Overview
Take this epic 15-day trek and discover Crete’s amazing nature walking from the north to south coast, then take in all the stunning gorges of the southwest. This tour will take you via the Lefka Ora (White Mountains) to the south coast’s secluded beaches, where you will walk through one of its most beautiful gorges, Sfakia Gorge. Reach the most romantic village on Crete, the idyllic Loutro, accessible only by boat or on foot. Explore the imposing Anydri and Irini Gorges, full of flowering oleander bushes, and the impressive Aradhena Gorge, a challenging but rewarding walk you’ll never forget. The final highlight is walking down the famous Samaria Gorge to the seashore.
- The traditional village of Vamos with its cobbled alleys
- Walking along secluded beaches
- Some of the most impressive coastal paths of Europe
- Omalos and the White Mountains
- Gorges of Samaria, Irini, Figou, Anydri, Sfakia and Aradhena
- Stunning views over the Askifou plain
- Experience life in a seaside town only accessible by boat or by foot
- Abundant flora, especially in springtime
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Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Vamos
Arrival in Vamos by taxi (it can be arranged in advance) or public transport from Chania or Heraklion Airport. An afternoon stroll through the picturesque village of Vamos.
- Accommodation: Vamos Traditional Village
Day 2: Georgioupolis to Vamos | 12km
A pleasant walk through the agricultural landscapes of Apokoronas. After a short transfer, you will walk along several villages to the seaside town of Georgioupolis and then back to Vamos. Great views, a monastery, scattered churches and the oldest olive press of Western Crete will please you in this first walking day of the tour.
- Walking for the day: 12km, approx. 4h, ↑100m ↓325m
- Accommodation: Vamos Traditional Village
Day 3: Circular walk from Nippos and travel to Askifou | 14km
You will make a round walk from the village of Nippos, embedded in the lush green area of Apokoronas. Cypresses and olive groves cover this hilly area. The background will be the Lefka Ori, covered with snow in winter and spring, making you feel like walking in a painting. After the walk, you will travel comfortably by taxi to your next accommodation on the Askifou plain, in the Lefka Ori (White Mountains).
- Walking for the day: 14km, approx. 4.5h, ↑400m ↓400m
- Accommodation: Hotel Panorama
Day 4: Lefka Ori (White Mountains) Walk | 7-16km
For today a challenging walk in the mountains is planned. You will walk up to 1,300m and admire 2,000m peaks, covered with snow in spring. There are no villages in this area; you may occasionally bump into a shepherd with his goats or sheep. The way back down to Askifou is via a beautiful old path through dense forest. Now and then you will have great views on the Askifou plain. In case you prefer a less strenuous walk, you can take the coastal walking route to Loutro, with the option to go for a swim at the Fresh Water Beach.
- Walking for the day (Option 1): 16km, approx. 6-7h, ↑600m ↓600m
- Walking for the day (Option 2): 7km, approx. 4.5h, ↑180m ↓240m
- Accommodation: Hotel Panorama
Day 5: Walking the Imbros Gorge | 13km
A short transfer from the hotel brings you to Imbros’ village to get some supplies in the mini-market before entering the second famous gorge of Crete: the Imbros gorge. You will be walking for about two hours along a rocky riverbed with loose stones and rocks alternated with easier sections. The landscapes here are other-worldly; at its narrowest point, the Imbros gorge is only 1.60m wide! When you sit and have your picnic lunch and listen to the silence, it will be hard to imagine the immense forces that created this impressive landscape. At the end of the gorge, you come to Komitades where you may relax and have lunch in one of the taverns. Then you continue your walk through agricultural fields crossing the Sfakia gorge and reaching Chora Sfakion, located on the Libyan Sea coast. You may end your day with a refreshing swim.
