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Hear the sounds of the sea whilst practising  yoga with Marios Argiros in this small family run hotel.

With these holidays Marios brings together two of his greatest passions, Iyengar yoga teaching and the island of Crete, which he has been visiting for over twenty years.

The area 

The yoga holidays take place at Hotel Leonidas, a small, friendly place owned by the warm and welcoming Mylonakis family. The hotel is situated by the beach in Drapanias Bay near the quiet coastal town of Kastelli in the Kissamos area of Crete. It is about half an hour from the historic city of Chania and about forty-five minutes from its airport.

Between the hotel and the beach there is a tiled and covered area which serves as an ideal yoga space. This is the venue for a two hour morning class and a ninety minute early evening class (including some pranayama) which are accompanied by the relaxing sound of the sea washing the beach.

The yoga holiday is suitable for all levels from beginner upwards. There will be one free evening during the week (usually Friday or Saturday) to allow for more extended trips.

The area around the hotel is quiet and rural, even though it is right on the coast. The village of Drapanias is a ten minute walk and from there you can catch buses to either Kastelli or Chania. Taxis (reasonably priced) can always be arranged by the hotel owners for trips if you prefer not to hire a car.

There is a campsite next door which has a minimarket, bar and taverna and just a short walk away there is another campsite where you can use their exquisitely situated pool (see below left).

Your day  

Each day there is a generous brunch prepared by Niki and family following the morning class, and then your time is your own, to go off exploring - on foot, bike or car (hire can be arranged), to enjoy time on the beach swimming or sunbathing, or to just relax away from the usual hectic pace of life.

There will be a second early evening yoga class - there will be one free evening during the week with no yoga to allow for extended sightseeing trips.

This part of Crete is a wonderfully varied area, known for its olive oil since antiquity, and there are many brilliant places to visit within easy reach. Falassarna (below) is a beautiful long sweep of yellow sand facing west which has the most stunning sunsets - it's only 15 mins drive away.

Boat trips can be arranged to Balos Bay and the Gramvousa peninsula which are inaccessible by road but offer fabulous swimming, snorkelling and sunbathing.

Nearby Kastelli (also known as Kissamos) is a quiet untouristy sort of place, with plenty of shops, tavernas, bank, post office etc.

The evocative city of Chania (left) is a wonderful place to spend a few hours exploring. It was first settled by the Minoans and remains one of the longest continuously inhabited city sites anywhere in the world.

The area around its Venetian harbour is full of interesting shops, cafes and restaurants, and the covered food market is worth visiting for its huge variety of local produce.

It also has a richly stocked archaeological museum housed in a building that was once a Venetian church and then a Turkish mosque. A meal in a harbour side taverna is one possibility for the free evening.
 

Marios Argiros is an Iyengar Teacher who combines teaching yoga with his work as a classical musician.

He came to yoga originally through neck and back problems he had been unable to solve with other therapies and found that Iyengar yoga had a transforming effect on his life and his work as a musician.

Marios has studied and practised yoga for many years and completed his teacher training at the Manchester and District Iyengar Yoga Institute.

He has studied with many eminent teachers, including the Iyengar family at the Ramamani Memorial Institute in Pune, India.

You can find out more about Marios on his website.
 

2008 Programme

*A child is assumed to be 10 - 12 years and an infant is under 10 years and accompanied by a parent not doing yoga; there are no creche facilities as yet but this may be an option in future years. Teenagers are charged the full non-participant rate.

**In the event of a large yoga group needing more rooms than are available at Hotel Leonidas, or all large family rooms being occupied, very similar rooms will be provided close by.

If you are travelling at half term please book your flights as far in advance as you are able as this reduces the price of the flight - ask us for assistance searching the internet if you wish.

The courses run from Tuesday to Tuesday to fit in with charter flights to Chania from the UK.

Direct flights to Chania are available from Gatwick, Manchester or Newcastle. Flights to Heraklion are available from Gatwick, Manchester and several other regional airports.

Easy Jet offer budget flights into Athens where you can take a domestic flight to Chania (several per day) or British Airways have recently started a new scheduled service from Gatwick to Heraklion.

Chania is also served by two ferries a day from Piraeus (Athens). Please visit our links page for some useful travel sites.

Car hire is available from Chania airport and can be pre-booked through Free Spirit.

For more information please contact us at:   Free Spirit Travel   or call on:   01273-564230

Updated 15/11/2007