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Since summer 2019 we are operating a base in the south west of the island at Ilingas beach, next to Chora Sfakion village in the magnificent coast of Sfakia, Chania region. This is by far the nicest area to paddle in the whole Chania region.

Crete is the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean and the largest of the islands forming part of modern Greece. It is relatively long and narrow, stretching for 160 miles (260 km) on its east-west axis and varying in width from 7.5 to 37 miles (12 to 60 km).

Sea kayaking in Chania region is divided mainly into 3 sections; the west, the north and the south.
The most exposed in sea conditions is usually the north west while the calmest the south.
The south part been the nicer too. Especially the Sfakia region has a magnificent coast line to paddle with many caves and superb beaches away from the massive tourism.
The less nicer to paddle is the coastline close to the popular city of Chania.

Why go kayaking in Greece? Greece has more than 2,000 islands, of which about 170 are inhabited; some of the easternmost Aegean islands lie just a few miles off the Turkish coast. Greece is bordered to the east by the Aegean Sea, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea, and to the west by the Ionian Sea. Only to the north and northeast does it have land borders. The amount of islands itself is a good reason to go sea kayaking in Greece. Let’s have a detailed look about the whole islands in Greece to get an idea how they are more or less structured.

A Katabatic wind, from the Greek word katabatikos meaning “going downhill”, is the technical name for a drainage wind, a wind that carries high density air from a higher elevation down a slope under the force of gravity. Such winds are sometimes also called fall winds. Katabatic winds can rush down elevated slopes at hurricane speeds (above 100 km per hour).

Crete's climate varies between temperate and subtropical, with an annual average precipitation of about 25 inches (640 mm) and hot, dry summers. Winter temperatures are relatively mild. Mountain air is temperate and cool, and the mountains are often covered with snow in the winter (mid December to May). I During February and March there is so much snow in higher altitude which is very common to do cross country ski!

We are glad that you are interested in taking a kayaking trip with us and spent your holidays in Greece with Enjoy-Crete. Below you will find a list of common questions and other useful information that will help you choosing the right day or multi day / expedition kayaking trip with us.

The Greek sea enjoys the privilege of hosting four species of dolphins: the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), the Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) and the short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis). All dolphins have an echolocation system which they use to orient themselves, to forage and to communicate. Their sociable, playful and romantic communication involves codes that are hard to imagine for a marine mammal.

Public transport in Crete is surprisingly efficient but unfortunately only during the summer months, usually from May to September. The main bus company, KTEL is based in Heraklion (check their web site) with further main bus stations in Agios Nikolaos, Rethymno and Chania (west Crete).

Over the last few years I’ve spend lots of time evaluating various cameras on my guided sea kayaking trips. With almost one sea kayak expedition every month I’m lucky enough to have a large field of practice my photography skills and the various cameras I’ve used over that period.

Waves, wind, kayak hull, paddler height, paddler weight, all must be consider when loading a sea kayak properly for an expedition to the Greek islands and of course else where and of course a proper weather forecast check.