- The Region of Crete unveiled the Chania Trails concept in Apokoronas.
- Journalists, tour operators, and officials attended a “Fam Trip.”
- The stated goal: make Crete a global hiking hub.
- The real takeaway: another PowerPoint with hiking boots on.
The Island That Will Save the World, One Trail at a Time
Crete has once again discovered that tourists enjoy walking. Thus, the Region of Crete gathered journalists, local officials, and a few patient donkeys in Apokoronas to “present” the Chania Trails — a plan to connect nature, culture, and press releases.
The so-called “Fam Trip” was less about family and more about familiar speeches. A handful of attendees were guided through “selected routes,” which in practice meant strolling between coffee breaks while someone from Paths of Greece nodded wisely about sustainability.
Officials declared that the initiative will turn Crete into a “global reference point” for hiking tourism — as if people are sitting in Oslo wondering, “Where can I find authenticity and altitude?”
Trails, Buzzwords, and the Art of Saying Nothing
Speakers praised “collective effort,” “environmental respect,” and “interconnection of mountainous and coastal settlements.” Translation: no one knows when the trails will actually open.
The Region promised to strengthen “local identity,” a phrase that in Crete usually means repainting a few wooden signs and rediscovering raki as a cultural cornerstone.
Meanwhile, Paths of Greece thanked everyone for the “excellent organization,” proving once again that Greek politeness can survive even the longest PowerPoint presentation.
What we do know:
- The network is still “under design.”
- No completion dates were mentioned.
- No budget figures were shared.
- Everyone smiled for photos.
Still, optimism bloomed like thyme after rain. The speakers left convinced that Crete had just entered the World Hiking Championship, unaware that most locals hike daily anyway — up and down stairs to hang laundry in the wind.
Apokoronas, of course, is breathtaking — olive groves, wild orchids, old stone paths, goats judging you from higher ground. But it deserves more than another round of speeches about “experiential tourism.” It deserves trail markers that exist, maps that work, and maybe, someday, an actual maintenance budget.
Until then, the “heart of hiking tourism” in Crete will keep beating — somewhere between a press conference and a coffee stop.
