s-cape
phone: +34 985 846 455 / UK call free 0800 707 44 35
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm (CET)
Samaria Gorge
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
Find your perfect trip!
 
 
Find your perfect trip!
Duration?
8-day Crete Coastal Walking Holiday
style :
Level :
Duration :
8 days
Comfort :
period:
Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Code:
GRSW014
Walking Trekking
price in double room from: € 560
8-day Crete Coastal Walking Holiday

8-day Crete Coastal Walking Holiday

Self-guided Gorges of the Southwest walking tour

  • One of Europe’s most impressive coastal paths
  • The vast Omalos Plateau and brillant White Mountains of Crete
  • World-famous Samaria Gorge
  • The tiny car-free port of Loutro
  • Idyllic beaches circling the island
read more >>
Crete walking map
View map
ROUTE

Start:Paleochora            Finish:Loutro

Day 1: Arrival in Paleochora, Crete
Day 2: Walk through the Anidri Gorge (10,5 km / 6,5 mi)
Day 3: Coastal walk: from Paleochora to Sougia (15 km / 9,5 mi)
Day 4: Mountain walk: from Sougia to Omalos plateau (12-21 km / 7,5 - 13 mi)
Day 5: Walking the Samaria Gorge (16 km / 10 mi)
Day 6: Coastal walk: from Agia Roumeli to Loutro ( 14.7 km / 9 mi)
Day 7: Roundwalk from Loutro (15.7 - 8.7 km / 9.7 - 5.4 mi)
Day 8: Departure

Day 1:     Arrival in Paleochora, Crete

Arrival in Paleochora, by taxi (may be arranged in advance) or by public transport from Chania or Heraklion Airport. From Chania it takes about 1,5 hrs by taxi, from Heraklion the taxi ride is about 3,5 hrs. Depending on your flight schedule, you'll have time for a first stroll through the pleasant seaside town of Paleochora, whose population of 1800 makes it one of the largest villages on the south-west coast. There is a Venetian fortress and several sandy and rocky beaches. 

Day 2:    Walk through the Anidri Gorge (10,5 km / 6,5 mi)

In the morning you will be transferred by taxi to the village Azogires where your walk starts along the ‘Monastery of the 99 Monks’-trail. You will encounter a variety of scenery today including olive groves, the quiet hilltop village of Anidri with a Byzantine church and the popular school house tavern, the small gorge of Anidri, the tranquil beach of Gialiskari and a coastal stretch back into Paleochora. You may swim before going back to your hotel.

Challenge: 3 hours, 10,5 km / 6,5 mi, 75 m ascent, 450 m descent
 

Day 3:    Coastal walk: from Paleochora to Sougia (15 km / 9,5 mi)

Todays walk starts in Paleochora. You follow a dirt track into an undisturbed natural wilderness, then continue along a stunning coastal path (E4) overlooking the sea. You will pass ancient Lissos, an important harbour for the Dorian city of Elyros, which boasted a population of 30.000 at its peak. In ancient times, people came to Lissos to be cured by the local waters. You can enjoy a picnic lunch on this historic spot and swim in the curative waters before heading further east to Sougia, by way of a beautiful narrow gorge.

Challenge: 5 hours, 15 km / 9,3 mi, 375 m ascent, 375 m descent

Day 4:    Mountain walk: from Sougia to Omalos plateau (12-21 km / 7,5 - 13 mi)

Today you traverse two impressive gorges, from sea level up to 1000m! You walk through the impressive Irini Gorge along a well-made path. The ascent is demanding but not too steep. Leaving the Irini Gorge behind, you walk into the steeper Figou Gorge. From a certain height onwards, you will enjoy stunning views. The walk ends at a chapel, ‘Agios Theodoros’, where the hotel's minibus will pick you up. The hotel is on the Omalos plain surrounded by the spectacular summits of the White Mountains.

