Best things to do in Xiron Chorion in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Xiron Chorion is a village in the Rethymno region of Crete, 3.2 km south of Rethymno city and 1.5 km from the mouth of the Mili Gorge. The village also appears as Xero Chorio, the spelling our Mili Gorge guide uses when it places the ravine between Chromonastiri and Xero Chorio. That position puts two very different days within a couple of kilometres: the sandy beachfront of Rethymno Bay 2 km away, and the shaded gorge country running south towards Mount Vrysinas.
Chania (CHQ) is the nearest airport. Xiron Chorion is not a resort in its own right; it works as a quiet address on the edge of a city, with 4 gorges inside 6 km, 5 beaches inside 5 km and a dozen cafés, tavernas and beach bars within 2.2 km.
Things to do in and around Xiron Chorion
Four outings sit within 4 km of Xiron Chorion, listed below from nearest to furthest. Two further ravines add to the walking: Gallos Gorge 4.8 km away and Kaminolakkos Gorge 5.6 km away.
- Walk the Mili Gorge. The trail begins 1.5 km from the village and runs 2.5 km in about 2.5 hours, at a difficulty of 1 out of 10, past the abandoned mill village of Mili. A year-round stream fed off the northern slopes of Mount Vrysinas keeps the Mili Gorge shaded and green, and the signed route passes old watermills, spring-fed pools and small rock-cut churches.
- Visit Saint Anastasia the Roman monastery. The monastery stands 1.9 km from Xiron Chorion, which makes Saint Anastasia the closest sight to the village that is not a taverna or a beach.
- Hike the Prassano Gorge. This gorge, also called the Gorge of Prasses, starts south of Prasses village 3.3 km away and takes about three hours through enormous rocks and some demanding passages. The Prassano route now carries the overflow from the Potami dam, winds through the rocky hills of Gargana under plane trees, and opens only from mid-June to mid-October.
- Spend a day in Rethymno. The city 3.8 km away is the capital of the Rethymno region and the third largest in Crete. Rethymno keeps the most completely preserved Renaissance old town on the island, where Ottoman and Cretan styles sit side by side in the Loggia, the Neratze, Veli Pasha and Kara Moussa Pasha mosques, and the church of Agios Frangiskos.
About the village and its setting
Xiron Chorion is a small inland village on the southern edge of Rethymno rather than a destination of its own. The city centre lies 3.2 km away, close enough that the village shares the city’s beaches, buses and shops instead of keeping a full set of its own.
The setting changes sharply either side of the village. North of it, the flat coastal strip of Rethymno Bay carries the suburbs of Pervolia, Misiria and Platanias 3-5 km from the city centre, all built along one continuous 13 km beach. South of it, the ground rises into the ravines that drain Mount Vrysinas and the Gargana hills, where Mili runs past its abandoned watermills and the Prassano cuts through the rock.
Beaches near Xiron Chorion
Xiron Chorion has no beach of its own, and the nearest sand lies 2 km away on Rethymno Bay. Every beach below belongs to the same 13 km run of shore that starts at Rethymno harbour and ends at Skaleta, and the whole of it is a nesting shore for loggerhead sea turtles.
- Pervolia lies 2 km away, a long sandy stretch in front of a suburb that was once its own settlement and has since been absorbed into the city, with food, drink and rooms along the front.
- Platanes sits 2.7 km away, shallow light-blue water with sunbeds and lifeguards in season, on the protected turtle-nesting shore.
- Rethymno town beach begins 2.9 km away, golden sand and shallow water beside the Venetian port, 500 m from the old town. Entry is free and you pay only for a sunbed, and the Eleftheriou Venizelou promenade runs alongside.
- Adelianos Kambos stands 4.1 km away, also called Adele Beach, a flat plain that grew vegetables for the village of Adele before hotels arrived. City buses run there regularly.
Where to eat near Xiron Chorion
Eating around Xiron Chorion splits between village tavernas and the beach bars on the bay, and the nearest of either sits 1.6 km away. The gorge end of the village has the quieter option, the shore end the louder one.
- Bax – The Brotherhood Of Coffee serves coffee 1.6 km from the village.
- Taverna Zisis does taverna cooking 1.7 km out.
- Akro-Polis Cafe stands 1.8 km from Xiron Chorion.
- Mili Gorge Tavern sits 1.8 km away, at the gorge end of the village.
Getting to Xiron Chorion
Xiron Chorion is reached on the road that climbs south out of Rethymno towards Chromonastiri, and the city lies 3.2 km behind you. That short distance is what makes the village workable without a car, because Rethymno’s buses and its beachfront both start within walking or cycling range.
Chania is the nearest airport, on the same north coast. Drivers have the Prassano gorge and the Mili trail to the south and the 13 km beach strip towards Skaleta to the north.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Xiron Chorion in Crete?
Xiron Chorion lies 3.2 km south of Rethymno city, in the Rethymno region of northern Crete. The village also goes by the spelling Xero Chorio.
Does Xiron Chorion have a beach?
Xiron Chorion has no beach of its own, but 5 lie within 5 km. Pervolia is the closest at 2 km, and all of them sit on the single 13 km stretch of sand running east from Rethymno harbour to Skaleta.
Can you walk a gorge from Xiron Chorion?
The Mili Gorge trail starts 1.5 km from Xiron Chorion. The walk covers 2.5 km in about 2.5 hours and rates 1 out of 10 for difficulty, which makes it the gentlest of the 4 gorges inside 6 km of the village.
When can you hike the Prassano Gorge?
The Prassano Gorge opens from mid-June to mid-October. The route runs for about three hours through large rocks and some demanding passages, so it asks more of a walker than the Mili trail 1.5 km from the village.
How far is Xiron Chorion from Rethymno?
Rethymno city centre sits 3.2 km from Xiron Chorion. The old town, the Venetian port and the town beach all lie together at that end, and the beach is 2.9 km from the village.
Where Xiron Chorion is
Best things to do in Xiron Chorion in 2024 is located at Xirón Khoríon. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
