Xercambos Beach Crete

The beautiful Crete Island will never cease to amaze you and offer you places and landscapes so different from each other that at times you will feel like you are from another part of Greece.

Today we want to talk about the Xerocambos area, one of the oldest and most remote of this wonderful land. We find it in the province of Lassithi the easternmost part of Crete, right at its end. Just to give you an idea, the picturesque Agios Nikolaos village is about one hundred kilometers away, the town of Sitia forty-seven and Ierapetra another pearl at seventy.

To reach the area it is necessary to have your own vehicle and the best choice is certainly a car, because of little or no public connections. Its name means "dry plain" as for many years and still today, however, the entire territory looks like an arid place made up of spectacular coves enclosed in steep rocky mountains with some splash of Mediterranean scrub, canyons, natural caves, a few palm trees and some olive trees. Xerocambos is one of the oldest settlements in Crete, first recorded in 1583 during the period of Venetian domination.

There are many beaches that you can find in this isolated and lonely part of the island, there are something for all tastes, but the atmosphere is common to all of them with that exotic Middle Eastern flavor. Pebble beaches, fine gravel, white sand and even clay is what you can find in Xerocambos.

Do not miss a visit to Agia Irini Beach, a tiny village that comes alive only in winter for the olive harvest. A small cove with pebbles and a sea with crystal clear and transparent waters. It can only be reached on foot via a path that passes between the bed of a dry river surrounded by wild oleanders. Obviously it is not equipped but you will find a hut where you can improvise a rudimentary bbq. For snorkelers, in the cliff on the right side of the beach there are sea caves to be explored.

We continue with the Ligia Lakkos Beach in front of which there are the three rocks of Kavali, a group of islets called Anavatis (in Greek knight), Kavallos and Kefali (in Greek head). From the port of Xerocambos about a hundred meters away is the small bay made of fine gray pebbles with high mountains behind and some tamarisk trees to shelter from the hot Hellenic sun.

We continue with Mazzida Ammos beach, the largest and with a tropical taste in the Xerocambos area just behind Capo Trachilos. Soft white sand, washed by an intense turquoise sea with clean and clear waters, a real paradise! Looking east you can see the island of Koufonisi. It is equipped with some sun beds and umbrellas.

We then arrive at the Gerontolakkos Beach also called Agios Nikolaos because of the chapel dedicated to him just above the white lime hill with a blue dome. Soft sand, clear waters and gentle dunes with some Mediterranean scrub shrubs and rock formations where you can have fun snokeling. If you are a lover of archeology, the remains of the ancient city of Ambelos from the Hellenistic period are within walking distance.

Just after Gerontolakkos beach, there is Argilos beach and the name already suggests why. It will certainly not be difficult to find people completely covered with clay that with its beneficial properties proclaims the natural spa par excellence. Here, too, a screaming turquoise sea with crystal clear waters.

Finally we arrive at the isolated Alona Beach and reachable only on foot or by boat. An expanse of light, almost white sand surrounded by sun-baked rocks. Needless to say, nothing reigns here and everything is wild and intact as it was at its origin. If you decide to spend the day here, bring everything from something to shelter from the sun to water and food. A haven of tranquility and relaxation.

The salt lake of Alatsolimni. It is located east of the village of Xerokambos about five hundred meters and it is a large salt lake that goes dry during the summer months while in winter it is flooded by the sea forming a small lagoon making it the perfect habitat for hundreds of migratory birds such as hawks, herons, flamingos that stop until the strong winds calm down. Facing the lagoon, a beautiful soft sand beach with very shallow waters, ideal for those who love seclusion and solitude. The best time to visit is spring when the lake still has water and the area is filled with colorful flowers. In Alatsolimni there are also natural salt pans so much so that the locals also call the area Alykes which in Greek means precisely salt pans.

Katsounaki beach which is located just after Alona beach, of sandy dunes shaped by the winds and which every moment change shape where the delicate sea lilies grow. A remote and wild coast made of low Mediterranean scrub, jagged cliffs and completely exposed to the sun. Access to the water is difficult due to the stone slabs but just to see the delicate flowers it is worth a visit.

About ten kilometers away you can visit Kato Zakros an important archaeological site which in the Minoan period was one of the four most important administrative centers of Crete. In addition to the ruins, you can enjoy its beautiful beach, or stop in one of the typical taverns of the town where you can taste excellent fresh fish and ancient local recipes. And again for trekking enthusiasts, cross the Zakros Gorge also known as the Gorge of the Dead where on the walls you can see the burial places of the Minoan period through a path between the wild and primitive nature of Crete.

Five kilometers from Kato Zakros there is one of the largest caves in Crete, the Pelekita Cave with a length of 310 meters with stone blocks that alternate with stalactites and stalagmites to then end up in a small lake where they were found traces of human presence from the Neolithic period.

Or you can take a trip out of town and go to visit the Koufonisi Islet where there are the remains of an ancient Roman theater and take a swim in its incredible sea. Obviously, it can only be reached by boat, or by renting a rubber dinghy or looking for Michalis Avgoustinakis in Makrygialos who will take you to your destination with his private boat

.It is also impossible for hikers to miss the Irini Gorge which leads to the village of Hamatoulo, considered the oldest on the island of Crete.

Finally, if you want, you can go north for about forty kilometers, to visit the Toplou monastery, one of the most beautiful, rich and important with collections of Byzantine icons, ancient books and artifacts that tell the history of Crete. Its position also offers a beautiful view over the whole area.

So wherever you are staying, the direction is southeast to the end of the island. From Sitia, for example, you have to take the road that goes to Ierapetra and Ziros. From Ziros you then cross green plateaus and medieval villages until you begin to descend and enjoy a breathtaking view of the Cretan sea.

An area to be discovered and worthy of being included among the things to see in Crete. Do not miss this opportunity, it will be a different vision of the island where nature and history come together giving almost incredible landscapes.