Challenge: 6-7 hours,12-21  km / 7,5 - 13 mi, 1200 m ascent, 100 m descent

Day 5:    Walking the Samaria Gorge (16 km / 10 mi)

Today you walk through Europe’s longest and most famous gorge: the Samaria Gorge. You can either start very early or rather late, avoiding the crowds of people who walk the gorge as a day trip. During quieter hours, you'll enjoy the true beauty of this spectacular gorge. You spend the night in the seaside village of Agia Roumeli, at the end of the gorge, which leaves you as much time as you need for the walk. There will still be plenty of time for a relaxing swim in the crystal clear Lybian sea before you set off for dinner at one of the local taverns in Agia Roumeli.

Challenge: 5-6 hours, 16,3 km / 10 mi, 50 m ascent, 1200 m descent
 

*The Samaria gorge is open from 1st May onwards until autumn rains start, usually end of October and can be closed by authorities in case of extreme weather conditions.

Special notes 
• In case of heavy rains, the Samaria gorge can be closed. Guests will then travel with the 
luggage from Omalos to Sougia and take the ferry from Sougia to Agia Roumeli. There is a 
possible walk to the ‘Kastro’ from Agia Roumeli, 10 km (no route description at hand) 
• In case the ferry Sougia-Agia Roumeli is not running due to strong winds, but Samaria gorge 
is open, guests take basic needs for 1 night with them to Agia Roumeli. Luggage will then be 
sent on day 6 from Omalos to Loutro, via Sougia / per ferry. 
• In case on day 6, ferry is still not running

Day 6:    Coastal walk: from Agia Roumeli to Loutro ( 14.7 km / 9 mi)

A splendid coastal walk with lots of variety. First you walk along the beach to the Byzantine church of Agios Pavlos. Then you walk at a higher elevation through fir forest. From the forest, you continue on to the beach at “Marmara”. Great views to massive mountains at your left and the sea to your right. There's a tavern on the small beach at Marmara, and you may want to enjoy a swim here as well! From Marmara, you'll need another hour along the coast to reach the car-free village of Loutro.

Challenge: 5-6 hours, 14.7 km / 9 mi, 275 m ascent, 275 m descent
 

Day 7:    Roundwalk from Loutro (15.7 - 8.7 km / 9.7 - 5.4 mi)

You take a steep zig-zag path up to the village of Anopolis. From here you walk further on to ancient Aradhena, situated at the edge of the impressive Aradhena Gorge. A spectacular path takes you down into the Aradhena Gorge all the way to the coast. The last part of today's walk follows a path along the coast back to Loutro. It is possible to do a shorter route of 4 hrs today, via the tiny village of Livaniana, then descend via the Aradhena Gorge to the sea. Depending on your flight departure tomorrow, you may need to travel back to Chora Sfakion by ferry today, and on to Chania or Heraklion

Challenge: 4hours, 15.7 - 8.7 km / 9.7 - 5.4 mi, 840/460 m ascent, 840/460 m descent

Day 8:    Departure

Today you travel back to Chora Sfakion by ferry in the morning and, from there, by public transport or pre-booked transfer to Chania or Heraklion Airport. Departure from one of the most beautiful areas of Crete.

STANDARD HOTELS

All hotels of this trip are carefully selected because of their location, atmosphere and/or unique services. All rooms are en-suite.
Below you find the standard hotels of this trip. If a hotel is fully booked, we book a similar alternative for you and inform you about the alternative booked. 

Extra overnight:
You can book additional night(s) at any of the accommodations along the way. We can also book a hotel in Chania city or Heraklion city for you before and/or after the trip.

Hotel Aris
Hotel Aris (Paleochora)

Hotel Aris offers clean rooms with balcony or terrace and is near the sea. The rooms and bathrooms are all renovated in 2014/2015. The friendly owner Aris guarantees a pleasant stay.

www.arishotel.gr

Hotel Syia
Hotel Syia (Sougia)

The small seaside resort Sougia is located at the end of the Irini gorge. There is a nice beach and you will experience a laid-back 60'ies atmosphere. The apartments & studio’s of hotel Syia are located 200m from the seaside and offer a comfortable stay. Because of very limited availability in the village you may be allocated at a similar accommodation.

www.syiahotel.com

Hotel Neos Omalos
Hotel Neos Omalos (Omalos)

On the Omalos plain you overnight in the hotel Neos Omalos at 1100m. Even in summer it is not hot at this spot. Rooms are basic, but comfortable. 

