What to do in Sougia
Many people come to Sougia in order to have a quiet time and enjoy its beautiful beach. For the more active there are a fair number of things to do.
A walk to nearby Lissos is almost a must. Lissos
was a very significant town in ancient times and there are still
many ruins left, particularly an Aesculap (Asklipios) sanctuary.
The walk to Lissos and back takes
about 4 hours at a leisurely pace. The atmosphere in Lissos is
so peaceful that it is well worth spending time there, wandering
around the ruins and enjoying the silence, broken only by the
sound of sheep bells.
Driving up (by bus early morning or by taxi) to the village of Agia Irini
and walking down through the gorge of Agia Irini is
also a very nice walk.
Another beautiful walk follows the coast towards the East to the chapel of the
Prophet Elias. As it takes about 4 hours to get there it is a good idea to hire
a boat one way and return on foot. Click here for
a detailed description of the walk.
Further afield and if you have a car you can drive up to the ancient city of Elyros (situated close to present day Rodovani). It is located on a hill overlooking the sea and the mountains and there are plenty of ruins to see (although only a few have been excavated). Driving west you can also get to Paleochora if you feel like visiting a more lively village.
Of course, if you haven't been there before, a visit to Chania and its Venetian old town is a must. If you don't have a car you can go by bus in the morning and return with the afternoon bus, although it will not leave you much time to visit Chania.
You can also take a public bus (or a taxi) in the morning to Omalos and walk through the famous Samaria Gorge. For the less fit, an alternative is to take the ferryboat to Agia Roumeli and walk a part of the Samaria gorge from the bottom up, returning in time for the afternoon ferry which returns to Sougia.
Snorkelling is possible, the water is very clear with a visibility of up to 20 meters but if you want to fish you will need to be able to dive quite deep.