Gavdos

A journey of the soul. These words are maybe enough to describe what one feels not only the first time, but every time they step on the sand of Gavdos.

Its beauty is revealed slowly-you have to let all your senses open and voraciously draw the tastes of saltiness, the sunset, the colours, the authenticity of every image.

Gavdos is the southernmost point of Europe and a place you need to explore: walk on it, swim in its waters, visit by boat every inlet and by all means see the sun set at Pirgos and the full moon rise from the sea at Korfos.

And if you still wonder why it is so unique, the answer is maybe because this modest place represents the simplicity we 've lost, the genuineness  that 's missing, it offers little, but it is all we really need.

What makes the visitor feel the diversity of this place are not the sea's thousand colours, the smell of the herbs, the cedars and the saltiness, it is also the harmonization of human creations with nature. A large number of small country churches stand in witness of this aesthetic. Most of them were built of the ancient temples' relics, and on the same ancient holy grounds :either on verdant slopes or on bare rocks overlooking the blue sea.

Ambelos is a bewitching place. Its name reveals the production of which Gavdos was once very famous (in Greek ambeli means vineyard).Today the vineyard terraces lie fallow, but remind us of the times when people lived and worked in nature. In Ambelos stands the island's lighthouse, today restored, which used to be in operation until the German airplanes bombed it during World War 2.It is reputed to be one of the world's highest-altitude lighthouses.

The village Sarakino is where you can fall in love with nature, having a view over the most wanton blue sea and the lofty peaks Lefka Ori.

Walking towards the beach of Ai Giannis, maybe one of the most beautiful beaches in the whole world, you will be entranced by the unique forest by the sea, the overgrown sand dunes and the golden sand. From there, the path leads to the area of Lavrakas, a small calm gulf. You may continue to Pirgos, where the fishing boats doc and the sun offers its brightest colours while sinking into the waters of the Libyan sea.

The more experienced and boldest hikers will continue walking to Potamos. The path is sometimes difficult to be crossed, so experience and attention is needed. The view, nevertheless, rewards us as we pass through a gully with liquid argil and end at the magnificent gulf.

The most popular attraction of the island is the giant chair located in Tripiti, set up by a team of scientists from across Europe to symbolize the peaceful nature that characterizes the southernmost point of Europe. The chair is mounted on a rock with a height of 2.50 meters, on a compass pointing the four cardinal points ....

All hikes require enough time and desire for walking. Fortunately most destinations can be reached only on foot. So be supplied with plenty of water, hats, sun protection and good shoes.

The only way to get to Gavdos is by boat. Boats to Gavdos depart from two different ports: Paleochora and Chora Sfakion (also known as "Sfakia"). The journey from Sfakia to Gavdos takes 1 hour and 15 minutes. The high season begins in June and ends in October.