www.neos-omalos.gr

Pachnes Pension
Pachnes Pension (Agia Roumeli)

The Pachnes Pension is new and pleasantly furbished and located in a quiet position. It is 200m from the beach and the port of Agia Roumeli. 

www.pachnes.gr

Kyma Hotel (Loutro)
Kyma Hotel (Loutro)

From our rooms you will enjoy the deep blue sea view with the impressive iridescence and beauty of architecture. The beach is two steps (20 meters) from the beach, but for lovers of exploring, there are taxi boats to visit the spectacular beaches of Glika Nera (Sweet Water), Finika (Phoenix) and Marmara (Marbles). These beaches are also accessible on foot.

PRACTICAL INFO

The walks are mostly on unsurfaced tracks; footpaths and mountain trails. 

Some coastal sections are along cliffs. If you are very afraid of heights, this may be challenging.  

You can book this trip starting any day of the week from 1st April to 25th October.

The best times to travel to the Greek Islands are April to June and September to early November. In Summer it gets very hot. We recommend doing this tour in Spring, when Spring is at its best, or in Autumn, when the sea is still warm.

The Samaria Gorge opens from 1st May onwards. The exact opening date depends on winter rains, which cause falling rock.

  • In case of heavy rains, the Samaria gorge can be closed. Guests will then travel with the luggage from Omalos to Sougia and take the ferry from Sougia to Agia Roumeli. There is a possible walk to the ‘Kastro’ from Agia Roumeli, 10 km (no route description at hand)
  • In case the ferry Sougia-Agia Roumeli is not running due to strong winds, but Samaria gorge is open, guests take basic needs for 1 night with them to Agia Roumeli. Luggage will then be sent on day 6 from Omalos to Loutro, via Sougia / per ferry.
  • In case on day 6, ferry is still not running, luggage is taken from Omalos to Chora Sfakion and arrives in Loutro from Chora Sfakion.

The nearest airport to Western Crete is Chania Airport (CHQ), but the larger Heraklion Airport (HER) is also possible. To reach Paleochora by public bus, it takes approx. 2.5 hours from Chania Airport or approx. 5 hours from Heraklion Airport. You may also book a private transfer from either airport to Paleochora by taxi with S-Cape. 

At the end of the trip it's a 20-minute ferry crossing from Loutro to Chora Sfakion. From there you travel by public transport to Chania Airport in approx. 2 hours. The public bus from Chora Sfakion to Heraklion takes approx. 4 hours including a stop-over in Vrysses. You may also book a private transfer from Chora Sfakion to either Chania or Heraklion Airport.

We can send you GPS tracks of this trip upon request and after booking.

INCLUDED

Included 

  • 7 nights' accommodation with breakfast
  • Roumeli and 2 in Loutro
  • All luggage transfers
  • Transfer Paleochora-Azogirai on day 2 OR ferry ticket Paleochora-Elafonissi if boat is 
  • Operational combined with transfer Kryos beach-Paleochora 
  • Transfers Sougia-starting point Irini gorge and Agios Theodoros (end of Irini gorge)-Omalos
  • Transfer Omalos-Xyloskala (start of Samaria gorge)
  • Digital detailed route notes and maps in English
  • Access to the trip on our navigation app
  • 24-hour telephone assistance

Not included

  • Flights, public transportation and other ferry tickets
  • Airport arrival and airport departure transfers
  • Travel insurance
  • Admissions and entrance fees of any kind. Allow 7 Euro for Samaria andTips and gratuities
  • Personal expenses such as meals, drinks, phone calls, extra transfers eAny items that have not been specifically mentioned in the program 

Optional services

  • Airport arrival and/or departure transfers
  • Additional night/s at any of the accommodations along the way, in Chania, Heraklion or any other destination in Greece
  • Shipment of trip docs to your home address
REVIEWS

You might also like:

Recently viewed:

S-Cape Travel uses cookies to manage the website, to show you personalized content and to manage business goals. Below you can find more information on how we use cookies. You can accept all cookies, select them individually or reject them all. To learn more about our cookie policy, you can visit the dedicated page at any time.

extraSmallDevice
smallDevice
mediumDevice
largeDevice