Under the common moniker “Hiking routes in the Municipality of Platanias“, a series of weekly organized hikes will commence on Sunday, February 25, 2024. With the help of local communities and cultural organizations, the new hiking routes will once again explore the region’s rich history, beautiful landscapes, and fascinating cultures—goals beyond mere athletic competition.
The Facebook announcement (in Greek) states that the hikes, which will be of moderate difficulty and range from three to ten kilometres in length, will take place on Sundays. The hikes will be announced a sufficient amount of time in advance on the Municipality website, as well as in the media and social media of the Municipality of Platanias. Additionally, the hikes will be accompanied by the Red Samaritans Department Cross of the local department of Kissamos to ensure the safety of the participants.
The first route for this year will take place on Sunday, February 25, in Syrili, Platanias Municipality, with the support of the Syrili Community and the Cultural Association of Syrili – Metochi-Hellenic, with a starting time of 15:15, from the square of the village. It is a 3.5 kilometres long, circular route traversing in a green environment and is considered to be of moderate difficulty. The expected walking duration for this route is up to two hours. The recommendation is to wear light clothing and waterproof hiking shoes, as the terrain might require them after the seasonal rains.
Iannis Malandrakis, the Mayor of Platanias, said that the Municipality recently developed a Network of Hiking Routes with a total length of approximately 130 kilometres, which includes the main points of environmental and cultural interest of Platanias, as well as a significant number of settlements and villages, added to the existing paths through the area’s canyons already highlighted and maintained by local authorities. According to the mayor, the objective of the new Hiking Routes in the Municipality of Platanias is to improve the quality of local tourism offerings by encouraging hiking tourism through the promotion of Crete’s hinterland and, therefore, by bolstering the entrepreneurial spirit of the local community.
Hikers can find maps of the hiking routes in Crete, including those in the Municipality of Platanias, Chania, via Avenza Maps.