Beaches to Mountains: Cycling Crete

Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. While other islands like Mallorca or Tenerife are better known for cycling, Crete offers some fantastic, lesser-known riding, with a wide variety of landscapes and plenty of climbing.

Why Crete?

A friend of mine had met the owner of an amazing villa on the island, and ever since hearing about it we had been floating the idea of a trip. One day, on a chilly spring ride while dreaming of warm sun, we finally decided to pull the trigger and start planning. We wanted something to look forward to as the leaves turned and the temperatures dropped.

Fall or spring is definitely the best time to visit. Summer would be far too hot, and even in the first week of November we were overheating on some of the climbs. It’s also worth keeping in mind that many places close for the season in November, so either aim for October or make sure you plan ahead and know what will and won’t be open.

Trip Logistics

How we got there

There are two main airports on the island, Chania and Heraklion. For this trip we flew into Heraklion, which was much closer to the villa. There are direct flights from Paris, though depending on the time of year they aren’t offered daily. We opted for a Friday-to-Tuesday direct flight from CDG.

The outbound flight was pretty fun. Since it was the end of the season, we nearly had the entire plane to ourselves and joked that we had hired a private jet. The return flight was completely full, but it was still easy enough.

Greece has a reputation for aggressive drivers, and since we were traveling with a large group of ten, we pre-booked a van big enough for all of us. The cost was very reasonable when split ten ways. We had a comfortable Mercedes van and a great driver who made airport transfers easy. Despite the stereotypes, we had no issues with drivers while cycling, especially on the smaller island roads away from the cities.

Where we stayed

We stayed at the Villa Meraki, which is a private villa you rent out entirely. The villa sits on top of a hill overlooking the town of Elounda and the sea. The location and views are beautiful, with a few restaurants within walking distance, and plenty more accessible by bike in town. The only downside is that dinner In town is an easy ride down and a big climb back up.

The villa comfortably slept all ten of us, with five bedrooms and several bathrooms. There’s a great pool to cool off in after rides, or just to lounge by during the day. There’s plenty of space to relax, along with a well-equipped kitchen. While we ate most dinners out, we cooked one night and made breakfast at the villa every morning.

It’s a very comfortable place to simply hang out, whether you’ve just finished a long ride or you’re taking a day off the bike entirely.

Where we rented bikes

With ten people, transporting bikes and paying baggage fees would have been a headache, so we opted to rent bikes locally. Crete has several solid rental options, including high-end carbon road bikes with electronic shifting.

We rented from Bella Cycling, which is conveniently half way between the villa and the airport. They also offer delivery and pickup, which was a huge help for us with such a large group. All the bikes arrived directly to the villa on a trailer, set up based on measurements we sent ahead of time, with final adjustments made on delivery. Overall, the experience was seamless.

Where We Rode

Beaches

Unsurprisingly, there are plenty of beaches to ride to. On our first day, we chose a relaxed loop to the beach and back to get used to the bikes and shake out the legs before tackling bigger climbs.

The ride starts straight uphill, climbing over the rest of the hill where the villa sits. The gradient isn’t too bad, and the climb isn’t very long. After cresting the last roller, you ride along the ridge through a few small villages before a fun, twisty descent. From there, the route rolls along a false-flat downhill with great scenery, olive trees everywhere, and plenty of goats and sheep, including some very cute little lambs.

About 28 km in, you reach Almyros Beach. It was the perfect stop, with a small restaurant and a sandy beach. The weather wasn’t ideal for swimming, but we still jumped in and followed it up with a refreshing beer and burger.

The ride back follows the coast, with one climb up and over to Elounda and then the final 3.5 km climb back to the villa. There are surely many beaches on the island, possibly even better ones, but this was exactly what we were looking for on day one.

Mountains

On day two, we tackled the biggest climb in the area, from Kritsa up to Katharo.

To reach the base, we reversed part of the first day’s route, heading downhill toward the coast. There’s one small climb along the way, but it feels insignificant knowing what’s coming.

The official Strava segment starts just past Kritsa, after about 8 km and 300 m of climbing from the coast. The final kilometer before the segment is steep enough that you’ll be standing up and searching for gears, but it eases slightly after that and allows you to settle in. The Strava segment itself is 13.5 km with 887 m of elevation gain, though the climb really begins as soon as you leave the coast.

