Best things to do in Vafes in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Vafes is a village in the Chania region of western Crete, 7.8 km from Gavalochori and south-east of Chania city. The villages, beaches and gorges around it belong to the Apokoronas country between Souda Bay and the White Mountains. An Olive Oil Museum stands in the village itself, and the nearest coast is the bay at Georgioupolis, 7.9 km away.
Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport to Vafes. The village is a base rather than a resort, with a kafeneio of its own, 5 beaches inside about 10 km and 2 of the harder walking gorges of western Crete beyond them.
Things to do in and around Vafes
Six outings start at or near Vafes, listed here from nearest to furthest.
- Visit the Olive Oil Museum. The museum sits in Vafes itself, which makes it the one attraction reachable on foot from the village.
- Walk round Gavalochori. The village 7.8 km away takes its name from the Gavalas family, who lived there under Venetian rule. Gavalochori has kept its churches, Venetian stone arches, an olive oil factory and Roman tombs, and a complex 1 km outside it holds 24 Venetian wells.
- Swim at Georgioupolis. The resort town lies 7.9 km away in the bay of Almiros, in a green valley crossed by rivers and springs, and its sandy beach comes with full holiday facilities.
- Find Kera beach. Kera is 9.9 km out on the southern shore of Souda Bay, below tall cliffs, with soft sand, clear shallow water and a view of Karga island.
- Hike the Diktamos Gorge. The Diktamos, also called the Katochori or Stylos gorge, starts near Katochori at 300 m and drops 8 km to Faragi village at 40 m; it takes about 3 hours and needs care in places.
- Tackle the Kapni Gorge. The Kapni runs from Hionistra, on the road between Askyfou and Asfendou, down to Nomikiana in Sfakia, takes around 4 hours and has dry waterfalls that must be climbed, so it suits experienced mountaineers only.
About Vafes and its setting
Vafes sits in the inland half of Apokoronas, the stretch of country between the south shore of Souda Bay and the northern slopes of the White Mountains. Olive groves and open farmland run through the district, and the Olive Oil Museum in the village records the crop that shaped it. Gavalochori, 7.8 km away, has an olive oil factory of its own alongside its Roman tombs and Venetian arches.
Water is the other thing that defines this district. The Diktamos gorge collects the runoff from the northern slopes of the Mavri peak and feeds the Kiliaris river, which empties onto Kalives beach, while the Xidas and Mesopotamos rivers reach the sea at the eastern edge of Kalives and cool the water there. Georgioupolis stands in a valley crossed by rivers and springs at the mouth of the Almiros.
The neighbouring settlements each pull a different way. Kefalas, 8.5 km away, is known for its views, churches and tavernas, while Almyrida and Kalives sit on the Souda Bay shore and Georgioupolis faces the open north coast.
Beaches in and around Vafes
Vafes has no beach of its own, because the village stands inland; 5 beaches lie within about 10 km, split between the sheltered south shore of Souda Bay and the open bay at Georgioupolis.
- Kalivaki lies 7.9 km away at the mouth of the Almyros river, the westernmost beach of Georgioupolis bay, west of the port and the church of Agios Nikolaos. The river keeps the sandy shore sheltered and the shallow water cool, which suits children when the open beaches turn choppy.
- Georgioupolis sits 8.1 km away, the western end of a 10 km run of coast. The town beach covers 2 km east from the Almiros river to Kavros, with sand, dunes, shallow water, lifeguards, umbrellas and showers; currents make care worthwhile in wind.
- Kera is 9.9 km away on the southern coastline of Souda Bay near Kalives and Plaka, a soft sandy beach with occasional pebble under high cliffs. It has no facilities of its own, and an elongated rock at its western end is called Karavos, meaning ship, because of its shape.
- Almyrida stands on the south shore of Souda Bay near Cape Drapanos, 2 shallow sandy bays split by a rocky peninsula topped with a white chapel, with tavernas, sunbeds and a watersports centre behind them. The uninhabited islet of Karga lies just offshore.
- Kalives is a resort on the southern edge of Souda Bay whose name means huts, after the shelters farmers once built for summer nights in the fields. The 2 sandy beaches either side of the Xidas river, Xidas and Maistrali, have shallow water and full equipment, and both are open to northern winds.
Where to eat in Vafes
Eating in Vafes begins in the village, where a kafeneio and mezedopolio sits 100 m from the centre, and spreads into the neighbouring villages within about 4 km.
- The Meeting Cafe-Mezedopolio is 100 m from the centre.
- The Tradition Tavern-Mezedopolio stands 2 km out.
- Progoulis Tavern is 3 km out.
- The Lemonade Stand lies 3.5 km out.
Getting to Vafes
Vafes is reached from the Apokoronas roads that run inland from the north coast, with Georgioupolis 7.9 km away on one side and Kalives and Almyrida on the Souda Bay shore on the other. Gavalochori at 7.8 km and Kefalas at 8.5 km are the nearest villages inland.
Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport, and the village lies south-east of Chania city and west of Rethymno. Everything described here needs a car.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Vafes in Crete?
Vafes is a village in the Chania region of western Crete, 7.8 km from Gavalochori and south-east of Chania city. It stands inland in the Apokoronas country, between Souda Bay and the White Mountains.
Does Vafes have a beach?
No, Vafes is inland, and the nearest beach is Kalivaki at Georgioupolis, 7.9 km away. Kera, Almyrida and Kalives on the south shore of Souda Bay follow within about 10 km.
What is there to see in Vafes?
The Olive Oil Museum stands in Vafes itself. Everything else on this page is a short drive out, starting with the Venetian village of Gavalochori 7.8 km away and its complex of 24 Venetian wells.
Can you walk a gorge from Vafes?
The 2 gorges nearest Vafes are the Diktamos and the Kapni, and both are demanding walks. The Diktamos takes about 3 hours, the Kapni about 4.
Which airport serves Vafes?
Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport to Vafes. The village lies south-east of Chania city, in the same region.
Where Vafes is
Best things to do in Vafes in 2024 is located at Vafés. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
