Kalamafka village: Beaches, Stays, Things to do

The village of Kalamafka is situated at an altitude of 480m above sea level and is located 24.5km away from Agios Nikolaos, accessible via the road from Kalo Horio- Prina, and 15 km from Ierapetra. The village has a population of 617, which includes the smaller villages of Kamara and Psathi. The village is surrounded by forests of platans, pine trees, olive trees, and a spring with small waterfalls, which add to the natural beauty of the area. The hill Kastelos, which overlooks the village, offers a panoramic view of the county of Ierapetra and the Libyan sea. At the top of Kastelos, visitors can explore the cave 40 Chambers, which has a small chapel of Timios Stavros inside.

Kalamafka has several sights to offer, including the gorge of Havga, the cave Theriou Koufala, the hill Kastelos, the chapel of Agios Antonios with a curved temple and entrance, and the chapels of Agios Georgios, Agia Paraskevi, and Panagia. The village also has a cultural association, the cultural association of Kalamafka, which organizes various cultural events throughout the year. The patronal feasts of Panagia at August 15 and Timios Stavros at September 14 are the most popular cultural events in the village.

Visitors to Kalamafka will find limited facilities, with no accommodation available. However, there are a few taverns and cafes operating during the day, where visitors can enjoy local cuisine and refreshments.

Things to do in Kalamafka

The things to do in Kalamafka are viewpoints, gorges and chapels rather than anything on a shoreline, because the village stands 480 m up and well inland. Kalamafka keeps several of them within walking distance of the square, and the rest are a short drive along the mountain roads.

1. Climb Kastelos hill. Kastelos rises straight above the houses and opens a view across the county of Ierapetra to the Libyan Sea. The cave known as 40 Chambers lies at the top, with the small chapel of Timios Stavros inside it.
2. Eat at Tavérna Oasis (Garefalakis). The taverna stands 200 m from the centre of the village.
3. Walk the Havgas gorge. The gorge sits 1 km from Kalamafka, between the Megali Korfi (1,103 m) and Kokies (993 m) peaks. Its stream, the Kapsous, is the main tributary of the Kalamavkianos river, and the route is short but passes rock formations cut by rare geological events.
4. Drive up to Anatoli. The village lies 3.5 km away at an altitude of 600 m, and it is nicknamed the village of the rising sun for the way the morning light strikes it.
5. Visit the Monastery of Panagia Exakousti. The monastery stands at Malles, 5 km from Kalamafka.
6. Hike the Sarakina gorge. The gorge runs 1.5 km near the village of Mythi and the coastal settlement of Myrtos, where the Kryos river reaches the sea.

Beaches in and around Kalamafka

Kalamafka has no beach of its own, because the village sits 480 m up in the hills between two coasts. Kalamafka faces south to the Libyan Sea shore below Ierapetra, 15 km away, and the Kalamavkianos river drains that way too, carrying the Kapsous stream out of the Havgas gorge to the Stomio beach at Gra Ligia. On the north side the nearest sand lies in Mirabello Bay, around the village of Istron east of Agios Nikolaos.

• Agios Panteleimon lies at Istro, 12 km east of Agios Nikolaos, part sandy and part pebbly under turquoise water. It draws smaller crowds than neighbouring Voulisma, and Karavostasi beach sits in the western part of the same gulf.
• Voulisma is a Blue Flag beach beside Istron, 22 km north of Ierapetra and 12 km east of Agios Nikolaos. Fine golden-white sand shelves gently into calm water, and the bay is organised in summer with sunbeds, a beach bar and a lifeguard.
• Vathi sits 10 km south of Agios Nikolaos inside a well-protected cove, with white sand and shelter from every wind but the occasional easterly. The Daios Cove resort manages it, and other visitors walk down a concrete path and staircase to reach the sand.