Koxare: Caves and Paths in the Cretan Hinterland

Koxare combines the character of a traditional settlement in the prefecture of Rethymno with the wild natural landscape of the Cretan hinterland. Two caves lie at distinctly different elevations; in addition, the Agouseliana–Spili route passes through the village to the entrance of the Kourtaliotiko Gorge. A provincial road leads to Koxare and connects the village with the historic monastery and the southern coasts of the prefecture. For planning your holiday, this brings together the landscape, a specific route and regional road connections.

Caves and elevations in the hinterland

Beligré Cave is in Koxare at an elevation of 470 m, while Chonos Cave is at 1,100 m. The difference between these elevations is 630 m. This comparison makes the natural landscape more tangible: the two caves are geographical reference points at distinctly different elevations. Together with the surrounding wild natural landscape, they paint a picture of a place whose character is closely connected to the Cretan hinterland.

If you weigh the landscape and character of a place when choosing where to stay on holiday, these features offer concrete points of reference. Koxare’s traditional settlement character and the two caves complement each other as distinct aspects of the village: here, both the settlement environment and natural features with clearly stated elevations are relevant. This can help you assess Koxare not just by a single excursion destination, but by the character of its surroundings.

A route through Koxare to the gorge

The Agouseliana–Spili route passes through Koxare and continues to the entrance of the Kourtaliotiko Gorge. This connects a specific route with the village. If you would like to include routes and scenery in your holiday plans, you can consider this connection as a point of reference in its own right—unlike the caves’ elevations, which describe the natural landscape from a geographical perspective. The route is particularly relevant if you want to take it into account when choosing your surroundings.

The stated visiting period is January to December. Check local conditions before travelling and factor your travel dates into your plans.

Road connections and choosing where to stay

The Koxaron–Moni Prevelis provincial road leads to Koxare and connects the village with the historic monastery and the southern coasts of the prefecture. Together with the route, this offers a useful distinction for travel planning: the route passes through Koxare to the entrance of the gorge, while the provincial road connects the village with regional destinations. These are two different ways of finding your bearings, and each may play a different role depending on your holiday plans.

When looking for a holiday apartment, you can consider these connections in light of your travel plans: is the route to the entrance of the gorge the main point of reference for you, or would you also like to take the road connection to the monastery and the southern coasts into account? This consideration links the specific features of the village with your choice of location, without assuming that all the aspects mentioned are equally important for every trip.

Discover more destinations: Gonia, Somatas, Asteri, Roussospiti, Agios Pavlos, Roústika, Charkia, Bali

For the broader travel overview: Rethymno.