Nopigia, Crete

When searching for new places in Quieter Crete the tendency is to drive off into the wild blue yonder and put as much distance as possible between the airport and your pot of gold at the rainbow's end.

Strangely enough, the little seaside hamlet of Nopigia just to the west of the rugged Cape Rodopou, is less than an hour's drive from Chania Airport and just a few hundred metres from the main coast road between Chania and Kastelli. Nopigia's beach appears to be a pebbly one and the three local tavernas are pretty low key when it comes to self-promotion and so the tourist buses and the Suzuki Jeep brigades just pass on by. No doubt one day they will stop and new hotels, bars and discos will follow shortly thereafter. In the meantime, this little village, slightly rough around the edges in a typical Greek fashion, is the perfect place for those dormant Hemingways amongst us, who enjoy the quiet life and a drink in the evening with the local fishermen, combined with days exploring the utterly unspoilt surrounding countryside. One of Nopigia's best kept secrets, known only to the locals and a few intrepid visitors, is that although the beach itself is most definitely pebbly, as you enter the water your grateful feet will find soft, luxuriant sand, gently shelving out to sea for as far as you can walk and further if you hold your breath! Apart from the two tavernas down by the beach there is also a small combined mini market & taverna a few minutes walk away, whilst for somewhere different, five minutes by car will bring you to a choice of tavernas further along the coast.

Although the beach closest to the apartments is a pebbly one, 900 metres to the west of the village you will find a good wide stretch of sandy beach, which even in the height of the season is never remotely crowded and has two convenient tavernas. To the east of the village, a rough track heads out onto the Rodopou peninsular, a walkers paradise and where there are also some wonderful little rocky coves which are ideal for snorkelling.

For stocking up the larder, the atmospheric harbour town of Kastelli is a 10 minute drive and best visited in the cool of the late afternoon. Although there are a number of proper supermarkets on the outskirts, it's much more fun to wander along the narrow, winding main street through the old centre of town, with its plethora of little local shops selling everything from pigs trotters to fancy hatpins and where you can sit at a cafe in the square and enjoy the uniquely Greek atmosphere virtually untouched by tourism.

Down by the sea, there's a pleasant promenade with a number of tavernas and cafes which of an evening is a lively place for wining and dining. Outside the town, from the main harbour of Kastelli, there are boat trips to the incredible Venetian island fortress of Gramvousa and the nearby, bleached white sand beach of Balos, surrounded by a mesmerising turquoise lagoon. This whole area of Crete is truly an untapped explorers paradise with a vast network of little mountain roads, plus footpaths, rugged gorges and superb beaches. Every tiny village in the hills seems to have at least three churches and there are numerous small, virtually unknown archaeological sites in beautiful remote locations, where the perfect harmony between man & nature will take your breath away.