The Little Fun Train Of Platanias
The Little Fun Train is aptly-named. Clearly it’s not a train, but it runs slowly and allows its passengers to survey the countryside as it goes along. You take in the scenery and enjoy the ride. The seats are not particularly comfortable, but then you stop frequently to explore some interesting places. It’s not suitable for young children, but people do take babies which is crazy. The routes are numerous, well-advertised and have plenty of variety. There is a train which goes to the Water Park - maybe that’s the one for families with young children. Any extra costs are clearly shown on the website and in brochures and the locals are just trying to eke out some additional income for their traditional produce. If you go on trip-advisor, you would be forgiven for thinking that the Cretan municipalities had invented the biggest scam ever. Ignore!
We did three tours since we had plenty of time. It’s a fantastic way to explore some authentic Cretan villages cheaply and which are very close to the somewhat grotesque tourist areas on the coast. It’s little. It’s fun.
The Western Adventure
This tour is quite long. It departs late afternoon and can return in the dusk. Babies? It can get cold too up in the hills, so take a hoodie or a jumper. It’s not waterproof either!
Platanias - Gerani- Maleme- Rapiana - Kolymbari
We left Agia Marina and picked up at the places above. Some parts of Platanias now resemble Blackpool. We passed by Maleme Airport, which no longer has commercial flights, just training programmes for piloting light aircraft. Maleme was a strategic airfield in WW2 and the cause of such brutality locally. Enough of that. At Rapania we stopped for our last group of passengers. However, they were not there. Five minutes passed. Ten….the driver and ticket-collector / guide set off to try to find them. This was not part of the plan. It is typical of how some people behave. They couldn’t give a shit. Eventually, a fairly large number of people appeared in dribs and drabs, including quite young children and a baby! You will soon discover why this tour is maybe not suited to children.
At last the tour begins.
Spilia & the Distillery
First stop is the raki distillery near Spilia. It’s a fascinating insight into the production process of the drink which kills you every night after your meal. There’s also a stall set up where you can purchase various flavours of the deadly poison. You can also buy honey and some other local fare. The prices are reasonable and you are guaranteed satisfaction! The train drops you here and goes off to turn, ready to hit the hills of Spilia. The views are magnificent, too. Naturally, a few are bored by this and begin to wonder why they have come. Clowns.
Cave Of St. John, The Hermit
As you travel through the beautiful countryside the guide explains the history of the places or recalls anecdotes. He has a dodgy microphone system, but you can catch most things. There tends to be an emphasis on the mythological rather than factual but who cares? The little train climbs and the views are amazing.
Next stop is the Cave of the Hermit, a famous landmark in these parts. It is huge. Some parts are awkward to navigate (wear good shoes, not flipflops). The main area of the cave is still set up for local children to re-enact the Nativity, complete with animals. There is plenty of information online about this place, but it is surprising in its scale. It costs 2 euros to enter. Worth every penny.
Vouves, The Ancient Olive Tree
Then it was off to see the centre-piece of this trip, the alleged oldest olive tree in the world. It also had a cafe with some of the best orange and lemon cake in the world! The tree is surrounded by a low-walled area with grass growing around it. It is humbling, even if a tree. There is a museum too for those who come independently and have more time.
The Cafe, Vouves
The toilets are a welcome facility and are popular with the train passengers. I opted for the lemonopita at the counter and a soft drink. You do have to pay for the cake. Shocking, I know.
Half an hour later we are dropping down through the hills on our return journey. Passengers get off exactly where they are picked up. Sorted.
Lovely trip. Nice weather. Lasts around three and a half hours. Do it!
Orange Valley
Apostoli Park - Galata - Orange Farm
This time we headed in the opposite direction, east. Again it was an afternoon trip, leaving around 4.15 p.m. The train first went to the main pick-up at Apostoli in the park area. Apostoli is quite up-market and has a nice beach. Then we made for Galata before making for the rural areas. Our first stop was the Orange Farm, where you were invited to ‘pick your own orange’ from a tree. Neat. Crete must be one of the orange capitals in the world. They grow various types and have fresh oranges all year round.
The train stopped at the farm and we wandered through the orchard to choose a nice big juicy orange. Once harvesting was complete, it was over to the stalls for local produce, including, of course, bags of oranges. The usual suspects were there, olive oil, honey and raki.
We boarded the train and the first bit of confusion started. Some people had decided to switch seats, which did not amuse the driver and his assistant. For some time were convinced that some passengers had been abandoned in the orchard.
Phournes & The Church
We then set off for the White Mountains, the reason for the trip. We passed through Phournes where there is an important church with unusual towers on either side. We did not stop but it was easy to take photographs from the moving train. They do ask you not to lean out of the carriages for safety reasons.
Meskla
The train climbed up towards the mountains, travelling through deep valleys and along narrow roads. We were heading south now towards the beginning of the famous gorges of Crete. Obviously the train could go only so far and, thus, we arrived at the quiet village of Meskla. There are ruins here dating back to the Minoan period. Meskla had a couple of tavernas and an impressive church, with a clock tower. It struck six as I took a video. Fluke. Some wandered around the village to take photos, while others explored the interior of the church.
