Best things to do in Kalon Khorion in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Kalo Chorio is a village on the Istron coast of eastern Crete, about 12 km east of Agios Nikolaos at the southern end of Mirabello Bay. Three bays indent the coastline here, and the village sits 400 m from the largest of them. Our beach pages give the same 12 km from Agios Nikolaos for Voulisma beach and for Istron village, on the road that carries on east towards Sitia.
Sitia (JSH) is the nearest airport. Kalo Chorio is a beach village with archaeology behind it: Voulisma and Agios Panteleimon are minutes away on foot, the Minoan town of Gournia lies a few kilometres east, and Agios Nikolaos, the capital of the Lasithi region, is close enough for an evening out.
Things to do in and around Kalo Chorio
Kalo Chorio has 6 outings within 10 km, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Swim at Voulisma. The Blue Flag beach 400 m from the village is known locally as Golden Beach, and Voulisma shelves gently into shallow turquoise water that suits children and weaker swimmers.
- Visit the Priniatikos tower. The tower stands 600 m from the village centre, and our page on Priniatikos Tower covers it.
- Find the quieter bay at Agios Panteleimon. The beach 400 m away takes its name from a small church nearby, mixes sand with pebble, and Agios Panteleimon draws far fewer people than Voulisma next door.
- Walk to the Vryonisi coves. Three secluded beaches sit in a tiny cove east of Istron Bay, reached on a short walking path and named after the islet of Vryonisi offshore.
- Walk round the Minoan town of Gournia. The excavated town stands on a small hill 5.3 km east, and the archaeological site of Gournia takes its modern name from the stone and wooden troughs found around it. The Minoan name is unknown.
- Spend a day in Agios Nikolaos. The Lasithi capital 7.5 km west is built around Voulismeni Lake on the north-western side of Mirabello Bay, and the centre of Agios Nikolaos rewards a slow walk past shops selling Cretan art, jewellery, embroidery and local produce.
Beaches near Kalo Chorio
Kalo Chorio has 5 beaches within 4 km, and they range from a fully organised Blue Flag bay to a man-made cove that did not appear on maps before 2010.
- Voulisma lies 400 m away, fine golden-white sand in a sheltered cove, 22 km north of Ierapetra. It is fully organised in summer with sunbeds, umbrellas, a beach bar, a lifeguard and showers, and it appears on a great many postcards of Crete.
- Agios Panteleimon sits 400 m away, sand and pebble against turquoise water, named after a small church beside it. Karavostasi beach lies nearby in the western part of the largest gulf here, unspoiled and sandy, with tamarisk, carob and olive trees around it.
- Pilos is 1.5 km away, in a steep bay 1 km east of Istron village and widely called Istron Bay after the hotel above it. The sand, umbrellas, canteen and small boat pier are run by that hotel, but the path from west of it is open to everyone, since no beach in Greece is private.
- Vathi lies 3 km away, a man-made beach of white sand that did not appear on maps before 2010 and cannot be seen from the main road. Its cove is well protected from everything but the occasional easterly, and non-residents of the Daios Cove resort reach it down a concrete path and staircase.
- Gournia sits 3.2 km away, on the coast by the Minoan town and 2 km west of Pachia Ammos. Frouzis beach, 1 km north of the archaeological site, is a pebbly rocky bay with no facilities at all; sea caves and rock pools make the area interesting, though currents bring litter onto the sand.
Inland from Kalo Chorio
Kalo Chorio has 2 hill villages and a monastery within 10 km.
- Faneromeni Monastery stands 3.4 km away, near Gournia.
- Kritsa is 9.1 km away, a traditional town in the hills above Agios Nikolaos, roughly 10 km from that town’s harbour. People come for the frescoes of the Panagia Kera church, for the crafts in the textile shops and folklore collections, and for the walk through the Kritsa gorge.
- Kalamafka lies 9.3 km away, the village beside the Havgas gorge, which runs between the peaks of Megali Korfi at 1,103 m and Kokies at 993 m. The Kapsous stream through it feeds the Kalamavkianos river.
Where to eat in Kalo Chorio
Eating in Kalo Chorio is all within walking distance of the centre, since the village is small and the beaches are a few hundred metres away.
- Mamaloukia & Lotzeta stands 100 m from the centre.
- Valeria Pizza & Pasta is 200 m from the centre.
- Sweety Cafe and Bakery sits 600 m away, for bread and pastries.
- Exochiko lies 2.1 km from the village.
Getting to Kalo Chorio
Kalo Chorio sits on the main road that runs east from Agios Nikolaos towards Sitia, about 12 km out of the town. Ierapetra lies 22 km south, by the figure our Voulisma beach page gives.
Sitia (JSH) is the nearest airport. A car makes the hill villages workable, because Kritsa and Kalamafka are both around 9 km inland in the hills, while the beaches, the Priniatikos tower and the tavernas are all within walking distance of the village.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Kalo Chorio in Crete?
Kalo Chorio lies about 12 km east of Agios Nikolaos on the Istron coast, at the southern end of Mirabello Bay in the Lasithi region of eastern Crete.
Does Kalo Chorio have a beach?
Voulisma beach is 400 m from the village and holds a Blue Flag. Agios Panteleimon is the same distance away and much quieter, and 3 more beaches lie within 4 km.
Is Voulisma beach good for children?
Voulisma shelves gently into shallow, calm water, which makes it easy for children and weaker swimmers. The cove is sheltered, and the beach is organised in summer with a lifeguard, sunbeds, umbrellas and showers.
What is there to see near Kalo Chorio?
The Minoan town of Gournia stands 5.3 km east of Kalo Chorio. The Priniatikos tower is 600 m from the centre, Faneromeni Monastery 3.4 km, and the frescoed Panagia Kera church at Kritsa about 9 km inland.
How far is Kalo Chorio from Agios Nikolaos?
Agios Nikolaos is about 12 km west of Kalo Chorio. The town is the administrative capital of the Lasithi region and sits around Voulismeni Lake on the north-western side of Mirabello Bay.
Where Kalo Chorio Village is
Best things to do in Kalon Khorion in 2024 is located at Kalon Chorion, Crete, Greece. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