- Walking for the day: 13km, approx. 4h, ↑350m ↓1,100m
- Accommodation: Xenia Hotel
Day 6: Chora Sfakion to Loutro | 10km
From Chora Sfakion you climb through the Ilinga Gorge to the authentic village of Anopolis. Here you meet locals in the kafenion, and you may try one of those excellent Sfakiana pittas yourself: a sort of pancake with cream cheese and honey. This will give you energy for the rest of the walk. You will descend along a terrific path to the village of Loutro, hidden in a tiny, perfectly round, bay. Loutro is only accessible by ferry or walking, and there are no cars. Throughout the walk, you will have splendid views of the sea and Loutro. You spend the last two nights of this tour in Loutro.
- Walking for the day: 10km, approx. 4-5h, ↑600m ↓670m
- Accommodation: Kyma Hotel
Day 7: Aradhena Gorge | 16km
Via a steep zig-zag path you climb up to the village Anopolis. From here you walk further onto Ancient Aradhena, located on the edge of the impressive Aradhena Gorge. A spectacular path takes you down into the Aradhena Gorge which you follow until you reach the coast. During the last part of today’s walk, you will follow a path along the coast back to Loutro.
- Walking for the day: 16km, approx. 6-7h, ↑840m ↓840m
- Accommodation: Kyma Hotel
Day 8: Rest Day / Paleochora
Take the ferry to Paleochora (not included, tickets available only on-site). Depending on your arrival time, you can go for a stroll to the cosy seaside town of Paleochora and explore the nearby Venetian fortress and several sandy and rocky beaches.
- Accommodation: Hotel Aris
Day 9: Walk the Anydri Gorge | 10km
Note that this walk is not possible from June to September, when there is an alternative route going from Elafonissos to Paleochora.
After breakfast, a transfer takes you to the village of Azogires where your walk starts along the ‘Monastery of the 99 Monks’-trail. The walk for the day will take you through olive groves, the quiet hilltop village of Anidri with its Byzantine church and the popular schoolhouse tavern, the small gorge of Anidri and the tranquil beach of Gialiskari. The final part goes through a coastal stretch, taking you back to Paleochora, as you may go for a swim before going back to your hotel.
From June to September you should go on an alternative walk, including a relaxing ferry journey from Paleochora to the beautiful Elafonissi Lagoon. You walk back towards Paleochora along the coast (the ferry runs daily except Sundays from June to September). En route, you will pass beautiful, remote sandy beaches – ideal spots to enjoy a refreshing dip. The walk ends at Kryos Beach, where a taxi will transfer you back to your hotel. In case the ferry is not running, you can have a taxi transfer to Azogires and walk down to Paleochora.
- Walking for the day (option 1): 10.5km, approx. 3h, ↑75m ↓450m
- Walking for the day (option 2): 10km, approx. 4h, ↑200m ↓200m
- Accommodation: Hotel Aris
Day 10: Paleochora to Sougia | 15km
Starting in Paleochora, you follow a dirt track into a quiet natural wilderness, continuing along a stunning coastal path overlooking the sea. Along the way, you will pass the ancient Lissos, an important harbour for the Dorian city of Elyros, which boasted a population of 30,000 at its peak. You can enjoy a picnic lunch on this historic spot and swim in the pristine waters before heading further east to Sougia through a beautiful narrow gorge.
- Walking for the day: 15km, approx. 5h, ↑375m ↓375m
- Accommodation: Hotel Syia
Day 11: Sougia to Omalos Plateau | 17km
Today you will explore two impressive gorges, from sea level up to 1,000m. First, you walk through the impressive Irini Gorge on a well-made path. The ascent is long but not too steep. Leaving the Irini Gorge behind, you walk into the steeper Figou Gorge. You will enjoy stunning views on some points. The walk ends at a chapel, ‘Agios Theodoros’, where the hotel’s minibus will pick you up. Today’s day is located on the Omalos plain surrounded by the spectacular summits of the White Mountains.
