Viena beach is located 10km west of Paleochora and 93km southwest of Chania. Krios beach is 9km west of Paleochora, at the end of the road, although the E4 footpath continues to Elafonisi.

There’s a twice-a-day bus from Paleochora to Koundoura - Krios (around 7.00am and 2.00pm, check in the bus station), or drive/take a taxi ; the 2-hour walk through Koundoura is uninspiring once the road leaves the coast, and not recommended.

As with Kadros, we first visited Viena with Tony Fennymore, and his notes, included here, will provide much information as to what to see and look for there. From the car park and taverna on Krios beach, walk along the shore to a rocky promontory, and climb over this to a small sheltered bay with a rock islet offshore. At the far end of the beach the path heads inland, way-marked with cairns and E4 black/yellow paint, climbing to join a rough track. Leave the track at a cairn, and take a path, left, gradually losing height, eventually veering left down a rather loose gully to reach the sea.

Viena is a fascinating place, where “there would appear to be a partially man-made anchorage out of a natural, protected harbour, and the remains of a Hellenistic/Roman sanctuary.” On the shore are the broken remains of several marble columns, which Tony believed once formed a temple here. “The actual building appears to have been located just a short distance back from the shoreline, where there is a raised platform for a room, with a ramp down to the sea, and the columns appear to have formed a portico/arcade at the front.” Where the columns came from, or how they arrived here, is a Stonehenge-like enigma, as they “are of marble or a type of red granite which does not appear to be of local origin.”

So why was a temple built here? Tony thought that it “could well have been a sanctuary or place of worship, and acted as a place of pilgrimage when voyaging around the headland”, and where libations and offerings were made before or after a long and hazardous sea journey.

Shards and fragments of pottery are everywhere, the remains of vessels once containing oil or wine. Tony speculates on the importance of the natural cave in the outcrop high above the cove. “The cave is no doubt the ‘key’ to the site, although there is no evidence whatsoever of any human habitation or use of the cave as a place of worship. In ancient times it could have been deemed to be a ‘home’ of one of the Gods/Goddesses, and it may have been capable of producing natural sounds, ie. from the wind – a sign that the Gods were speaking, or a Siren.” The Sirens were mythical sea-nymphs who lured passing sailors to their deaths with their sweetness of song. Odysseus, who possibly passed this way, filled his crew’s ears with wax, and lashed himself to the ship’s mast, to avoid such a fate. The climb to the cave takes around 20 minutes, and provides a fine retrospective view of the bay, but nothing of historical importance.

The water level in Hellenistic times (323 – 67BC) would have been far deeper than now, due to the raising of the level of the shoreline at this end of the island. “The cove/lagoon has a natural mole to form this protected anchorage, and it would appear that rocks have been cleared away from the cove so as to facilitate the mooring of boats. No doubt the cove was an ideal lair for pirates, and the site would have been looted.”

Water was of course essential, and “to the east of the platform is evidence of a well or pit, an important feature insomuch as the anchorage could well have been a stopping place to replenish water supplies of the boats.”

So what happened here? “From the various positions of the columns, the sanctuary was either badly damaged by an earthquake, or some attempt has been made to remove the columns for re-use.” That is, the site was destroyed and ransacked. Quietly contemplating before walking back to Krios, sitting on a column brought here over two thousand years ago, only one thing is certain – we shall never really know..

Crete though has an average of 300 days of sunshine annually, and statistically 22 of these fall in November, so don’t put the walking gear away yet. But shorter days require shorter walks, and this one, from Krios beach over to Viena, approx. 45 minutes each way, is ideal.

The 10km walk from Krios to Elafonisi is described in our book ‘Ten Walks around Paleohora’ by Bob & Lynne Tait, available from ‘To Delfini’ bookshop in Paleochora.

Viena Beach, Paleochora Viena Beach, Paleochora

Hiking in the area: Elafonisi Beach - Viena beach - Krios Beach:

Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios Hiking: Elafonisi - Viena - Krios

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Ravdoucha Beach in Rodopou Chania, west Crete

Afrata Beach in Chania, west Crete

Kedrodasos Beach and natural beauties in Chania, west Crete

Maleme Beach in Chania, west Crete

Kalives Beach Chania

Karavopetra Beach and Paleochora area in Chania, west Crete

Koutelos Beach in Fragokastelo

Lavrakas Beach by Gavdos Island, Chania, west Crete

Pachia ammos Beach and Paleochora area in Chania, west Crete

Plakaki Beach and Paleochora area in Chania, west Crete

Phoenix Beach by Loutro area in Chania, west Crete

Fragokastello Beach by Chania, west Crete

Fournoti Beach by Lefka Ori

Nopigia Beach by Kisamos area in Chania, west Crete

Marmara Beach by Loutro area in Chania, west Crete

Imbros Gorge in Chania, West Crete

Kandanos Gorge in Chania, West Crete

Arkadi gorge in Rethimno west Crete

Lissos Gorge in West Crete

Prasses Gorge in West Crete

Prasano gorge in Rethimno west Crete

Kallikratis gorge in Sfakia, west Crete

Theriso Gorge in Chania, West Crete

Topolia Gorge in Kisamos, Kasteli West Crete

Kandanos Gorge - Spina gorge

Mili or Myli gorge in Rethimno west Crete

Diktamos gorge in Chania west Crete

Agia Irini Gorge in Chania, West Crete

Sfakiano gorge in Sfakia, west Crete

Margarites gorge in Rethimno west Crete

Silde apartments in Chania, West Crete

Delta studios and apartments in Chania West Crete

Manolis Rooms in Paleochora, West Crete

Ilios apartments in Maleme Chania

Loutro in Sfakia west Crete Chania. Holidays and apartments

Paleochora, south west Crete

Georgioupolis in Chania, West Crete. Holidays and apartments

Rethymno Secret Treasure. West Crete

Vamos Apokoronas, Chania West Crete

Drapanias Village, Kissamos west Crete

Alikianos, Chania, west Crete

Vamvakopoulo in Chania, west Crete traditional villages

Agia Village, west Crete, Chania. Holidays and apartments

Maleme, west Crete, Chania. Holidays and apartments

Galatas Village, west Crete

Chora Sfakion in Sfakia west Crete

Sfakia in South-West Crete. Cretan nature

Sfinari Village, Kissamos west Crete

Nopigia Village, Kissamos west Crete

Chalepa Monastery, Rethimno Crete

Kapsa Monastery in Makrigialos East Crete

Agios Charalambos Monastery, West Crete

Exakoustis Monastery in Malles, Ierapetra

Palianis Monastery, Venerato Heraklion Crete

Agia Sofia Monastery in Armeni, East Crete

Agia Kiriaki Monastery, Varipetro, Chania

Apezanon Monastery, Messara Heraklion Crete

Atalis or Bali Monastery, Rethimno Crete

Kristalenia Monastery in Lasithi Plateau East Crete

Chrisoskalitisa Monastery, West Crete Elafonisi, Chania

Azogires Monastery, West Crete Paleochora

Gonies Monastery or Odigitrias, West Crete Kolimbari, Chania

Kremasta Monastery in Neapolis

Arkadi monastery in Rethimno. Cretan history