Loutro

Loutro occupies a small horseshoe bay on the Libyan Sea, backed by cliffs that leave no room for a road, so everything arrives by ferry or on foot along the coastal path, and there are no vehicles in the village at all. Whitewashed buildings with blue shutters line the shore in a single curve, all of them rooms or tavernas, with a pebble beach and water calm enough to swim in most days because the bay faces east away from the prevailing wind. Paths lead out in both directions: west toward Marmara beach and the mouth of the Aradena gorge, east along the old track to Chora Sfakion, and north up to the Anopoli plateau. Ruins of a Venetian fort and a Byzantine chapel stand on the headland above.

The main sights

• The car-free village - a single curve of white buildings on the bay.
• The sheltered water - a calm swimming bay facing away from the wind.
• The coastal paths - walking routes to Marmara, Sfakia and Anopoli.
• The headland ruins - a Venetian fort and old chapel above the village.

When to go

May, June, September and October for walking and swimming; July and August are hot on the paths and the village fills. Winter sees ferries reduced and most rooms closed.

Things to know

There is no road, no bank and no shop of any size, so bring what you need and plan around ferry times. The beach is small and pebble. Rooms are simple and book out in season. Ferries can be cancelled in strong wind.

Nearby

Chora Sfakion is twenty minutes by boat; Agia Roumeli and the Samaria gorge exit lie west along the coast.