- Walking for the day: approx. 17km, approx. 7h, max ↑1,200m ↓100m
- Accommodation: Hotel Neos Omalos
Day 12: Samaria Gorge | 17km
Note that the Samaria gorge is open from 1st May until the autumn rains start (usually end of October). It is also possible for the gorge to be closed at any time by authorities in case of flash flood alerts, in such case an alternative route will be provided. You can find some useful info here.
Today you walk through one of Europe’s longest and most spectacular canyons: the Samaria Gorge. We recommend you to start your walk either very early or rather late, to avoid the crowds of people walking through the gorge as a day trip. During the 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, leaving you plenty of time for the walk. As you finish walking, you can go 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.
- Walking for the day: approx. 17km, approx. 6h, max ↑50m ↓1,200m
- Accommodation: Pachnes Pension
Day 13: Agia Roumeli to Loutro | 15km
A splendid coastal walk with lots of variety. The walk today starts along the beach to the Byzantine church of Agios Pavlos, from where you start ascending through a fir forest reaching the beach at Marmara. On the way, you will enjoy great views of the massive mountains at your left and the sea to your right. As you reach the beach, you can enjoy the local tavern or go for a swim. From Marmara, you’ll need another hour along the coast to reach the car-free village of Loutro.
- Walking for the day: approx. 15km, approx. 6h, max ↑275m ↓275m
- Accommodation: Kyma Hotel
Day 14: Loutro Circular Walk | 9km
Make a relaxing walk today via Livaniana (a tiny village) and then descend via the Aradhena Gorge to the sea. Depending on your departure flight tomorrow, it may be necessary to travel today back to Chora Sfakion by ferry and on to Chania or Heraklion.
- Walking for the day: 9km, approx. 4h, ↑460m ↓460m
- Accommodation: Kyma Hotel
Day 15: Departure
Today you travel back to Chora Sfakion by ferry in the morning from where you catch public transport or pre-booked transfer to Chania or Heraklion Airport.
What to expect
Accommodation
In this part of Crete, the choice of accommodation is limited. We have carefully hand-picked all places and regularly monitor their quality. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour. All rooms have private facilities and almost always a balcony or a terrace.
Click to view default hotels
- Vamos Village consists of wonderfully restored houses in the old village centre of Vamos. The houses are usually separated into smaller independent units. In the houses you will find characteristic features in the building, sometimes you find traditional sofa beds. Furniture is all in traditional style but meets today’s demands for comfort. Handmade traditional embroideries make you feel like a local Cretan citizen of a rural village. Every house is unique; there is always a kitchen or kitchenette and a comfortable bathroom, a TV and a terrace or garden. Some houses also have fireplaces.
- At an altitude of 800 m in Askifou Village, Hotel Panorama features an outdoor pool and accommodation with White Mountains views. Its restaurant serves Cretan cuisine and local delicacies. Free WiFi is available in public areas. Bright and airy, all units at Panorama Askifou open out to a furnished balcony. Facilities include a mini-fridge, dining table and TV.
- In Chora Sfakion you stay in Xenia Hotel with the best location in town. The tidy rooms are equipped with shower/toilet, a fridge, TV and air-conditioning. You can enjoy the great view over the bay of Chora Sfakion and the surrounding mountains from the balcony. The hotel is on the quay, close to the beach, the port and the seaside taverns. The hotel also offers a restaurant for evening dinners. The restaurant uses local ingredients, such as fish, meat and vegetables, to prepare local specialities.
- Hotel Aris offers clean rooms with balcony or terrace and is near the sea. The friendly owner Aris guarantees a pleasant stay.
- The small seaside resort Sougia is at the end of the Irini gorge. There is a huge beach, and you will enjoy a laid-back atmosphere. The apartments & studios of Hotel Syia are located 200 m from the sea and offer a comfortable stay.
- On the Omalos plain, you spend the night in Hotel Neos Omalos at 1,100 m. Rooms are basic but comfortable.
- Agia Roumeli is the small village at the end of the famous Samaria gorge. No organized trips through the gorge include an overnight in Agia Roumeli, so it is nice and quiet at night. The Pachnes Pension is new and pleasantly furnished. It is 200 m from the beach and the port of Agia Roumeli.
