Sougia in southwestern Crete

You may be a little disappointed when you first arrive at Sougia. At least I was. But the village tend to grow on you, after a while you can't do anything but like it. From the ferry quay we see the long beach that stretches along the entire bay, and it is first and foremost the beach that attracts tourists here, and the calm atmosphere.

The long beach in Sougia in one direction.

Sougia has grown in popularity in recent years. Tourism is still in its infancy, there are no big hotels, but there is no lack of accommodation options. On the contrary, there are plenty of pensions. It is a small settlement if you just pay regard to the buildings, but thanks to its long beach, the village is larger in area than both Chora Sfakion and Loutro. The village centre consists of a few streets with shops, tavernas, cafes and pensions. ATM is available.

The small main street ends at the beach which extend in two directions. The beach consists of pebbles and is so long that you can hardly see the end of it. Some stones are huge and are used to build works of art. I have many times seen naked stone builders struggle with their works of art. Once a guy struggled for hours to get his stones to balance. I promise, it wasn't easy.

Naked stone builder at the part of the beach popular with nudists.

Impressive stone artwork along the beach.

One wonders how on earth the stones can stand without falling.

Of course, one does not have to be naked to play with the stones. But on that part of the beach where there are large stones, many people are sunbathing and swimming naked. So this is where you should go if you like nudism, if not just stick closer to the "centre". The beach is long enough for everyone.

Sougia is a perfect base if you are going to hike, just like its neighbouring villages Chora Sfakion and Loutro. The E4 path do also pass by Sougia and it is possible to hike to Paleochora in the west and Agia Roumeli in the east. The beautiful gorge of Agia Irini lies a few kilometres north of Sougia. I have only walked parts of the gorge and what I experienced aroused my interest. So I will definitely return. Another hike is the one that leads to Lissos, it begins in the small harbour of Sougia.

Agia Irini Gorge above Sougia.

Above Souiga is Polyphemus cave, which you can hike to if you're in the mood, which I'm not, because it's a tough hike. Polyphemus was the great one-eyed Cyclops who imprisoned Odysseus and his crew in a cave and then ate six of them. But Odysseus outwitted Polyphemus and managed to escape. All according to Homer's entertaining book The Odyssey. The cave is located between the villages of Sougia and Koustogerako.

If you live in Sougia, you can go by boat between the villages on the south coast. There are two car ferries running the route Paleochora, Sougia, Agia Roumeli, Loutro and Chora Sfakion, and back again. Sougia is about 33 kilometers east of Paleochora if you come by car.

The small port in Sougia where the hike to Lissos begins.

From the port of Sougia there are ferries to Paleochora, Agia Roumeli, Loutro and Chora Sfakion.

ACCOMMODATION IN SOUGIA

The best way to get to know Sougia is to stay overnight. The evenings are really cosy, and sitting in a taverna, listening to the sound of the waves is amazing. A hotel we love staying at is Santa Irene which is located as close to the beach as you can get.

Book Santa Irene here »

Book other hotels in Sougia here »

WHAT YOU MUST NOT MISS WHEN YOU ARE IN SOUGIA

Don't miss the hike to Lissos, which you can read about here »

READ MORE ABOUT CRETE HERE »