Good walking weather set us searching for our well used book, Circular Walks in East Crete. My annotation let me know it’s seven years since we did the walk, passing ruins of a cheese factory and many windmills. Even though this is a short walk, just under 2.5 miles be aware of overgrown paths, and a steep ending.

For driving directions from Elounda to the start Click Here 

To view the map of our walk, Click Here

We left Elounda, drove through Plaka and up hill to pass Vrouhas and Selles. The next village is Kato Loumas where we parked near the first church. As we drove through Elounda we spotted Kritsa friends Hilary and Phil, so it wasn’t too surprising to hear them toot their car horn as they passed by while we were donning our walking boots.

The walk starts in the alley next to the church.

 

Turn right by the ruined mill, right fork at the V junction and along a walled track. Lets’s ignore the ominous clouds building up!

 

Turn right along a concrete track then follow the walled path downhill, the first part is very overgrown. At the bottom of the hill is the old cheese factory and church. While under Turk rule, locals saved themselves from extreme taxes by giving their land to the church. In return, the church charged a tithe for use of the fields. Goat and sheep milk was turned to cheese here as it was easier to transport cheese rather than liquid milk. After Turk rule, land was returned to the original owners.

We were happy to find a key to the church but couldn’t get in, the lock needs WD40!

 

Carry on along a clear path to a very large well, an excellent rest stop for a flask of coffee. The track continues beyond the well, now heading east. The flower is mandrake and, as all Harry Potter fans will know, is a key ingredient in a potion to restore a person from a petrification spell. After the mandrake I laughed at this gurning rock, surely a candidate for a dose of the magic potion.

On the skyline the wind turbines above Plaka were spinning in the freshening breeze. The many ruined windmills along our route show the same technology is still going strong.

 

I loved seeing inside of this windmill,  the wooden gearing is remarkably intact. We needed the pause as afterwards it was uphill all the way. Where the tarmac road winds up we followed the walled path to cut across it, making it a shorter, but steep climb. The windmill now being used to store agricultural equipment is the first we saw…turn left and the alley emerges at Kato Loumas.

Hilary and Phil must have completed their trip before us and passed by again. I knew it was Hilary, no one else I know would leave a chocolate biscuit tied to our car handle, yum!

We decided to enjoy our soup lunch in the car, and we knew the right spot above Plaka…

Did the walk do you good? The weather forecast is getting better, I feel another walk coming on.