The mountain calls also on the island of Crete with its high mountain regions between Hania and Rethymnon ("White Mountains"), between Rethymnon and Heraklion ("Psiloritis" / "Mount Ida") and between Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos ("Dicta Mountains") with their foothills and plateaus in the eastern part of the island. The direct neighborhood between high mountains in the middle, steep cliffs and rocks at the south coast and long white beaches along the northern coast of the island rewards the mountain hiker at any time of the day with an unforgettable view that lets him forget all troubles of the ascent.

Winter on Crete is not just the soft rain at the coasts and in the valleys falling on orange and lemon trees giving life to the earth, which is longing for water from May to October, it is not just the winter storms lashing the waves like furies in rage. No, in the Cretan mountains snow is falling day by day. The temperatures in the evenings have fallen steadily since September to a level, that you can see the villagers in their winter parkas, when the last tourists are taking their dinner at the "platia", the village square, freezing in their bermuda shorts and blouses. From November to February we villagers are quite alone again, and some villages are always cut off by snow.

It's time for mountaineering.

The Greek Association of Mountain Climbers of Rethymnon are organizing excursions all over the year for their members and - after an old Cretan custom - friends and family members are always welcome.
To be mountain climber or hiker is no hobby, no sport. It is a way of life characterized by long lasting friendly relations between humans, who reach together their common goal: To be one with the nature of the mountains.

Program of Events 2008

SUNDAY 30/11/2008
MESSONISSIA - SOROS
Mountain guide : Euthimis Karapidakis,
phone 6932467993

SUNDAY 07/12/2008
ARKADI - MARGARITES
Mountain guide: Giorgos Christidis,
phone 6977589428

SUNDAY 14/12/2008
SIDEROTAS - TRIOPETRA
Mountain guide: Stelios Galakourakis,
phone 28310 32184 / 6973356339

SATURDAY - SUNDAY 20 - 21/12/2008
TIMIOS STAVROS
Mountain guide: Kostas Tzortzinis,
phone 28310 20260 / 6944668887

More info about equipment and terms of participation at

http://eos.rethymnon.com/program.html

You can easily access Rethymno via the ferry port (with daily link with Piraeus port) or via the two airports of Chania (50 km) and Heraklion (70 km). Car or bike rental is strongly recommended as they will offer you the opportunity to visit the countryside where many elements of Cretan tradition still exist. You have to be extremely careful while driving during high season period (July-September) when the urban and country road network is overloaded.

A common question is about the best period for visiting Rethymno (and Crete in general). The majority obviously prefer the summer period which is the longest among the Greek islands and lasts from early April to late October. During these 7 months all big hotels are open and the daily charter flights provide the opportunity to visit Crete from all over world. But I’m quite sure that for many of you, traveling abroad is not only vacation but also a way to meet different people and cultures. If you really want to be in touch with local people and local way of life, I personally recommend visiting Rethymno from October to May when the local life is at the normal rhythms and the town is not just a “tourist playground”. Just have in mind that the winter in Crete is not very heavy not even in January and that low cost airways (easyjet etc) have recently included Heraklion and Athens airports at their network all year long.

The old town of Rethymno is a place where beside the picturesque old buildings and streets (coming from the Venetian and Ottoman period) you can also find a big variety of dinning and entertainment facilities. Take into consideration that during summer period the old town of Rethymno is a pedestrian district so you have to leave your vehicle in a parking nearby (just beside the ferry port is a convenient one) and enjoy walking around. Another recommended way of gadding about is to use one of the municipal bicycles that you can have for free from one of the specific municipal spaces (behind the Town Hall and in the parking place beside the municipal garden are the more central ones).

The association of people in Rethymno that come from Asia Minor, in cooperation with the association “friends of the bicycle” are organizing a bicycle ride in Rethymno Old Town through the streets, the buildings and the monuments of the first people that arrived in Rethymno as refugees from Asia Minor after the people exchange of 1922.

The bicycle ride will start from Venetian port (where the first refugees arrived) on Sunday 20^th of January 2008, at 11 a.m.