Best things to do in Kissos in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Kissos is a village in the Agios Vasilios area of the Rethymno region, set in the hills of southern Crete 4.1 km from Spili. Kissos sits inland, above the beaches of the Libyan Sea coast and below the Gious Kambos plateau, with a gorge of its own starting 1 km north. Our page for that gorge puts it 34 km south-east of Rethymno.
Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport. Kissos suits walkers and drivers rather than beach holidaymakers: 2 gorges begin within 2 km, a monastery and a winery stand within 1 km, and 7 beaches lie 7 km to 10 km south.
Things to do in and around Kissos
6 outings lie within 5 km of the village, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Visit the village monastery. The Agio Pnevma monastery stands 800 m from the centre of Kissos.
- Taste the local wine. Cedros Winery and Restaurant is 1 km from the village and combines both in one stop.
- Walk the Kissos Gorge. The canyon starts 1 km north of the village and links the Kambos Kissou settlement with the Gious Kambos plateau, a small plateau with varied flora. Its river feeds the Frati Gorge, and the Kissos Gorge holds small waterfalls of 5 m to 7 m that canyoners use and walkers can skirt from the sides without equipment. The walk from the plateau to the first of them takes up to half an hour along the riverbed.
- Follow the Agia Fotia Gorge down to its spring. The route begins 2 km away on the same plateau at 750 m and drops 1.5 km to a spring at 500 m, beside the church of Agia Fotini and an old watermill on the Agia Galini road. The Agia Fotia Gorge is short but densely green, with waterfalls near its upper end.
- Spend a morning in Spili. The village 4.1 km away is built in tiers of stone houses at about 430 m on the slopes of Mount Vorizi, has about 800 residents, and is named after the caves in the mountain above it. Our Spili guide covers the square and the springs.
- Call at the Saint Raphael monastery. The monastery at Spili lies 4.2 km from Kissos.
About the village and its setting
Kissos is a small inland village in the Agios Vasilios province, the mountainous strip of the Rethymno region that runs down to the Libyan Sea. Kissos lies 4.1 km from Spili, the seat of the Agios Vasileios municipality, which is known for the cold water running through its shaded square.
The Gious Kambos plateau above the village shapes much of what there is to do here. Two gorges drain off it, the Kissos Gorge running north of the village and the Agia Fotia Gorge dropping east of Spili, and the plateau itself carries a varied flora at 750 m. A monastery and a winery sit within 1 km of the houses.
Beaches in and around Kissos
Kissos has no beach of its own, because the village sits inland in the hills. 7 beaches lie between 7 km and 10 km south of it on the Libyan Sea coast, most of them part of the long Akoumiani Gialia shoreline that runs down to Cape Mellissa.
- Agia Fotini at Kerames lies 6.9 km away, small pebble beaches around a local port, ringed by large boulders and good for snorkelling. The road down is narrow and poorly paved.
- Ligres sits 7 km away at the foot of Mount Siderotas, a wide beach of rough sand with deep water, undeveloped apart from a few taverns and rooms at its western end.
- Triopetra is 8.5 km away, 2 beaches split by a small peninsula whose 3 rocks standing out of the sea give the place its name, reached on paved roads from Akoumia or Sachtouria.
- Drymiskos begins 8.9 km away, a 3 km run of coves segmented by rocks and reefs, little visited because access is hard, with Amoudi at its western end.
- Preveli follows 9.3 km away, reached on a short trail from Amoudi, where most visitors leave the car.
- Agios Pavlos lies 9.9 km away in a quiet cove with small hotels, taverns and a café bar beside the sand.
- Agios Pavlos Sandhills sit 9.9 km away at Melissa Cape, where the Alatsogremni dunes run down to the water west of the village beach.
Where to eat in Kissos
Eating at Kissos means a short drive rather than a choice of streets. The 2 nearest places sit within 2 km.
- Cedros Winery & Restaurant stands 1 km from the village.
- Taverne Agamemnon is 1.8 km out.
Getting to Kissos
Reach Kissos through Spili, on the roads that cross the island between the north coast and the south. Spili lies roughly 30 km south of Rethymno, and Kissos is 4.1 km further on. The road east of Spili towards Agia Galini passes the spring at the foot of the Agia Fotia Gorge.
Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport. For the coast, the asphalt road down to Agios Pavlos is the easiest of the southern approaches. Triopetra is reached on paved roads from Akoumia or Sachtouria, and Ligres on a poorly maintained asphalt road.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Kissos in Crete?
Kissos is an inland village in the Agios Vasilios area of the Rethymno region, in the hills of southern Crete. Spili lies 4.1 km away, and the Kissos Gorge, 1 km north of the village, is 34 km south-east of Rethymno.
Does Kissos have a beach?
Kissos has no beach, because it sits inland in the hills. 7 beaches lie between 7 km and 10 km south on the Libyan Sea coast, with Agia Fotini at Kerames the nearest at 6.9 km and Ligres next at 7 km.
Can you walk a gorge from Kissos?
The Kissos Gorge begins 1 km north of the village. The walk starts on the Gious Kambos plateau and follows the riverbed to a set of waterfalls between 5 m and 7 m high, which can be passed at the sides without climbing gear. The Agia Fotia Gorge, 2 km away, is a second option and drops 250 m over 1.5 km.
Which airport is nearest to Kissos?
Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport to Kissos. The village lies inland on the southern side of the island, above the Libyan Sea coast.
What is there to do near Kissos?
A monastery, a winery, 2 gorges and the village of Spili all lie within 5 km of Kissos. The Agio Pnevma monastery is 800 m out, Cedros winery 1 km, the Kissos Gorge 1 km north, the Agia Fotia Gorge 2 km and Spili 4.1 km.
Where Kissos is
Best things to do in Kissos in 2024 is located at Kissós. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
