Best things to do in Nochia in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Nochia is a village in the Chania region of Crete, 9.2 km east of Kissamos and 23.7 km west of Chania. The village sits back from Kissamos Bay, with the nearest beaches 3.2 km away on the rocky coast around Choni and Nopigia. 5 beaches and 2 walking gorges lie within 10 km. The village name is also written Nohia.
Chania airport (CHQ) is the nearest airport, 35.7 km away in a straight line, and Rethymno is 67.7 km east. Nochia works as an inland base for the quiet eastern side of Kissamos Bay, for the gorges behind it, and for the towns of Kissamos and Kolimbari.
Things to do in and around Nochia
Six outings lie within 10 km of the village, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Swim at Nopigia, a beach 3.7 km from the village, on the eastern side of Kissamos Bay. Nopigia is a long, low-key shoreline with calm shallow water, sand at the western end and pebbles towards the east, with umbrellas, showers, restaurants and rooms close to the sand.
- Walk down to Skotini. The cove lies 3.9 km away at the foot of a narrow, steep gorge near Cape Sideris. Skotini is reached on the trail from Agia Marina in Ravdoucha, leaving the path after 20 to 25 minutes and dropping past the ruined iron ore works that operated in the early 20th century, when a small mining settlement stood here.
- Hike the Roka gorge. The walk runs 2 km from Deliana to Roka and takes about 2 hours. Roka gorge starts 4.4 km from Nochia, holds plane trees and very tall vertical walls, and follows the dry riverbed in summer, though the narrow sections are hard to cross dry-shod when water flows. Trouli hill at Roka carries the remains of a Byzantine fortress.
- Spend a day at Kolimbari, a seaside town 4.5 km from the village, at the eastern edge of the Rodopos Peninsula. Kolimbari has a long sandy beach running east to Tavronitis, and quieter coves sit near the Gonia Monastery 1 km northwest.
- Visit Kissamos. The town 9.4 km west is the capital of Kissamos County and is also called Kasteli. Kissamos has about 3,000 residents and an economy built on wine, oil, raki and other farm produce rather than mass tourism, with a fine sandy town beach and a promenade of cafés and tavernas.
- Hike the Mesavlia to Deliana gorge. The route is 5 km long and takes about an hour on a dirt road beside the riverbed. The gorge lies 9.5 km from Nochia, is named for both villages at its ends, and is greenest in spring.
About Nochia and its setting
Nochia stands in farming country between Kissamos Bay and the hills that hold the two gorges. The water that shapes this landscape starts on Mount Anavos, runs through the Mesavlia to Deliana gorge, then through the Roka gorge, and reaches the sea at Nopigia beach 3.7 km from the village.
The coastline here has been worked as well as swum. Early in the 20th century, iron ore was shipped from the shore below Ravdoucha, and mining families lived at Skotini. The coast road east of Nopigia turns to gravel after the square theatre of the Orthodox Academy.
Beaches in and around Nochia
Nochia has no beach of its own, and the 5 nearest lie between 3.2 km and 4.5 km away. Two of them are organised resort beaches, and three are rocky coves with pebbles, clear water and no facilities.
- Choni lies 3.2 km away, a rugged coast of rock formations with small swimmable coves, clear blue and green water, sparse tree shade and no development, reached on the unpaved road past the Panagia church.
- Nopigia runs 3.7 km away, a long open beach 6 km east of Kissamos with calm shallow water, sandy in the west and pebbly in the east, and facilities close to the sand.
- Agios Vasilios sits 3.7 km away, one of the hidden coves between Ravdoucha and Nopigia, covered in large pebbles over a rocky seabed, with the renovated chapel of Saint Basil standing roughly in the middle of the beach.
- Skotini opens 3.9 km away at the mouth of a narrow steep gorge between Ravdoucha and Agios Vasilios, reached on foot past a large cave and the remains of the old ore works.
- Kolimbari stands 4.5 km away, the longest and most developed of the five, sandy with occasional pebbles, shallow but often wavy in the way of open north-coast beaches.
Where to eat near Nochia
Eating near Nochia means village cafés and tavernas inland, with seaside restaurants on the coast 4 km away.
- Plateia Cafe-Taverna sits 2.2 km from the village.
- Maracaibo Restaurant stands 3.7 km away.
- Art Cafe lies 4 km out.
- Fourakis Bakery sells bread and pastries 4.1 km away.
- Avra Seaside Bar and Restaurant sits on the coast, 4.4 km away.
Getting to Nochia
Leave the north-coast road near Kolimbari or Kissamos and turn inland to reach Nochia. Kissamos lies 9.2 km west of the village and Chania 23.7 km east, both in a straight line, so the drive takes longer than the figures suggest. Chania airport is 35.7 km away on the same measure.
A car matters here, because the coves need short drives and the last stretch to some of them is unpaved. The beaches at Skotini and Agios Vasilios are walk-in only.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Nochia in Crete?
Nochia lies 9.2 km east of Kissamos and 23.7 km west of Chania, inland from Kissamos Bay in the Chania region. Rethymno is 67.7 km east of the village.
Does Nochia have a beach?
Nochia has no beach of its own, but 5 lie within 4.5 km. Choni is the closest at 3.2 km, Nopigia at 3.7 km has the calmest and shallowest water, and Kolimbari at 4.5 km is the most developed.
How far is Nochia from Chania airport?
Chania airport is 35.7 km from Nochia in a straight line. The road runs longer than that, as it does everywhere on Crete.
Can you walk a gorge from Nochia?
Two gorges lie within 10 km of the village. Roka is 4.4 km away and takes about 2 hours over 2 km, and the Mesavlia to Deliana gorge is 9.5 km away and takes about an hour over 5 km of dirt road.
Which beach near Nochia is the quietest?
Choni, Agios Vasilios and Skotini are the quiet ones. All three are rocky, pebbly coves without facilities, and Skotini and Agios Vasilios are reached on foot rather than by road.
Where Nochia is
Best things to do in Nochia in 2024 is located at Nochia, Crete, Greece. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
