Title: Western Crete : 45 Walks in Kissamos and Selinos: Author: Alan Hall.
ISBN 1-85284-419-1 Publisher: Cicerone Press. 
website link: www.cicerone.co.uk
Price: Around 17.75 Euros. (£12.00).
Source: Book Sellers/Publisher.



Western Crete : 45 Walks in Kissamos and Selinos:  The Review.
 

Kissamos and Selinos, which together make up the whole of Crete west of Kolimbari, contain some of the most picturesque and breathtaking landscapes on the island. It was only a matter of time before an excellent guide to walking in the area was published, and this pocket-sized book fits the bill admirably.

Those of us who took a whole day to complete the Samaria Gorge walk and needed nearly twelve months to recover will rejoice to see that not all the walks contained in the book require muscles of steel or an oxygen cylinder.  There are even one or two “potters” of a couple of hours’ duration!  But for the fitter – and the fittest – amongst us, there are 10 hour treks of up to 30 km, or shorter but harder slogs over mountainous territory.

Most Cretophiles are only too well aware of the lack of decent maps that cover the island. Even the road network is poorly illustrated! So, needless to say, footpaths do not feature very highly on maps – with the exception of the legendary E4, of course. But Alan Hall’s book features walks that start and/or finish at easily-identifiable locations, many of which are in villages or on bus routes. So, having located the start of your walk, you just have to follow his very comprehensive directions and the little map included in each case, and you should have little difficulty in following the path. Having said that, of course, there is always the possibility that the shepherd has moved the fence, or the marker tree has blown down, or the white house has been painted pink!

Each walk flags up ‘Items of interest’, which may be a village with a grisly war history, a Byzantine church with frescoes, a cave, or even items of geological interest.  If you are sensible, you will not be doing these walks in the full heat of summer, so with luck you will also be able to spot lots of things of interest in the bird and wildflower line as well. There is nothing to prevent you from stopping to enjoy the view or take a few photographs!

At the beginning of the description of each walk are details about the distance involved, the height gain, the difficulty level, the approximate time needed, references to any available maps (!), and even where the nearest accommodation is available. This last item is useful in case of reliance on public transport!

Also included are all the vital warnings about safety measures and suitability of weather conditions when following any of the walks in this book. Never forget that there is no equivalent of Mountain Rescue on Crete , and do not even attempt to undertake a walk that you suspect may be pushing you to the limits.