Best things to do in Mochos in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Mochos is an inland village in the Heraklion region of Crete, 6.4 km back from the coast at Hersonissos and 3.1 km from the beach at Stalis. The connection with Stalis is an old one: before the 1980s, when Stalis grew into a holiday resort, its beach was used mainly by local people from Mochos. The village keeps a folklore museum 200 m from its centre and a monastery 1.4 km out.
Heraklion airport is the nearest airport to Mochos. The village works as a quiet base inland from a busy coast: 5 beaches lie within 7 km, 2 gorges start within 6 km, and the largest artificial lake on Crete sits 2.5 km away.
Things to do in and around Mochos
Six outings lie within 6 km of the village, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Visit the folklore museum. The museum stands 200 m from the centre, inside the village itself. Reaching the Mochos Folklore Museum needs no car.
- Walk out to the monastery. The monastery of the Virgin Mary Theogennitor stands 1.4 km from the centre of the village.
- See the drowned village at Sfendyli. The village 2.5 km away was submerged by the artificial Aposelemis dam when the project finished in 2012. The dam behind Sfendyli collects water from the Lasithi Mountains, holds more than 30,000,000 m3 and forms the largest artificial lake on the island, and the ground around it has turned into a wetland that shelters several bird species.
- Swim at Stalis. The beach 3.1 km from the village is long and sandy, with shallow, gently sloping water, sunbeds, tavernas and water sports. Stalida beach counts among the more family-friendly beaches in the Heraklion area, and the resort behind it takes its name from the verb stalizo, a place of rest, after the shepherds who once rested their flocks here.
- Walk the Embasa Gorge. The gorge runs about 2 km from the village of Kato Kera in the Pediada province to a point near Gonies, 5.1 km from Mochos. The upper part of Embasa, also called Apotyposi, is steep enough to throw several waterfalls in winter, the tallest about 20 m and the largest splitting into smaller cascades. Each one can be reached without equipment by going round the side, and starting from Gonies makes them easier still.
- Follow the Roza Gorge. The gorge 5.8 km away is a branch of the larger Ambelos Gorge and starts near the Panagia Kera Kardiotissa monastery in the Ano Kera area. Precipitous drops make the riverbed of Roza impassable, so a well-marked trail runs along the sides instead, past geological formations and walls whose pinkish colour, roz in Greek, gave the gorge its name.
Beaches near Mochos
Mochos has no beach of its own, because the village sits back from the coast. Five beaches lie within 7 km, on the run of shore between Hersonissos and Malia.
- Stalida lies 3.1 km away, about 30 km east of Heraklion, long sand with shallow water and a full set of sunbeds, tavernas and water sports in front of the resort.
- Malia sits 4.6 km away, the eastern end of a 6 km bay that begins at Stalis, fine sand and shallow clear water in front of the town, and one of the busiest resort beaches in the Heraklion area.
- Drapanos is 4.6 km away, the coves running east from Hersonissos port to Cape Drapanos. Star Beach is the busiest of them, and the small sandy and pebbly coves further east are quieter, some of them cooled by freshwater springs in the sea.
- Hersonissos lies 6.3 km away, calm for this coast because Cape Sarandaris shields the beaches west of the port, while the organised sandy beach east of the port is the busiest part of the resort.
- Potamos sits 6.3 km away and about 3 km east of Malia, a long, well kept sandy beach named after the river beside it. The Malia wetland and the Minoan palace keep its eastern end undeveloped, and it stays calmer than the main Malia beach.
Where to eat near Mochos
Most of the restaurants and cafés we list around Mochos sit about 3 km from the village. The list below runs from the closest outwards.
- Kimbo Cafe and Mylonas Bakery is 2.8 km from the village.
- Katerina Traditional Greek Restaurant stands 3 km out.
- Cretan Family Gyros & Crepes lies 3.1 km out.
Getting to Mochos
Mochos lies inland from the resorts between Hersonissos and Malia, so the approach turns off the coast road. Heraklion airport is the nearest airport to the village, and Heraklion city is about 30 km west of Stalis on the same coast.
The coast resorts are the closest places with a full range of services. Stalis sits 3.1 km away and is built along a single coastal road with shops, tavernas and hotels on both sides, Malia town 3.9 km, Krassi village 5.4 km and Hersonissos 6.4 km.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Mochos in Crete?
Mochos lies in the Heraklion region of Crete, 6.4 km inland from Hersonissos and 3.1 km from Stalis. The village sits back from the north coast, inland from the resort strip that runs from Hersonissos to Malia.
Does Mochos have a beach?
Mochos is an inland village with no beach of its own, but 5 lie within 7 km. Stalida, 3.1 km away, is the closest, and it was a local beach for Mochos before the resort grew.
Which airport is closest to Mochos?
Heraklion airport is the closest airport to Mochos. Heraklion city lies west along the north coast, about 30 km from Stalis below the village.
What is there to do in Mochos itself?
Mochos has a folklore museum 200 m from its centre and a monastery 1.4 km out. Everything else is a short drive: the Aposelemis dam 2.5 km away, the beach at Stalis 3.1 km, and 2 gorges within 6 km.
Can you walk a gorge near Mochos?
Two gorges start within 6 km of Mochos. The Embasa Gorge runs 2 km from Kato Kera towards Gonies and carries winter waterfalls up to about 20 m, while the Roza Gorge is walked on a marked trail along its sides because the riverbed drops too steeply to follow.
What is the lake near Mochos?
The Aposelemis dam, 2.5 km from Mochos, forms the largest artificial lake in Crete. It was completed in 2012 to supply water and irrigation from Heraklion to Agios Nikolaos, it holds more than 30,000,000 m3 drawn from the Lasithi Mountains, and it submerged the village of Sfendyli.
Where Mochos is
Best things to do in Mochos in 2024 is located at Σταλίδα - Γωνιές, 700 07 Mochlos, Greece. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
