There are many things to do round the retreat and further afield. Most guests do very little and simply relax. Here’s a mini guide to possible options:
Massage
There is always at least one kind of high quality massage on offer, ranging from oil massage and Thai massage to deep holistic healing. We have some incredibly talented masseurs and it’s a great way to complete your relaxation. A therapy session here should work well together with the yoga on the holiday.
Hammock Time
We recommend spending as much time as possible in one of the many hammocks around the retreat. Time slows, perspective shifts and insight arises. An undervalued yoga technique 🙂 Hammock yoga – surrender to the peace.
Library & Film Night
Our library has a good selection of yoga and reading books and if it suits the week we sometimes have a film night.
Beaches & Swimming
There three beautiful beaches within walking distance along with little coves and many sandy stretches if you hire a car for the week. Our local bay can be accessed down some stone steps from the retreat. A ten minute walk away over the headland is a completely unspoiled long stretch of sandy beach. Beyond that are Triopetra’s beaches.
Snorkelling
It is not prolific tropical reef but there are some nice fish and the visibility can be mind blowing. Click here to check out some of the fish you may see.
Can we borrow snorkels?
Yes we have snorkels, masks and flippers for you to borrow.
Walking
There are lots of nice walks around the retreat.
Spili
A popular afternoon out is to go to Spili which is about forty minutes drive and has many shops for tasteful souvenirs and tavernas for, amongst other things, traditional ice coffee.
Agia Galini
Agia Galini is a pleasant seaside holiday town 30 minutes by car east of Agios Pavlos. It is a busy little place with shopping and you will appreciate the peace and quiet of Yoga Rocks on your return.
Matala
A little further afield from Yoga Rocks is Matala where Joni Mitchell and lots of other hippies once lived in caves. You can see the caves (that were once Roman burial caves), a nice beach and lots of tourist shops. Guests return with completely conflicting reviews but we like it! It makes a nice addition to a day out at Phaistos which is on the way to Matala.
Phaistos/Festos Palace
Crete is full of ancient history and the best place to see it is just a day trip away from Yoga Rocks. Phaistos is a spectacular palace in an incredible location. On a plateau with Mt. Ida/ Psiloritis as one impressive backdrop. Click here for an interesting web page on Phaistos or another webpage is here.
Boat Trip to Preveli
On some holidays where there is time, space and appetite, we organise a boat trip to Preveli beach and explore inland up the river. An Indiana Jones type of day out. We can also help you to do this solo. The beach is nothing to special but the gorge if you head far enough is spectacular.
Knossos
Knossos is too far to visit from the retreat in a day trip but you could go and see it easily on your way to Heraklion airport. It is the most famous archaeological site on Crete. This site has a lot of information on it – click here.
Psiloritis/Mount Ida
You can still see snow on the top of Psiloritis, Crete’s highest mountain, from the wild beach into June – a great sensation when you come out of the sea. In Greek mythology this was where Zeus was born and spent much of his childhood.
So much more!
There are so many things to do on Crete, some just too far to do in day trips whist on retreat. We’re happy to help if you fancy extending your holiday on the island after the retreat. You can use some of your new found energy to get to know anything from Europe’s biggest gorge to the delights of Chania.
