Pseira Island
Located in the heart of Merabelo bay, the biggest in Crete, it is a great kayaking journey suitable for experienced paddlers only. With a short open crossing to Pseira island (3.2 km) and an amazing coastline to paddle afterwards.
Overview of the trip
Paddling distance: We will paddle around 15km and there will be plenty of time for swimming and snorkelling on remote beaches not accessible by cars. Experienced paddlers are welcome to join; if there are experienced in the group we can extend the trip to cover an extra 6km (20-21km total). All paddling equipment is provided for the trip plus of course the guide.
Equipment: Single or tandem (double) kayaks are available. People with no experience will be given a tandem kayak as those are easier to paddle unless you want to try a single. Experienced paddlers can get superb boats from Nigel Dennis, Valley, North Shore, P&H and 3kymia sea kayaks.
We use mainly composite kayaks in our trips.
Plan of the trip: The trip starts from Tholos bay which is located at the end of the shortest part of north to south Crete (just 12km). This makes unique the area in terms of wind. It is common to have strong wind coming from completely different direction every few km so good skills in trimming the boat are essential.
A must trip is you are staying in eastern Crete and your paddling skills are up to 3* or higher (check this article for the syllabus of 3* if you are not familiar with the British Canoeing qualifications).
This is not a trip for begineers as it is extremely rare to be calm.
It is one of my favourite trips in the island!
About Pseira island
The island has a long history, in brief Pseira was explored in 1906–07 and more minutely examined in 1984–92 by Philip P. Betancourt and Costis Davaras.
Archaeological materials in this seaport, sited above its harbour, to which it was connected by cliff side stairs, span the period from the end of the Neolithic in the 4th millennium to the Late Bronze Age, with the cultural high point being Early Minoan to Late Minoan IB.
At that time the prosperous town of some 60 buildings was ranged round its open square, with a single large building that occupied one side.
Like many contemporary Late Minoan IB sites, it was violently destroyed, ca 1550–1450 BC. You can read much more about its history in the relative Wikipedia link.
We will make a stop for swimming and snorkelling during our trip to the crystal clear water of the island.
Frequently Asked Questions
What to bring?
If you don't want to have lunch in the taverna be sure you pack your lunch. Other than that you will need 1.5lt of water (ideally in small bottles),sun glasses, hat, sunscreen, swimsuit, lycra shirt or any t-shirt ideally with UV protection. You will also need shoes that you do not mind getting soaked as you will get your feet wet. Ideally a light neoprene shoe will work great. It is not required to wear shoes but they will help as the majority of the beaches are with small pebbles.
Where do we meet?
Check out the following link for the exact meeting point. There is lots of parking space around.
Google map link:
https://goo.gl/maps/BPEPQw2NQ8o
How do I book?
Use the "BOOK NOW" link located on the top of this page as the booking form has extra details that we need. After submitting the form you will get an email within 1-2 days (usually the same day) with a confirmation. The payment can be done either by cash when we meet or via credit card payment two days prior to the starting date as we need the funds to have cleared by the date of the trip.
What time do we meet & finish?
We start by 10 am and finish between 4-5pm. If time change for any reason you will be notified by email. You will have to be on the beach a few minutes before 10 am.
Do you provide transfer?
Transfer is available for an extra 20€ per person assuming you are relatively close to Heraklion and on our way to the starting point (see map above). If you are not sure if your location is covered from our transfer service please get in touch with us.
Do you run this trip all year long?
For a minimum of 4 participants we can run the trip all year long.
Avoid July and August as it gets extremely windy.
