Best things to do in Kokino Horio village in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Kokkino Chorio is a traditional village on the Drapanokefala peninsula in the Chania region of Crete, about 24 km east of Chania by road. The village stands above the south shore of Souda Bay and keeps its old architecture and narrow lanes. Three churches serve it, and the main one, St Haralambos, is still in regular use. Kokkino Chorio is also written Kokino Horio in English.
Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport. The village is for walking and swimming: caves and ground formations sit all around it, the coastline northwest of the houses makes a good stroll, and the 1964 film Zorba the Greek was shot here.
Things to do in and around Kokkino Chorio
Kokkino Chorio has 6 outings in the village or within 2 km of it, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Walk the village lanes. Narrow roads and traditional houses make up most of the settlement, and our fuller guide to Kokkino Chorio village covers what stands where.
- Look in at St Haralambos. The main church of the village is one of three here and is always in use.
- Find the Zorba the Greek locations. The village was a setting for the 1964 film, which did a great deal to bring Crete to the attention of travellers.
- See the wartime shelters on Drapanokefala hill. German forces cut cavernous shelters into the hill during the Second World War to guard Souda Bay below.
- Explore the caves. The caves of Petsi and Katalimata lie among the ground formations around the village, and the Elephants’ Cave and Petsis Cave sit near the shore at Koutalis.
- Dive from Koutalis. The cove 1 km north of the village is secluded enough that local scuba divers use Koutalis beach as their starting point for the sea caves along this coast.
Beaches near Kokkino Chorio
Kokkino Chorio has 5 beaches within 5 km, along the south shore of Souda Bay and around Cape Drapanos. They split between sandy family bays and rocky coves with deep water.
- Koutalis lies 1.6 km away, also called Koutalas, near Cape Drepano and 25 km east of Chania. The stretch is known for its caves and stays fairly secluded.
- Almyrida sits 2.2 km away, two shallow sandy beaches 23 km east of Chania that stay calm enough for children on windless days. Tavernas, sunbeds and a watersports centre back the sand, a rocky peninsula topped by a white chapel divides the two bays, and the uninhabited islet of Karga lies offshore.
- Kera is 3.5 km away, soft sand with the odd pebble under tall cliffs, roughly 20 km east of Chania near Kalives and Plaka. The sea is shallow and clear, the beach is unorganised, and an elongated rock offshore at the west end is called Karavos, meaning ship, because of its shape.
- Ombros Gialos lies 4.3 km away, a small rocky bay on the east coast of the peninsula, 26 km east of Chania near Kefalas and Paleloni. Its harbour dock drops straight into deep blue-green water, and one well-known fish tavern stands by it.
- Kalives sits 4.5 km away, two sandy shallow beaches called Xidas and Maistrali either side of the Xidas river. Both are well equipped and both are open to northern winds, and the river water mixing with the sea’s many springs lowers the water temperature here.
Villages and gorges around Kokkino Chorio
Kokkino Chorio has 4 more Apokoronas villages within 5 km.
- Plaka lies 1.3 km away, on a hill 70 m above the sea with a wide view over Souda Bay. It has tavernas, bars, a grocery store and a kafeneion, and its residents still farm, keep stock and fish as well as work in tourism.
- Almirida sits 2.3 km away, the village at Almyrida beach, in country of olive groves and open fields.
- Gavalohori is 3.4 km away, inland from the coast road.
- Kalyves lies 4.8 km away, a coastal resort in a green valley crossed by the Xidas and Mesopotamos rivers. Its name means “huts” in Greek, after the rough shelters farmers once built for summer nights in the fields.
The district has 2 gorges inland from this coast. The Diktamos gorge starts near Katochori at 300 m and finishes 8 km east at Faragi village near Stylos, and its stream feeds the Kiliaris river, which reaches the sea at Kalives beach. The Diplohahalo gorge is a purely technical canyon on Akrotiri Cape near Chordaki, with six descents and a 38 m waterfall.
Where to eat near Kokkino Chorio
Eating options cluster in the villages either side of Kokkino Chorio, the nearest just over a kilometre away and a longer run of tavernas and bars around Almyrida.
- Una Faccia Una Razza sits 1.2 km from the village.
- Harokopos Traditional Taverna is 1.3 km away, at Plaka.
- Riviera Restaurant lies 1.5 km from the village.
- Eleonoras Taverna sits 2 km from the village.
Getting to Kokkino Chorio
Kokkino Chorio sits about 24 km east of Chania by road: our Koutalis beach page puts that cove 25 km east of the city, and Koutalis lies 1 km north of the village.
The village belongs to the Apokoronas district, out on the peninsula that closes the eastern side of Souda Bay near Cape Drapanos. Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport. A car is worth having here, because the beaches, the caves and the neighbouring villages are spread over a few kilometres of small roads.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Kokkino Chorio in Crete?
Kokkino Chorio lies about 24 km east of Chania, on the Drapanokefala peninsula above the south shore of Souda Bay, in the Apokoronas district of the Chania region.
Was Zorba the Greek filmed in Kokkino Chorio?
Yes, the village was a setting for the 1964 film Zorba the Greek. The film is credited with putting Crete on the tourist map, and the village is still known for it.
Does Kokkino Chorio have a beach?
The village itself sits above the coast, and the nearest beach is Koutalis, 1 km north. Four more beaches lie within 5 km, among them Almyrida and Kalives for sand and Ombros Gialos for deep water off a harbour dock.
Which airport is nearest to Kokkino Chorio?
Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport to Kokkino Chorio. The village lies about 24 km east of Chania city by road, so the transfer runs along the north coast of the Chania region.
What is there to see in Kokkino Chorio?
The village is known for its traditional houses, its three churches, its caves and its wartime shelters. The shelters were cut into Drapanokefala hill by German forces to guard Souda Bay, and the caves of Petsi and Katalimata sit among the ground formations nearby.
Where Kokino Horio village is
Best things to do in Kokino Horio village in 2024 is located at Kokino Horio village. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
