If there is one thing travellers know about Crete, it is this: the island’s most beautiful places often hide at the end of a terrible road.
Today, that finally begins to change.
A 1.6-million-euro rural road improvement project has officially been signed at the Malevizi Town Hall, promising a much-needed upgrade for several mountain and countryside villages that tourists love but often struggle to reach.
For anyone visiting Crete in 2025 and beyond — hikers, road-trippers, food-hunters, nature lovers — this is genuinely big news.
What the Project Actually Means for Travellers
The contract includes the delivery of 13,000 m³ of ready-mix concrete to be distributed to villages across the municipality.
Translated into normal language: rough rural roads that were once ankle-breakers and tyre-killers are about to become passable.
This affects visitors who want to explore:
- small traditional tavernas hidden in mountain villages
- local wineries and olive mills
- hiking areas above Fodele, Tylissos, and Krousonas
- scenic drives toward Psiloritis
- agricultural valleys and off-the-map settlements
In short: better roads = safer exploration.
And you already know the two golden rules of Crete: Do not hike alone.
Do not drive to remote villages without proper roads.
This project directly improves the second rule.
Extreme Weather Has Changed Everything
Villages in Malevizi have been hit by heavy storms, landslides, and flooding over the past few years.
Local presidents submitted road repair requests totaling five times the approved budget—an indicator of how severe the situation really is.
The 1.6 million euros is not a miracle solution, but it is a start, allowing municipalities to restore the most critical sections first:
- washed-out paths reconnecting villages
- broken farm roads leading to wineries and orchards
- access to trailheads and nature areas
- safety reinforcements after rockfalls
For tourists, this means fewer sudden road closures, fewer detours, and fewer “why is Google Maps sending me into a mountain ravine” moments.
What Visitors Should Expect
While the full network will take longer to fix — after all, Crete’s mountains are not small — travellers can expect:
- Improved stability on rural roads
- smoother access to hidden villages
- safer driving conditions during spring and autumn storms
- better support for agritourism businesses
- new opportunities for hiking routes and local exploration
Think of this as Crete making the countryside more visitor-friendly without changing its personality.
This Upgrade Is Also a Tourist Investment
Most of Crete’s authentic culture lives outside the cities — in places where roads twist like mythology.
By strengthening rural access, the project helps:
- family tavernas stay open
- small producers host visitors
- hikers reach safer trailheads
- eco-tourism routes expand
- villages revive instead of emptying
And that makes Crete more resilient, more accessible, and more welcoming.