- In Loutro you stay in the Kyma Hotel with a tavern and well-maintained rooms with a balcony overlooking the deep blue sea, the white-washed houses or the mountains.
*In most cases you will stay in the default accommodations as listed above. Occasionally an alternative accommodation will be confirmed to you. This may happen especially in the busy village of Chora Sfakion. When alternative accommodation is necessary, we always try to maintain the same standards and quality. When staying in alternative accommodation, the walks are never affected. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. Products for lunch are available in the local shops. At Omalos you may ask for a packed lunch at the accommodation. In the evening you have a wide choice of seaside taverns at all locations. In Omalos there is a limited choice, but the hotel’s restaurant offers good local dishes. At Askifou the shop is 1.5 km from the accommodation, and you may ask for a packed lunch or shop in Imbros during the walk. In the evening you have a wide choice of taverns at all locations, except in Askifou where you can only dine at the hotel itself.
Difficulty and terrain
This holiday is appropriate for experienced walkers and requires a very good level of fitness, sure-footedness and a head for heights. The trip includes strenuous day walks or trekking in mountainous areas: 5-7 hours walking per day; elevation gains between 500 and 1,000 m per day. Some coastal sections go along exposed cliffs and can be challenging (read more about difficulty grades). We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime.
When to go
This trip is available between April and October. During summer months it can get too hot for hiking. The best month to visit are either springtime (when nature is at its best) or in the autumn (when seawater is still warm). Crete has a Mediterranean climate, with mild and rainy winters, and hot and sunny summers. The bulk of the rain falls from October to March; in summer it rarely rains. During winter, but also in spring, it can snow in the mountains. From mid-May to mid-September, the Meltemi (or Etesian) blows from the northwest. The southern coasts are more sheltered from this wind, especially in the coastal stretches located south of the mountains. The Meltemi, together with the lighter breezes which in any case blow on summer afternoons, has the merit of making the heat more bearable. The flexibility of self guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended arrival airport for this holiday is Chania (CHQ). An alternative airport is Heraklion (HER).
By train or bus
- Transfer from Chania Airport to Vamos is possible by public bus, but it is not a good connection. You are advised to take a taxi from the airport to Vamos. The distance is about 30 km, so a taxi is not too expensive.
- If you land in Heraklion, from the bus station in Heraklion city (6 km from the airport, accessible by bus or taxi), there are direct buses to Chania (2 hours). The bus also stops in the village Vrysses, near Vamos, and a taxi transfer from Vrysses to Vamos is included in this package.
- You may also travel via Athens Airport and take the night ferry from Piraeus to Chania, leaving daily around 9 pm and arriving in Chania at 6 am the next morning. There are cabins with comfortable berths on board, and all cabins are en-suite.
- From the last overnight location, Loutro, you travel by ferry to Chora Sfakion (20 minutes) and continue by public bus to Chania or Heraklion. In case your flight departs in the morning you have to either book an extra night in Chania or Heraklion or book a private taxi transfer from Chora Sfakion to the airport as to be on time. You can also take the daily overnight ferry from Chania back to Piraeus.
- For more detailed information, use the Omio planner above.
Inclusions
Included
- 14 nights in small hotels or guesthouses (private rooms with en-suite facilities)
- 14 breakfasts
- Car transfers on walking days where necessary: on day 1 (bus stop Vrysses – Vamos), 2, 3, 5, 9, 11, 12
- Luggage transfers on walking days
- Detailed digital holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps. Please note that the info pack is emailed to you before departure and no printed documents are mailed or provided on-site
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare, public transportation and ferry tickets
- Airport arrival and departure transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
Options, extras and supplements
- Single room supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room
- This holiday is available for solo travellers; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- Extra nights at any of the accommodations along the way as well as in Chania and Heraklion
- Private transfers from/to the airport
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