Directly below the Villa starts the European Hiking path E4. Very good areas for hiking in the mountains would be Kroustas, Katharo and the Lassithi plains. There are some wonderful gorges to be discovered too namely the Samaria gorge in western Crete. This is the longest gorge in Europe stretching 18km from the Omalos plateau 1,100m high in the Lefka Ori (White Mountains) to the Libyan Sea. The trek from top to bottom is long, hot and tiring, rather that difficult, but do it if you're reasonably fit - it's an experience you'll never forget. Good months for walking are March April, May, October, November, and December