travel. To ensure a similarly stress-free departure, we’ll end the program with a final celebration dinner, then provide everyone another night of good sleep at Villa Koukouvayia, making sure that folks have an easy departure the next day, with comfortable good-byes and smooth airport drop-offs.
For program days, mornings begin with an early social breakfast on one of Villa Koukouvayia’s sunny verandas, laid out with hot morning beverages, home-made granola, fresh-squeezed juices, and baked goods still warm from one of our village bakeries. We’ll then move to that day’s trailhead, arriving at our destination taverna late afternoon to early evening for a luxurious meal. We’ll end most days with free time for a beach or pool plunge, socializing, quiet independent reflection or all three; followed by optional gatherings on the roof terrace for stargazing, wine, tea, and good conversations about the day’s events and the new paths planned for tomorrow.
One day of the program will feature “walking” the lovely alleys, waterfronts, and markets of Xania’s Venetian Old Town, with a chance to enjoy that evening’s meal along with some live Cretan music. We’ll also leave at least one day unscheduled for individuals or small groups to independently explore the area with an extra (or repeated favorite) hike, other site visits, or to simply relax at Villa Koukouvayia.
If you’re worried about your fitness level for the program and whether you might opt for the easier Trails to Tavernas itineraries, contact us; but don’t worry too much. The Cretan Coastal Treks trail selection excludes traverses exceedingly long or dominated by difficult sections. And as with all our fitness-focused retreats, we will pace activity to build stamina as we all progress, and as our bodies and souls recharge from lying fallow during the years Covid kept us inactive and isolated. And finally, we will not only adjust the overall itinerary to meet group-needs and desires once everyone’s here but will choose hikes with access points en route which—should a participant reach his/her limit—can easily serve as an early endpoint without cutting the walk short for others.*
In short, this program, like our Trails to Tavernas retreats, will help you exceed yourselves, even if over the past few years your bodies may have plumped, or stiffened, and your moods grown a bit grouchy. Join us, and let these beautiful trails and their vistas inspire you, and put the sound of “joy” back into your “joints!”
*Note: If you seek more challenging trail experiences, see our higher-level Advanced Cretan White Mountain retreat for elite, experienced mountain trekkers.
Program Length: 10 Days, 10 Nights
Minimum Participants (for program confirmation): 6 by July 2nd, 2023.
Participant Requirements: Basic health, and a fun attitude 😊
Equipment Needed: At least one good pair of trekking/hiking shoes, and a day-pack. Poles and any other gear specific to your hiking preferences are also recommended.
Supplements & Discounts Available:
$70 Group Signup Discount. (5% per person for every group of 3 or more who sign up together.)
