How to reach Sfakia

How to reach us by car

If you arrive in Crete by plane, you will either arrive at Chania Airport, in the northwest of Crete, or at Heraklion Airport, towards the northeast.

The same goes when you arrive by ferry boat to Crete. You will either arrive at Souda Harbour (Chania), or at Heraklion port

Chania airport and harbour are more close to Sfakia, in the southwest.

Both connections are on good quality roads. Driving from either airport or port, the drive consists of 3 parts:

• • From the airport or port to the National Highway
• • On the National Highway, along the north coast, to the fork towards the south, at Vryses village
• • On the road through the mountains, from Vryses south to Sfakia

We can arrange a hire car for you, and deliver it at Chania or Heraklion airport, or harbour, or at your hotel elsewhere in Crete. You can find our car models and rates here:

Road connections from Chania (top left) and Heraklion (top right) airports to Sfakia (down) through fork at Vryses.

Click above image for full size.

You can find another, large, road map of Crete on this site, here:

Interactive map of Crete with the Sfakia region in red. You can zoom in and out, and get directions.

  From Chania airport to Sfakia

Drive out of the airport area, and follow the road south to Chania for about 7-8 km.

Interactive map of Crete with driving directions from Chania airport towards Vrises (Vryses). You can zoom in and out, and get directions.

As you arrive at a roundabout with a Y fork on the opposite side, change direction, and take the left fork of the road, towards Souda Bay.

Follow the road until you pass under a fly-over, and turn directly left, following the signs left towards Rethymno. You will now drive on the National Highway for about 30 km towards Vrisses.

Directly after Vryses, leave the National Highway, and take the large fork to the right

This is how the right turn location from Chania, just past the village of Vryses, looks like

Directly after Vryses, leave the National Highway, and take the large fork to the right. Just follow this partly renovated country road for 40 km to Sfakia, through the mountains, passing the village of Vryses, and then through Krapi, Askyfou and Imbros (3 small tunnels), and then down the mountains again.

As you reach the sea side, at a large white taverna at the left side of the road, turn right to Chora Sfakion, or left to Frangokastello.

The whole drive is nearly 80 km long and takes about 90 minutes by car.

  From Heraklion airport to Sfakia

Drive out of the airport area, to the exit of the National Highway. Turn right towards the west, stay on the National Highway for about 100 km, following the signs towards Rethymno, pass the city, and continue towards the villages of Kavros and Georgioupoli.

Just 3,4 km after Georgioupoli, leave the National Highway, and take the large fork to the right

This is how the right turn location from Heraklion (and Rethymno) looks like

Just 3,4 km after Georgioupoli, take the fork at the right, leaving the National Highway. Follow the curved road to the left, passing under the National Highway through a fly-under, and continue on the partly renovated countryroad through the mountains to Sfakia for 40 km, through the mountains, passing the village of Vryses, and then through Krapi, Askyfou and Imbros (3 small tunnels), and then down the mountains again.

As you reach the sea side, at a large white taverna at the left side of the road, turn right to Chora Sfakion, or left to Frangokastello.

The whole drive is nearly 145 km long and takes about 2½ hours by car.

How to reach us by bus

Travel by public bus on Crete

On Crete you can fairly comfortably travel by public bus. There are no trains in Crete, nor is there a railway system.

Crete offers an extended grid of public bus routes. They are mainly operating to enable villagers to go to the cities in Crete. But they offer a cheap option to tourists as well, although the timetable is not designed to be of special service to tourists. Nevertheless you will often see tourists in the local buses on Crete, sometimes even mainly tourists.

You need to study the grid, the connections, and the timetable to find your way with the bus in Crete. You can buy tickets at major bus stations, at kiosks, or otherwise in the bus itself.

The Greek public bus company is called KTEL, the "Intercity Road Transport Companies in Greece". It is a cooperative company of local bus companies, established in 1952. Each individual bus is owned by one or more private persons, who themselves are responsible for maintaining and operatining the bus. After taxes its revenues are split amongst the shareholders. The planning of the timetable is done by the cooperation KTEL.

KTEL has many offices all over Greece.

On Crete public transport by bus is organised by KTEL West-Crete and KTEL East-Crete.

Below you find diagrams of all the bus connections in Crete:

Interregional bus connections Heraklion - Rethymnon - Chania

Bus connections west-Crete; yellow = departure from Kastelli; red = departure from Chania

Bus connections central Crete

Bus connections east-Crete

  How to reach us by bus from Chania town:

From Chania to Chora Sfakion, Sfakia, there are direct buses. You do not have to switch bus.

Here is how to find the main bus station in Chania town:

Location of Chania bus station

Timetable buses from Chania to Sfakia

  How to reach us by bus from Heraklion and Rethymnon town:

To reach us by bus from Heraklion (and Rethymno), you need to take a bus from Heraklion or Rethymno towards Chania, and change bus at the village of Vryses. There you switch bus, in order to join the Chania - Sfakia bus, passing through Vryses.

In Heraklion are 2 different main bus stations. From Station A the buses leave to Rethymno and Chania (switch bus at Vryses, between Rethymno and Chania):

From Heraklion bus station A the buses leave to Rethymno - Vryses - Chania

Location of Rethymno bus station

Timetable main line buses between Heraklion - Rethymno - Chania

How to reach us by ferry

  How to reach us by ferry along the southwest coast

Sfakia can be reached by ferry boat along the southwest coast of Crete, connecting the villages of Paleochora, Sougia, Agia Roumeli, Loutro and Chora Sfakion. From Paleochora and Chora Sfakion also the island of Gavdos can be reached.

The South West Crete ferry connections

You can find all ferry information and timetables on our ferry page:

How to reach us by taxi

  How to reach us by taxi transfer

To avoid waiting times at Chania and Heraklion airports, and harbours, and for the best prices you can order a luxurious Mercedes Taxi or mini bus to bring you directly from the airports or harbours on Crete, or from your hotel elsewhere in Crete, to Chora Sfakion and surrounding villages and back.

We will welcome you at the airport, just outside the room with the luggage belts, when you enter the main airport lounge, with your name on a board, if you pre-order our taxi together with your flight number and arrival details. In 90 minutes from Chania airport or in 130 minutes from Heraklion airport you will be in Chora Sfakion very comfortably. Frangokastello is about 15 minutes longer.

You can find all information about a taxi or mini bus to or from Sfakia on our taxi transfer page:

How to reach us on foot

  How to reach us on foot along the southwest coast

You can reach Sfakia by foot on the coastal path along the southwest coast of Crete. This path connects all the villages of Paleochora - Sougia - Agia Roumeli - Loutro and Chora Sfakion. To walk this path you need to be a quite experienced hiker! Your luggage can be transported by ferry while you walk. Contact the accommodation owner at your destination, and tell him with what ferry your luggage will arrive, and they will pick it up from the boat, and put it in the room you have reserved with them.