Mochos: Beaches, Stays, Things to do

Mochos is an inland village in the Heraklion region of Crete, about 3.5 km south of the coast at Stalis and 6.9 km from Hersonissos. Mochos sits in the hills above the resort strip, close enough for a short drive down to the sand and far enough to keep a folklore museum and a monastery on its own doorstep. The connection is older than the resorts: before the 1980s the beach at Stalis was used mainly by people from Mochos.

Heraklion (HER) is the nearest airport to the village, and Stalis on the coast below lies about 30 km east of Heraklion and its airport. Mochos works as a base for anyone who wants the north-coast beaches by day and a hill village to come back to, with 2 gorges and a reservoir within 6 km.

Things to do in Mochos

Five outings start within about 6 km of Mochos, listed below from nearest to furthest.

1. Visit the folklore museum. The Mochos Folklore Museum stands 200 m from the centre and is the one attraction inside the village.
2. Walk out to the monastery. The Monastery of the Virgin Mary Theogennitor is 1.7 km from Mochos, close enough to reach on foot.
3. See the drowned village at the dam. Sfendyli, 2.2 km away, went under water when the Aposelemis dam was finished in 2012. The reservoir holds more than 30,000,000 m3 and is the largest artificial lake on Crete, gathering water from the Lasithi Mountains for the north of eastern Crete between Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos, and the ground around Sfendyli has turned into a wetland that shelters birds.
4. Find the Embasa waterfalls. The gorge, also called Apotyposi, runs about 2 km from Kato Kera in the Pediada province to the edge of Gonies, 4.8 km from Mochos. Its upper section is steep and drops winter waterfalls, the tallest about 20 m and the largest split into several cascades; walkers reach them all without special equipment by skirting the sides, and climbing Embasa Gorge up from Gonies is the easier approach.
5. Follow the Roza gorge trail. The ravine is 5.6 km from the village, a branch of the larger Ambelos Gorge that starts near the Panagia Kera Kardiotissa monastery in the Ano Kera area. Sheer drops make the riverbed impassable, so a marked path runs along the sides instead, and the pink walls that give Roza Gorge its name are the reason to walk it.

Beaches in and around Mochos

Mochos is inland and has no beach of its own, but 5 lie within 7 km on the coast below, and they run from the busiest resort sand in the Heraklion area to quiet coves.

• Stalida lies 3.5 km away, long and sandy with shallow, gently sloping water, sunbeds, tavernas and water sports, which makes it one of the easiest beaches here for families.
• Malia sits 4.9 km away at the eastern end of a 6 km bay that begins at Stalis, fine sand with shallow clear water and a full run of sunbeds, water sports and beach bars in front of the town.
• Drapanos is 4.9 km away, a chain of coves running from 2 km east of Hersonissos port out to Drapanos Cape. Star Beach is the busy one, the coves further east are small and calmer, and some run cool because freshwater springs rise in the sea.
• Potamos lies 6.5 km away, a long quiet strip of sand named after the small river beside it, east of Malia port. The archaeological site of the Minoan palace and the protected wetland keep its eastern end undeveloped.
• Hersonissos sits 6.5 km away, where Cape Sarandaris shelters the beaches west of the port and keeps the sea calmer than most of this windy coast. The organised beaches east of the port are the busy ones.

Where to eat in and around Mochos

Eating starts in the village with Skoteinianos and widens on the coast at Stalis, about 3 km down the hill, where bakeries, Greek tavernas and Italian kitchens sit within a few hundred metres of each other.

• Skoteinianos is in Mochos itself, 100 m from the centre.
• Kimbo Cafe and Mylonas Bakery sells coffee and bakery food, 3.1 km away.
• Katerina Traditional Greek Restaurant serves Greek cooking, 3.3 km away.
• Di Marino Italian Restaurant cooks Italian food, 3.3 km away.

Getting to Mochos

Leave the coast at Stalis and climb inland to reach Mochos, 3.5 km up. Heraklion (HER) is the nearest airport, and Stalis sits 30 km east of Heraklion and about 3 km from both Hersonissos and Malia, so the village is within a short drive of every resort on this stretch.

A car suits the village better than the bus. The beaches are 3.5 km to 6.5 km down the hill, the Embasa and Roza gorges 4.8 km and 5.6 km inland, and the folklore museum and the monastery are the only two outings within walking distance.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Mochos in Crete?

Mochos lies in the Heraklion region, about 3.5 km inland from Stalis and 6.9 km from Hersonissos. The village sits in the hills behind the north-coast resorts, between the sea and the Lasithi mountains.

Does Mochos have a beach?

Mochos has no beach of its own, but 5 lie within 7 km. Stalida, 3.5 km down the hill, is the nearest, and it was the beach people from Mochos used before the resort grew in the 1980s.

Which airport is closest to Mochos?

Heraklion (HER) is the closest airport to Mochos. Stalis, on the coast 3.5 km below the village, lies about 30 km east of Heraklion and its airport.

What is there to do in Mochos itself?

The folklore museum, 200 m from the centre, is the village’s own attraction. A monastery stands 1.7 km out and the Aposelemis reservoir 2.2 km away, so a day without the beach holds together on foot and a short drive.

Are there waterfalls near Mochos?

The Embasa gorge, 4.8 km from Mochos, drops waterfalls in winter, the tallest about 20 m. All of them can be reached without climbing gear by going round the sides, and the walk up from Gonies is the easier way in.