Gavalochori is a good place to bring children on a vacation but not for the reasons you might think. It doesn’t have commercial activities in the area directed at children such as theme parks or similar kinds of manufactured and controlled experiences. What it does have is an environment in which children can create opportunities for play in a stimulating environment where you can be confident they will be safe. In Gavalochori, you are likely to see groups of children as young as five or six years old walking through the village together, talking and playing, often late at night, unaccompanied by adults. You can feel comfortable if your child wants to join such a group or maybe a spontaneous soccer game while you are shopping, exploring the Folklore Museum, or enjoying a meal and conversation in a taverna. If you want to provide your kids with more structured activities, you will have to go either to Chania (Χανιά) or Heraklion (Ηράκλειο).
So what are the options for having fun with children in and around Gavalochori?
First, of course, are the beaches, a favorite of just about any child. All of the beaches included in this website are suitable for children. Just don’t forget to apply sunscreen!
The complex of structures that is the Koumos Stone Village, all handmade of stone by one person, Giorgos Havaledakis, sits on a hill above Kalyves (Καλύβες). Among the words that might be used to describe it are weird, charming, and whimsical. Although this ensemble of stonework could be considered “outsider art” and is not connected to any Cretan tradition, children will delight in exploring the grounds and discovering buildings such as a chapel and taverna made out of stone as well as hundreds of smaller stone creations, including tables, chairs, arches, sculptures, and chandeliers. The taverna offers classic Greek dishes when the kids are tired of exploring. The idea for the village began in 1990, when Giorgos’s wife suggested he might like to build a stone table in the garden. To get to the Koumos Stone Village, turn left on the road immediately after the SYN.KA store in Kalyves.
If you are looking for your kids to work off some of their energy on playgrounds, you can find playground sets of various types and degrees of sophistication close to Gavalochori. Here are your closest options:
An option for kids is a weekly children’s play space in Vamos (Βάμος). To find it, you want to find the Church of Saint Nikolaos, which is the large church on the west side of Vamos. Take the perpendicular road across from the church until you see a small church on the left side of the road. Next to the church is a gold building with green shutters. This is the building you want. Inside is a large open space filled with things that will delight little kids (this is probably a place for kids younger than seven). Rugs dot the floor, and kids have at their disposal yoga balls, art supplies, net “cages” full of plastic balls, teddy bears, games, tiny sofas and tables, and, of course, other kids! The space is open year round on Fridays between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., although January and February tend to be quiet months, so the space may not be open as regularly during those months.
A bit farther away (40 kilometers or 25 miles), in the village of Platanias (Πλατανιάς), which is west of Chania, are two play areas that many kids will find exciting. Formula Mini Golf has go carts, minigolf, air hockey, and other games and equipment for small children. Minigolf Alaloum has go carts, a shooting stall, a carousel, and other such games and activities.
This website typically doesn’t feature sites as far away as Heraklion, which is a two-hour drive from Gavalochori, but many of the more structured tourist attractions designed for children are near there. If your kids are into animals, you have several options. The Amazonas Park is about 53 kilometers (33 miles) east of Heraklion near the village of Neapoli (Νεάπολη). A good place to spend about an hour, it is a privately funded animal park and rescue center focused on the conservation of endangered wildlife. Kids can pet animals; feed lemurs and monkeys; and see parrots, peacocks, toucans, tortoises, goats, and donkeys. Aquaworld Aquarium and Reptile Rescue Centre features sea life and reptiles from Crete and around the world. Located 27 kilometers (17 miles) from Heraklion, visitors not only can watch sea life in tanks and ponds but also can help feed them and handle snakes, tortoises, and lizards. Many of the animals you see here were rescued or injured and now have a permanent home in the center. Dinosauria Park offers children interaction with animals of a different kind—prehistoric dinosaurs. Although it will strike some as cheesy, children who are really into dinosaurs will undoubtedly enjoy the fossil replicas, huge animatronic dinosaurs, and the 5D and 7D cinemas showing various aspects of dinosaur life. You can find the park near the village of Gournes (Γούρνες), 15 kilometers (9 miles) east of Heraklion.
The closest water park to Gavalochori is the Aqua Creta Limnoupolis Water Park just outside of Chania. It has a large pool, water slides that offer varying degrees of fun and terror, a kids’ pool, a lazy river, and a restaurant and bar.
Water parks are available near Heraklion, too. The Acqua Plus Water Park is 30 kilometers (18 miles) east of Heraklion and 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the village of Chersonisos (Χερσόνησος). It has an adult section with extreme waterslides and games and a children’s section with milder slides and water games. Other amenities include a beach-volley court, a mini football (soccer) court, cafes, lockers, showers, and a fish spa. The Star Beach Water Park is east of the port of Chersonisos, 29 kilometers (18 miles) east of Heraklion. It is a large complex of swimming pools with water slides, fountains, swimming pools for babies, and a children’s playground so that children can have fun in a safe and controlled environment. Another water park east of Heraklion is the Watercity Water Park near the village of Kokkini Hani (Κοκκίνη Χάνι), 14 kilometers (9 miles) from Heraklion. It features pools for children with lifeguards, playgrounds in the water, a wave pool, a lazy river and a crazy river, and a wide variety of water games designed for families. A mini market, cafes, and changing rooms and showers are also on site.
For more culturally relevant attractions that will still appeal to children, check out the Cretan Olive Oil Farm near Agios Nikolaos (Άγιος Νικόλαος), 64 kilometers (40 miles) from Heraklion, which introduces visitors to the traditional Cretan way of life. You can take a guided tour around the farm or participate in a number of workshops on topics such as cheesemaking (where you can help milk and feed the goats), pottery, cooking lessons, and (for the adults) wine tasting. Another culturally relevant activity is the Labyrinth Theme Park close to Chersonisos, 25 kilometers (15 miles) east of Heraklion. This park was designed by a British architect famous for maze design, and the three-dimensional labyrinth is based on the myth of the Minotaur and features stairways, bridges, towers, and rooms. Other activities available at the park include horseback riding, archery, miniature golf, and a pottery workshop.
Lake Kournas (Λίμνη Κουρνά) is a large lake fed by fresh waters that flow through groundwater and springs that are fed by snowmelt from the White Mountains. One of only a few freshwater lakes on Crete, it is home to many species of birds and aquatic plants, so kids might very well see geese and wild ducks, sweet water turtles, grey herons, green sandpipers, and kingfishers. At the lake, children can enjoy pedal boats, swimming, and perhaps a walk on the narrow path around the lake. Tavernas at the shoreline or above give many options when the little ones get hungry. Lake Kournas is 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Gavalochori.
Another natural attraction that will fascinate children is the cave of Skoteino, located 23 kilometers (14 miles) east of Heraklion and about one kilometer northwest of the village of Skoteino (Σκοτεινό). This cave was used for worship as early as 1900 BC, and several items from the late Minoan through the Roman periods have been found in it. The cave is easy to enter through steps, which open up into impressive clusters of stalagmites and stalactites.
