Useful Information

Getting to Agia Roumeli

The village of Agia Roumeli is not connected to the road network so your only options to get there are on foot or by boat.

Walking

You can walk to Agia Roumeli through the gorge of Samaria (4-5 hours of walking time) or along the South coast (5 hours from Loutro, 7 hours from Hora Sfakion, 3 hours from Agios Ioannis, over 12 hours from Sougia)

Ferryboat

A more common way to get to us (if you have luggage) is to come by boat from one of the South coast ports. You can check timetables and prices here.

Taxi boat

We can arrange a private taxi boat from/to Hora Sfakion for Euro 70 per trip.

Public buses

Crete has a reliable network of public buses. The nearest road heads to Agia Roumeli are Sougia and Hora Sfakion. Both are connected by buses to Chania. You can see their timetables at their web site.
If you come by public bus from Heraklion you will need to change in Vrysses in order to catch a bus to Hora Sfakion. Make sure that the bus you take is marked as stopping in Vrysses in the timetable.

Taxis

It is very easy to pick up a taxi at both airports (and in any city) but if you want to pre-book a taxi transfer to Hora Sfakion we recommend a local company Amiradakis Taxis. They are friendly, efficient and generally a little cheaper than most non-Sfakian taxis.

Hire cars

Hiring a car is cheap in Crete and there is a huge choice of good local companies easily found on the internet. But note that Agia Roumeli is not accessible by road so if you have a car you will either need to leave it in Hora Sfakion (or Sougia / Paleochora) or you will need to put it on the ferryboat which will cost you more than coming as a passenger only (you can see current prices on the ferryboat company web site).

Airports in Crete

Crete has two airports. The airport of Chania is located closer (75km) to Hora Sfakion (where you may pick up the ferry to Agia Roumeli) than the airport of Heraklion (150km) so if you have a choice of flights it makes more sense to fly to Chania.

Useful things to take with you

Hiking shoes (or good quality trainers if you are comfortable walking with those)
Sandals
Socks
Trekking trousers / pants
Shorts
Beach towel
Swimwear
Lightweight waterproofs (in April, early May and October rain is possible)
Underwear
T-shirts and/or casual shirts
Fleece jacket (for cool evenings in early spring and autumn)
Sunhat
Eyewear - sunglasses
Small rucksack 25 to 30 litres capacity
Sun protection (including for lips)
Water bottle
Headtorch / headlamp (in case of power cuts)
Basic First Aid Kit including: Antiseptic cream, painkillers, plasters (band-aids) and blister treatment, insect repellent.
Any medicines that you might need: there is no pharmacy in Agia Roumeli
Camera and batteries

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best time of the year to come?

All the dates we offer are set at a good time for this programme. The 'best time' will depend on your personal preferences. The weather is cooler in April and early May, nature is greener and flowers are more abundant but the sea is colder. June is warmer but things start to dry out. In the autumn the sea is at its best but after the long dry summer there are very few flowers. Here is a good link to explain the weather in Crete.

I am not a good walker. Can I still come?

If you don't walk at all you will miss a lot of what we offer but we can find you some alternatives. Most of the walks are reasonably short but the walk to the village of Samaria (and return of course) on the second day is quite long (about 5 hours walking time). The terrain is stony and some basic fitness is necessary.

I am vegetarian. Will this be a problem?

Nowadays we like our meat (and occasional fish) because we are not as poor as in the past and can afford to eat it. But traditionally meat was a luxury and most of what was cooked was vegetarian. So don't worry, we'll have no problem cooking vegetarian dishes that you can enjoy. Please note that if you need a gluten-free diet it might be a good idea to bring something to eat for your breakfast as we may not have the alternatives you need. If in doubt ask us.

If you are so remote do you have internet connections? I need them for work

The cell phone system is not very good in Agia Roumeli so if you are using cell based internet don't expect a fast connection. We also have free WiFi in our restaurant. It's not very fast but it does the job.