the village), two ruined Venetian castles above the village offering lovely views. You can also walk up the gorge of Samaria (or a part of it) although you are likely to meet sizeable crowds of walkers going the other way. Walking towards the East, through Loutro and another good hour along and above the coast you reach the beach of Glyka Nera (sweet water). Its name derives from the fact that if you dig a little in the fine pebble sweet water will come to the surface. The beach is generally very peaceful and the location, below high cliffs, is stunning. If you do not want to return on foot you can walk onwards to Sfakia (under an hour) and take a boat back to Loutro. Dedicated hikers can also go further afield, especially in the mountains but this goes beyond the scope of this web site.