Then it was time to set off for the usual refreshment stop.
Gephyra Taverna
Close to the bridge on a sweeping bend in the road is the well-maintained Taverna Gephyra (bridge). Surrounded by baskets of goodies and crates of oranges it was a photographer’s dream. They had prepared fresh juices for everyone and trays of delicious kalitsounia. There were also lemon sweets. Opposite the taverna there was a stall stacked to the brim with local produce. I tucked into the pasties which were freshly-baked. Then I crossed the road to get some images of the taverna. Later I found more evidence of the bizarre behaviour of some of our passengers. I often scan my photographs and zoom in to see if I have missed something interesting when the photo was taken. Sure enough, there was a couple seated in the front of the taverna. I didn’t even notice them when I took the photo. However, when I zoomed in closely, the woman had turned with an odd expression and her companion was giving it the middle finger. Malaka!
I liked the taverna. The owners had put in considerable effort to make food and drinks which were quite inexpensive. Few bought anything. Miserable malakes.
As we travelled back, it became increasingly cold, especially with the movement of the train. You need those layers. As compensation, you get incredible sunsets on the coast road.
Hidden Treasures
This was our third and final train trip of the holiday. The train headed west through Platanias again, but shortly after took an abrupt left turn into narrow lanes. Soon we were passing through Vrysses, which had suffered such an unpleasant past (please read online). The road was so patchy it felt as if we were dirt-tracking in places. Definitely fun.
Manousakis Winery
We were heading for the celebrated Manousakis Winery for a tasting. I had nearly booked an evening-out here which included a meal. The place was very busy when we arrived with taxis and other vehicles finding it extremely difficult to access or exit the winery. Perhaps they were overcooking their ability to accommodate their expectations. It certainly looked a classy enterprise but some staff appeared overwhelmed. There were many guests having meals. I wasn’t convinced by the state of their plates.
We were invited to the garden to taste the different wines and formed a reasonably disordered queue. A very pleasant young woman served us and explained the nature of each wine. She wore a shirt which proclaimed, “We are what we drink.” I wholeheartedly concurred with the sentiment. So, there we were in beautiful surroundings drinking wine at 5 in the afternoon. Wine not? The owners lived on site and had a lovely house and manicured gardens on site. Very nice.
The Monastery Of Varipetro
This may be the most spectacular location I have ever been in on all my visits to Crete. We passed the signs for the Water Park and started climbing the steep mountain road. Near the monastery we parked in an open space overlooking Chania way below in the distance. We had to walk from here. We were given instructions on what to do and what not to do in the monastery. It was fairly regimented. We would be led like goats.
The path went down initially and passed over a small bridge. This was like something from Rivendell in Tolkien’s epic. Cue photographs. This was already impressive. The path went up towards the main entrance. The buildings started to loom large. Everything was new. There had been a grant and considerable investment for the monastery to be completely renovated. The neighbouring fields and land were cultivated and the produce sold. They had a shop for us, of course. Nun’s Habitat.
We had to follow a nun discreetly through the area where services were held. Some nuns were reading alone at lecterns. Some of our party, excited by the pervasive religiosity, broke rank and made for a sacred shrine, muttering their devotions. Fortunately, the nuns turned a blind eye and we continued to the courtyard outside. There a senior nun came out to address us. The views across the hillside were amazing, as were those towards Chania in the distance. Then the nun started to speak. She spoke gently but powefully, railing against authoritarianism and global unease. She spoke passionately about climate and spirituality and family. She continued in this manner for a long time. I could see our guide becoming a tad concerned. Dusk was setting in. We still had to visit the shop. I was definitely up for getting whatever the nun was having. Also we had another scheduled stop! But she was having none of it. She was in full Gettysburg flow.
Finally she stopped and we filed into the shop to purchase books or lemoncello or whatever produce they made there. The nuns were cool.
Eventually we arrived back at the car park. There was a sense of urgency from the driver to leave. Naturally, this was the cue for several passengers to wander off up another track to photograph the sunset. It was really good, but the time for exploring had long passed. I took a cracking shot of the train there which adorns this blog.
Fresh Juice & The Late Show
At last we were sliding back down the twisted road. We came to a bend and……stopped. On the side of the road were two people with a stall loaded with fresh orange and fresh cranberry juice. Most of the punters groaned. I bought some juices which were excellent. Few forked out for the disappointed locals who had been standing there for ages while were in the monastery. We didn’t even have to get out of the train because they would bring them to you. The groaning was pathetic.
By the time we reached the coastal road back it was dark. We were way over the scheduled time. We got out right opposite our hotel and crossed the road to our local taverna, the Mylonas. Perfect timing.
I can’t recommend the Little Fun Train enough. Great locations. And something weird always happens. Get on Board!