Picture: Typical view on Sarakiniko beach in Gavdos.
The small island Gavdos is in the south of Crete in the libyan sea. You can go there with boat from the southcoast of Crete from the small City of Paleochora or Sougia, Agia Roumeli or Chora Sfakion. It depends to the Department in the west part of Crete Greece with the City of Hania as Capital.
If you go with boat to the small island of Gavdos you arrive after a few hours in the small Port of Karafae at the south Side of the Island in a small natural bay.
After old legends Gavdos or Ogygia is known also as the home of the nymph Calypso. In the legend the nymph hold the Odysseyas many years tight on the island.
Picture: View of the port Karafae if you arrive with boat in Gavdos.
From the small port of Karafae in Gavdos Ogygia or Kalypso you can go in different Directions to visit the island.
Beside the port of Karafae there is the main village of the Island Gavdos in the center of the small island with the name Kastri. There you can find a bakkery, small magazines to buy something, rooms for rent and some tavernes where you can eat something.
Picture: The bakery in Kastri the main village of Gavdos.
You reach the village of Kastri from the port of Karafae with bus, car or by feet/bicycle over a small asphalted road. Follow the road signs from the port of Karafae.
Picture: Christos chapel on the road to Kastri on the right side besides the footpath to Sarakiniko.
On the north side of the island you can find some nice sandy beaches. The first beach you find if you follow the road from the port of Karafae is Sarakiniko. Follow the road signs from the port.
Picture: Another typical view from an old Taverna on the beach of Sarakiniko.
Here in Sarakiniko you find a few small houses, some Taverns, some rooms for rent and Studios, Minimarket to buy something and a sandy beach.
Picture: The Sarakiniko beach from upside the hill on the way to Agios Janis beach.
Picture: The footpath in the dunes beginning in Sarakiniko beach and going on to Kastri village.
From Sarakiniko you can follow the small asphalted road to the next beaches of Agios Janis, Lavrakas and Pirgos.
If you go from Sarakiniko until the end of the asphalted road you see down by the sea some Taverns and a Minimarket.
There you can eat something and buy some small things in the Minimarket. It's almost like African Style.
From here you have to go by feet over a few rocks and dunes - follow the signs - to reach the sandy beach of Agios Janis.
Picture: Some old potsherds from Greek or roman empire times on the way from the port Karafae to the Korfos beach.
Some people are living outside here in the summer months.
At the end of the beach of Agios Janis you find a small foot path along the cliffs. If you follow this foot path you reach first the area of Lavraka with many trees and sandy beaches and after that the two small sandy beaches of Pirgos.
Picture: Sandy beach in the area of Lavraka behind the beach there are a lot of dunes with Juniperus trees.
Picture: View from the end of Lavraka beach in direction of Pirgos beach and Potamos (behind the hill).
Picture: Fisherboats in the sea near the beach of Pirgos offside of the normal busy part of the island.
Picture: View of Pirgos beach with various erosion forms in sedimentary rocks on the back side.
From Pirgos is possible to go to the last beach on this site of the island with name Potamos. But the foot path is very hard to find and very difficult to go. Better is to visit Potamos if you come from the small village of Ampelos up on the Hill. From there the foot path is better.
The last possibility to buy something in this part of the island is in the Minimarket at the end of the road before the beach of Agios Janis.
Picture: Goats in the rocky hills upside from the road Sarakiniko to Agios Janis beach.
If you follow the road from before Agios Janis on the left side you can go to some houses and visit the helicopter landing Field and a small chapel before, also there is built a water reservoir.
You can follow the small unasphalted road up to the main village of Kastri, where you find the bakkery, rooms like for example "The Princess of Gavdos" and some localities where you can eat something.
With car the road from Agios Janis to Kastri is not so good but possible.
If you go from Kastri on the asphalted road further on you arrive at the school of Gavdos. Here you can go right to the village of Ampelos and the "Faro" lighthouse of Gavdos. The road until Ambelos is asphalted and in Ambelos there is a parking.
Picture: View of the small village of Ampelos up on the hills over Potamos beach.
From Ampelos you can follow the foot path to Mpo and Potamos.
Picture: View of the rocky bay of Mpo offside the way / footpath from the village of Ampelos to Potamos beach.
Mpo is a small rocky bay and Potamos a lonley sandy beach down on the sea below the small village of Ampelos.
Picture: View of the Potamos beach from above with some forms of erosion in sedimentary rocks on the back side.
Picture: View of Potamos beach from above before you reach the rocky plateau between Lavraka and Agios Janis beach.
From Ambelos it's also possible to go on a foot path to Agios Janis, but the foot path becams after the starting in Ampelos more and more worse and at least you almost cannot find the way.
The lighthouse or Faro of Gavdos is a interesting historical site with a small bar and a small museum. If it is closed you can wait there and maybe the man comes from Ambelos to open the museum and the bar.
Picture: View of the lighthouse or Faro on the road from Kastri to Ampelos a little bit offside the road - follow the signs.
Picture: Another view of the lighthouse or "Faro" near the village of Ampelos on the left side of the road from Kastri to Ampelos.
The small village of Ampelos consists of a few old stone houses and a white small chapel with some graves.
Picture: View in the evening from the lighthouse or "Faro" over the open sea.
If you go back from Ambelos with car to Kastri and turn right at the school building you can go to Vatsiana, Metochi or Korfos.
Vatsiana is a small village which consists of a few Stone Houses and buildings also a Café you find there. From here you can go by feet on a foot path to Tripiti, the southernmost part of the Island and of Europe.
Picture: The beach of Tripiti on the southernmost part of the island and Europe with cliffs behind.
In Tripiti you find a stony beach with pebbles sand and a beautiful blue sea. Here also landed a small boat with refugees from Libya a few years before.
