villa liakoto : Activities
- Makriyialos (10-15 mins walk) is the prettiest town on this stretch of coast, with a picturesque fishing harbour, traces of Minoan and Roman settlements, a wide choice of waterfront tavernas and a bustling Friday market (food, clothes, utensils)
- Hikers can explore marked, pine-shaded tracks through the Pefki valley, a few miles east of Makriyialos; climb the rocky 1500-metre summit of Afendis Estravromenos; or trek through the breathtaking Thripti gorge that gashes through its flanks (start from Orino, 30 mins drive away)
- Nearby is a gently sloping, sandy beach with watersports in summer (water skiing, wind surfing, 'banana rides', para sailing and sailboat hire)
- Hire a car and explore the stark and stunning far east of Crete (old maps may not show the new road): start at the sleepy town of Sitia, continue past Toplou monastery (forbidding exterior, welcoming monks), to the tropical palm beaches at Vai (crowded in summer) or Palekastro (less crowded, but less palmy); and don’t miss the breathtaking ‘Valley of the Dead’ and Minoan ruins at Zakros
- The buzzing north-coast town of Ayios Nikolaos, the swanky resorts of Elounda, the leper island of Spinalonga and the mountain plateau of Lasithi are all feasible as day-trips from here
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