Activities & trips

Blue Sky is located in Frangokastello, on the south coast of Crete. Our village is a place of peace and quiet from which you will return home well rested, having been spoilt by the sun, the sea, the good Cretan food and the delicious Cretan wine.

You can explore remote mountain villages or wander through the impressive old town of Rethymnon or Chania, history buffs won’t want to miss the archaeological sites of Knossos or Festos!

You may also be drawn to Loutro by boat or on foot – one of the sunniest walks right along the sea coast, a place that is not accessible by car and whose inviting waterfront gastronomy rewards every day tripper.
A day trip by boat to Gavdos, the southernmost point of Europe, is also worthwhile, a route on which dolphins can often be seen.
On the hikes through magnificent gorges such as Imbros, Aradena and Kalikratis gorge, you will encounter few tourists, but goats and special flora in a breathtakingly beautiful natural setting.

Active travellers can also rent a boat from us, for which no boat licence is necessary, explore the beautiful coastline, fish, dive or simply swim in the turquoise blue water in secluded bays.

Destinations

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Frangokastello and its beaches

Frangokastello is located on the south coast of Crete. It has
extensive, sheltered and gently sloping sandy beaches, and is
scattered around the area of the Venetian castle. The castle was built by the Venetians in 1371-1374 to keep order in the rebellious region of Sfakia, deter pirates and protect the Venetian nobles and their property. The Venetians named the castle after the nearby church of St. Nikitas. Locals, however, call it Frangokastello, which means “Castle of the Franks”.

It is less than 2 minutes’ walk from Blue Sky to the nearest sandy beach. Here you will find clean, crystal-clear, turquoise water, shady little trees and, above all, peace and quiet on the spacious, unspoilt beach.

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Chania and Rethymnon

For a change of pace, visit the beautiful cities in Crete.

Chania is the second largest city in Crete and has a beautiful old town around the Venetian harbour. Here you can stroll through narrow streets, admire the market hall and also discover shopping streets. Museums (e.g. the Naval Museum) and churches are also interesting and within easy walking distance. There is also a water park near Chania that can be visited and ensures a lot of fun.

Rethymnon lies between Chania and Heraklion and is also worth a trip to visit the small old town, the Fortetsa fortress and the Arkadi monastery.

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Heraklion and excavation sites

Heraklion is the largest city in Crete and also the capital of the island. Here you can see the Venetian loggia, the harbour with fortress, museums, the market and shopping streets.

Knossos is located near Heraklion and is the largest Minoan palace found to date.

The palace of Festos is situated above the Messara plain, has not been restored and has a magnificent location.

Rent a boat

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Explore Crete from the sea

You can rent a boat with us and explore the south coast.

You can reach Marble Beach, Plakias or Preveli Beach with a rental boat. You can also explore small villages like Loutro, which are inaccessible by car. On the way you will see many small, untouched bays, maybe a turtle, lots of fish and beautiful shells.

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Hiking

Bring your hiking boots and walk through Crete’s magnificent gorges! Besides the Samaria Gorge, there are many opportunities to hike in our area. Walk with the whole family through the impressive Imbros Gorge, or hike up to the plateau of Kallikratis through the Kalikratis Gorge, where you will encounter almost no people – but many sheep. Enjoy the wonderful view from above over our vast plain.

For the brave, there is the Aradena Gorge which ends at the Marble Beach. From there, take a boat that brings you back to Choras Sfakion via Loutro.

Or you can climb Pachnes (2454m) where there is still some snow well into summer. The path to the summit resembles a lunar landscape and up there you have a spectacular view.