Villa Kampani & Villa Likotinara · Apokoronas, Chania
Stone paths between villages that have barely changed in five centuries. Olive groves, Byzantine chapels, valley views down to the sea. The best way to understand Apokoronas is to walk through it — no car needed from either villa.
Apokoronas is the agricultural heartland of western Crete — a landscape of ancient olive groves, terraced hillsides, and villages built in the Middle Ages and barely touched since. The two villas sit within this landscape: Kampani is in the hills above Vamos, Likotinara is tucked into a ridge above the Almyrida valley.
Unlike the gorge walks of the White Mountains or the coastal paths of the south, walking in Apokoronas is village-to-village. Paths follow old mule tracks through the trees. You pass through working farms, past wells and threshing floors, and arrive at a village square where there is almost always a kafeneio open and an old man willing to tell you the name of the mountain you've just come over.
The routes below all start within 5–15 minutes of the villas, require no special equipment, and can be extended or shortened depending on energy and heat. Go early in summer. In spring and autumn, go whenever you like.
October through May. June is manageable early in the morning. July and August — start before 8am or not at all. The olive and almond trees provide shade but not enough in the midday heat.
Good walking shoes (the kalderimi paths are uneven stone). Water — 1.5 litres minimum. Sun hat and sun cream from March onwards. A small pack with a snack. A map downloaded offline — Google Maps works for most of these routes.
Greet everyone you pass — "kalimera" in the morning, "kalispera" in the afternoon. If you walk through a farmyard or an olive grove, you're probably on a right of way — keep going. Accept any offer of coffee at a kafeneio. It will be strong.
All routes are accessible directly from Villa Kampani or Villa Likotinara. Distances and times are one-way unless noted as loops.
The gentlest introduction to Apokoronas walking. From Villa Kampani, follow the old kalderimi (stone mule path) downhill through the terraced olive groves to Douliana — one of the most intact Venetian-era villages in western Crete. The main street is barely three metres wide, lined with 15th-century stone houses and bougainvillea-covered doorways.
In Douliana, stop at the small shaded square where two enormous plane trees meet overhead. There's a single kafeneio — order a Greek coffee and sit for as long as you like. Return via the upper path through the olive terraces for different views on the way back.
Gavalochori is one of the finest villages in Crete for those who want to understand the island's history without visiting a formal archaeological site. The Folklore Museum here is the best of its kind in the Apokoronas region — a private collection of tools, textiles, lace, and agricultural equipment that covers 400 years of Cretan daily life. Opening hours are unpredictable; knock on the door.
The Church of the Metamorphosi at the village edge contains Byzantine frescoes from the 14th century, partially surviving — including a remarkable Last Judgement scene on the west wall. The village itself is known for its silk lace (metsofli), still made by hand by a handful of women who sometimes sell from their doorsteps.
Kefalas sits on a ridge at 320 metres, with views east across the Apokoronas valley and north to the Cretan Sea. From Villa Likotinara, the path climbs steadily through almond and olive trees before emerging at the village square — a wide, shaded terrace with a single old kafeneio that may or may not be open depending on the day and the mood of its owner.
The square itself is flanked by the Church of Agios Ioannis, whose bell tower leans slightly and whose interior is crammed with painted icons. Wander the upper lanes — there are no more than three or four of them — before descending on the north path through the abandoned terraces back towards the villa.
Asfendou is among the least-visited valleys in western Crete. The drive takes 25 minutes from either villa; from the road-end hamlet of Asfendou, a clear path descends into a valley that feels genuinely remote. The silence — broken only by goat bells and the occasional jet of water from an irrigation channel — is complete.
Two Byzantine-era watchtowers survive in various states of ruin along the valley floor, likely built to monitor the mountain passes above. The path continues through ancient olive trees — some with trunks over two metres wide, easily 500 years old — before climbing to the ridgeline hamlet of Asi Gonia, known as the village that resisted the German occupation. Return by the same path or arrange a pick-up from Asi Gonia.
Kokkino Chorio — literally "Red Village" — is named for the iron-rich red clay soil that gives this part of Apokoronas its distinctive character. The village sits just above the coastal plain, and the walk from Villa Likotinara down through the terraces takes about an hour and drops steadily with sea views opening in front of you the whole way down.
The village is small and quiet — a few houses, a small church, a restored communal threshing floor still used in September. The sunset from the church terrace, looking west over the Almyrida bay towards the White Mountains, is one of the finest in western Crete. Arrange a pick-up for the return — the road walk back is uninspiring.
This is not so much a destination walk as a ritual. From both villas, unmarked field paths lead directly into the ancient olive groves that cover the hillsides — some of these trees were already centuries old when the Venetians built the villages above them. Walk any direction and you will find yourself under a canopy of silver-green leaves with the smell of thyme underfoot.
The best version of this walk starts just after sunrise, when the low light comes through the grove from the east and the dew is still on the grass. Bring coffee in a thermos. Go barefoot if the ground is dry. Return in time for breakfast. It is, genuinely, one of the finest ways to start a day in Crete.
Download Organic Maps or Maps.me with Crete loaded offline before you leave the villa. Google Maps misses many of the old kalderimi paths. Anavasi publishes a 1:25,000 map of the Apokoronas region — worth buying at any bookshop in Chania town.
April–October: start by 8am and be done by noon. November–March: go whenever you like — the light in winter is extraordinary and you will have the paths to yourself. The Kefalas ridge walk and Douliana loop are both manageable year-round.
Carry more water than you think you need. Village fountains (kranes) are marked on most maps and the water is safe to drink — Crete's spring water is excellent. Most villages have no shop; Vamos (10 min drive) has everything you need for a packed lunch.
Both villas are in walking distance of olive groves, old kalderimi paths, and village squares. The best base for exploring Apokoronas on foot.
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