The road surface is excellent the entire way, and the scenery changes significantly as you climb toward nearly 1,200 m. The summit itself is a bit anticlimactic at first, but then the descent opens up to an incredible view of the Katharo Plateau, a wide expanse of farmland surrounded by mountains. After descending a couple of kilometers, you reach the village, which has a great restaurant for much-needed food and water.

Even in November it was warm, and I was no longer heat-acclimated, so the climb was tough, but still incredibly enjoyable.

With full bellies and roughly 1,500 m of climbing already done, the first 2 km back up from lunch felt like a slog. After that, you’re rewarded with 15 km of pristine pavement on the descent. You could absolutely let it rip, but I kept things controlled and enjoyed the scenery.

After returning to Kritsa, there’s about 27 km of rolling inland roads on the way back to the villa. With just over 10 km to go, you face the final challenge. That fun descent from day one comes back in reverse. On its own it’s manageable, but after a big day and warm temperatures, it stings. The opening ramps spike your heart rate before easing enough to grind through the rest. From there, it’s a final short climb and an easy roll back to the villa, beer and pool waiting.

A little of both

For the final day, I had originally planned a longer 110 km route, but after the Katharo climb, everyone was ready for something shorter. We settled on a 50 km loop that still packed in serious elevation, about 1,100 m, and included a beach stop.

The ride drops down to Elounda and turns left onto one of the few truly flat sections we rode all week. The next 5 km along the coast were fast and scenic, especially after days of climbing. The route passes several beaches and Spinalonga Island, which served as a leper colony until 1957!

After the flat section, the climbing begins. The first climb lasts about 9 km and offers stunning views back toward the sea and the town below. It was one of my favorite sections of the trip and produced some of my favorite photos. After a short downhill break, you tackle another 6 km of climbing. This section was warmer and more sheltered from the wind, but like most climbs, it was worth it.

From there, you roll downhill for about 10 km before looping back toward the coast. As you approach Plaka Beach, the views open up again, with excellent roads and even better scenery. Plaka is one of the most popular beaches in the area, with plenty of bars, restaurants, and shops. The beach itself is rocky, but there’s an easy entry into deep water making for a great dip after another day of significant vert.

We spent a good amount of time here, partly because the weather was perfect and partly because it was reassuring to know there were less than 10 km left back to the villa. The return follows the flat coastal road through town, with a chance to grab groceries or supplies before the final climb back up.

I also created a shorter 20 km version with 470 m of elevation that leaves from the villa and joins the second half of the 50 km route. It’s a good option for anyone wanting a shorter ride while still meeting the group at the beach.

What We Did Off The Bike

Rest and relaxation

Cycling was the main focus of the trip, but relaxing and enjoying a proper vacation was just as important. The villa made this easy, with space for yoga, swimming, dancing, movie nights, and general downtime. It’s also easy to head into town, visit other beaches, or hike around the peninsula.

Meals

If you’re visiting Crete in the off-season, planning meals ahead is important. We reached out to several restaurants in advance and were able to cover most nights, though a few required pre-ordering since it was their final days or even day before closing.

On one night, we couldn’t find anything open nearby, so we stocked up on groceries after the beach and cooked a pasta dinner at the villa. Everywhere we ate had excellent food and incredibly friendly staff.

Some of the restaurants we visited included:

• Rakomelo: Right on the water in town, with seafood and more. Bring lights if riding there in late fall, as it will be dark both ways.

  
  

• Mary’s Kitchen: A 15-minute walk from the villa on a trail, serving classic Greek dishes in a family-run setting.

  
  

• Tis Malamatis: Near Mary’s Kitchen, featuring a large wood-fired oven and an outdoor terrace.

  
  

Trail running

If the cycling wasn’t enough, there’s also some trail running. Crete isn’t particularly known for trail running either, and this area doesn’t have extensive trail networks, but the loop we did was surprisingly good. If you stay at the villa, I’d recommend running the Spinalonga Peninsula Loop. From the villa it’s just over 13 km, and once on the peninsula there are nice proper singletrack sections. If you’re already down by the beach, it could also work well as a hike.

But enough of that running business and back to cycling...

What It Looked Like

An ambience video recap of the trip