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Lone women walkers

In Greece there is great respect for the family and, therefore, the role women play within the family. Cretan (and especially Sfakiot) society is very ‘macho’, but lone women travellers and walkers are as safe in Crete as anywhere.

However, women travelling on their own for pleasure, curiosity or interest should be aware that this could be misconstrued. It has not been a normal part of the local culture, although all such ideas are changing nowadays. In particular, the high pastures of the Lefka Ori are traditionally a men-only workplace. In the other mountain ranges, where either the conditions, or the customs, are a bit different, you may see whole families working together. Cretan women of the countryside have observed visiting foreign women for many years, so they are well aware of what they miss out on or gain in comparison. In the mountains, you could meet the culture halfway by creating an impression of community patronage – give the name of an accommodation destination, as every family-run business in a particular locality is known.