I realize I’m starting right at the end here, but by the time Kyle and I finished what ended up being nearly three weeks of hiking for me in Crete, I needed a cozy place to hang out and a comfortable bed to crash in.
Taverna “To Akrogiala” in Likos, Crete.
Terribly conveniently for me, I found To Akrogiala in the little village of Likos. I’d actually discovered this place a week or more before I stayed here, invited along to play backgammon and in the end staying all night chatting and drinking house wine with a fairly diverse international crowd who happened to be staying there.
Its the sort of place, though, where there’s simultaneously nothing better to do at night but also nowhere else you’d rather be.
Ferry-front view of Likos.
To even describe Likos as a village is to be a bit generous. In all reality its a pair of guesthouses on a sheltered bay only accessible by foot/boat or by a long winding road that crosses up and down several other roads in the back of beyond.
Left: Kyle, my buddy from high school and soccer and Boy Scouts, who now lives in Crete. Right: Pavlos, the manager/owner of the taverna.
In all reality, though, this is part of the charm of the place! Especially considering its about a 45 walk away (and that at a slow pace) from Loutro, one of the tourist highlights of Southern Crete. While that place gets shoulder-to-shoulder tourists in the busy season, Likos still feels a bit undiscovered. According to Pavlos, the amazingly hospitable and inveterately entertaining proprietor of the place, many of the same guests tend to return here every year or two. If I were going back to Greece, especially with a significant other of some sort, I would definitely make heading back that way a priority.
Of course, time spent at Likos need not all be about R&R. If you ever grow tired of sun chairs and hammocks, there are plenty of beautiful walks along the coast or up tremendous gorges. This is still Crete, after all! And when you get back, Pavlos sells (and harvests from his own bees) some of the tastiest honey I’ve ever tried. No lie.
Thyme honey… try it now. Kyle bought a half liter jug to take home, and I envied him the ability to store it and enjoy it.
That’s all on Crete for now; more to come on those coastal walks and mountain gorges!
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Despite what you might expect, Pavlos and his family provided no sort of sponsorship or consideration of any kind in exchange for this post. I just liked this place that much and think you probably would too!
, they'll send a little bit my way at NO extra cost for you.