Best things to do in Kali Limenes in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Kali Limenes is a seaside village on the south coast of Crete, set in the Asterousia Mountains about 75 km south-west of Heraklion. Kali Limenes means “Good Ports”, and it is one of the few stretches of the Asterousia coast reached on asphalt rather than on a dirt track. The oil tanks of SEKA stand offshore on the islet of Mikronisi, which local people call “Apostle Paul”, and they are the first thing most visitors notice on arrival.
Heraklion (HER) is the nearest airport. The village suits walkers, swimmers and anyone following the early Christian sites of the Asterousia, because 6 beaches, 2 gorges and a Roman harbour site all lie within 5 km of it.
Things to do in and around Kali Limenes
6 outings lie within 5 km of the village, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Swim at the village beach. The shore sits 0.6 km from the centre, and our Kali Limenes beach page covers the approach roads and what the cove is like.
- Walk down to Stena. The bay lies 500 m west of Kali Limenes at the end of a 400 m downhill dirt road, beneath the church and cave of Saint Paul, where scripture places the Apostle during his journey to Rome. A large rock stands in the middle of the cove with a narrow strip of water around it, which is how Stena got its name, the Greek for “strait”.
- Hike the Agiofarago Gorge down to the sea. The gorge starts 2.1 km away below the Panagia Odigitria Monastery and ends at Agiofarago beach, and the path along the flat stream bed is easy going despite the vertical cliffs and caves on either side. Agiofarago means “Gorge of Saints”, after the hermits who settled it, and the gorge passes a climbing field shortly before the shore.
- See the ancient harbour of Lasaia. The site stands 2.3 km east of the village on the ground of the Roman-era port of Lassea, which served Gortys, the capital of Crete and Libya at the time, and drew its wealth from copper. Saint Paul called at Lasaia during his time on Crete.
- Follow the Martsalo Gorge. The ravine runs for about 2 km from the Aginara region down to Martsalo beach, and a short trail from the nearest dirt road reaches the church of Panagia Martsaliani, an early Christian building thought to have served as a catacomb. Hermit cells cut into the rock surround the church, and the descent into the gorge bed from there is straightforward.
- Visit the Odigitria Monastery. The Panagia Odigitria Monastery sits 4.6 km from Kali Limenes above both gorges, and the Odigitria prepalatial cemetery lies 4.8 km out, which makes the two a single stop.
Beaches in and around Kali Limenes
Kali Limenes has its own beach and 5 more within 5 km. The two nearest sit either side of the village; the rest need a dirt road, a rough track or a gorge walk to reach.
- Kali Limenes is 0.6 km from the centre, the village shore, and the one beach here served by an asphalt road.
- Stena lies 500 m west, a secluded bay of fine pebbles under the cave of Saint Paul, split by a large rock in the middle of the cove.
- Agiofarago sits 2.3 km away at the mouth of the Agiofarago Gorge, a pebble cove with deep blue water, towering cliffs, the chapel of Agios Antonios, a natural sea arch and no facilities at all. Reach it on foot through the gorge or by boat.
- Martsalo is 2.9 km away in the western Asterousia, a few kilometres from Cape Lithino, reached by a rough track to the gorge entrance and then a 2 km walk south.
- Krigi lies 4.1 km along the coast.
- Vathi is 4.9 km away, the furthest of the group.
Agiofarago carries no facilities of any kind, so take water, food and shade for that one. Martsalo and Stena both end in a walk, so wear shoes you can manage a rough track in.
Where to eat in Kali Limenes
Eating in Kali Limenes means the handful of places in the village itself, and both of the ones we cover stand within half a kilometre of the centre.
- Panorama Tavern stands 100 m from the centre.
- Palmetis Café Snack Bar is 400 m out.
Getting to Kali Limenes
Drive to Kali Limenes from Pompia village, across the Messara plain and on through Pigaidakia. The road is asphalted the whole way, but narrow and full of sharp turns, so allow more time than the distance suggests. A dirt road from the Odigitria Monastery gives a second way in, and it pairs with a visit to Agiofarago.
Heraklion lies 75 km to the north-east and has the nearest airport. Two south-coast villages sit closer for supplies and a change of scene: Matala, 8.3 km away, known for the man-made caves in its seafront cliffs, its sandy town beach and the hippie community that lived in those caves in the 1960s and 1970s, and Pitsidia, 9.5 km away, an inland village of about 700 people at 80 m elevation, reckoned the oldest in the southwest of the Heraklion region.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Kali Limenes in Crete?
Kali Limenes is on the south coast of Crete, in the Asterousia Mountains about 75 km south-west of Heraklion. The village faces the Libyan Sea and is one of the few points on this coast reached by asphalt road.
What does Kali Limenes mean?
Kali Limenes means “Good Ports”. The name matches the sheltered water off the village, where the islet of Mikronisi, called “Apostle Paul” locally, carries the oil tanks of SEKA.
Does Kali Limenes have a beach?
Kali Limenes has its own beach 0.6 km from the centre, and 5 more lie within 5 km. Stena is 500 m west down a short dirt road, Agiofarago 2.3 km away through a gorge, Martsalo 2.9 km, Krigi 4.1 km and Vathi 4.9 km.
How do you get to Kali Limenes?
Drive from Pompia through the Messara plain and Pigaidakia. The route is asphalted but narrow and full of sharp turns. A dirt road down from the Odigitria Monastery is the alternative, and it suits anyone combining the village with Agiofarago.
Can you walk to Agiofarago beach from Kali Limenes?
Agiofarago beach is reached only on foot through the gorge or by boat. The gorge entrance lies 2.1 km from Kali Limenes, and the path follows a flat stream bed, so the walk itself is easy. Carry water, because the beach has no facilities.
Where Kali Limenes is
Best things to do in Kali Limenes in 2024 is located at Kali Limenes. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
