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SfakiaHiking

Our most recommended Sfakia Hiking

From Chania: Full-Day Samaria Gorge Trek Excursion

1. From Chania: Full-Day Samaria Gorge Trek Excursion

Embark on a full-day guided trip to the Samaria Gorge from Chania. Arrive in Omalos in the heart of the White Mountains, and enjoy breakfast before trekking along the longest gorge in Europe — 4,000 feet above sea level.  After breakfast, enter the Samaria Gorge. Walk at your own pace with your English speaking guide at the end of the group to help out if you need them. Hike over rocks and stones, through a forest of thousand-year-old trees and along a river, passing by fresh-water springs along the way. Enjoy views of Crete’s most beautiful mountain range and see mountain goats roaming in the wild. Feel the exhilaration of challenging yourself with a long hike. At the end of the trek, visit the village of Agia Roumeli, where you’ll find a number of taverns, bars, and shops. Enjoy some free time to take a swim or have some lunch. A meeting point will be arranged so you can collect your ferry tickets from your guide. Late in the afternoon you’ll board a boat that will take you from Agia Roumeli to Sougia, where the bus will be waiting to transfer you back to the starting point about 730 PM.

From Rethymno: Samaria Gorge Full-Day Trek with Pickup

2. From Rethymno: Samaria Gorge Full-Day Trek with Pickup

Take a day trip from Rethymno to set out on an outdoor adventure into Samaria Gorge National Park. Hike at your own pace with a guide over rocks and stones, through a forest of thousand-year-old trees, along a river, and by fresh-water springs. Keep an eye out for mountain goats roaming in the wild. Begin your full-day excursion to Samaria Gorge with pickup and a drive to Omalos, in the heart of the White Mountains, where you can enjoy breakfast before you start the hike. Challenge yourself with 18 kilometers of walking over rocky terrain. Be accompanied by a mountain escort who speaks English, German, and French. Get briefed about your hike and get your tickets for the entrance and ferry boat from your escort. These fees have to be paid to the guide upon arrival. After breakfast, enter the Samaria Gorge. Walk at your own pace as your guide will be at the end of the group to help out if you need them. At the end of the trek, visit the village of Agia Roumeli, where you’ll find a number of taverns, bars, and shops. Enjoy some free time to take a swim or have some lunch. A meeting point will be arranged so you can collect your ferry tickets from your guide. Late in the afternoon, board a boat to go from Agia Roumeli to Sfakia, where the bus will be waiting to transfer you back to the pickup point.

Samaria Gorge: Day Trip from Agia Pelagia, Heraklion & Malia

3. Samaria Gorge: Day Trip from Agia Pelagia, Heraklion & Malia

Your full-day excursion to Samaria Gorge begins with pickup in Heraklion and a drive to Omalos, in the heart of the White Mountains. Enjoy breakfast before setting out on your challenging 10-mile (17 kilometer) hike. The trek will take you over rocks and stones, through a forest of thousand-year-old trees and along a river by fresh-water springs. Along the way, you’ll have spectacular views of Crete’s most beautiful mountain range, and you are also likely to see mountain goats roaming in the wild. You will be accompanied by a professional mountain escort who speaks English, German and Greek. Your escort will be there to explain all the necessary information about your hike and provide you with the tickets for the entrance and ferry. After your breakfast you will enter the Samaria Gorge, where you can walk at your own pace as your guide waits at the end of the group to help you out if you need them. At the end of the trek you’ll visit the village of Agia Roumeli, where you’ll find a number of taverns, bars, and shops. You can enjoy some free time to take a swim or have some lunch. Late in the afternoon you’ll board a boat that will take you from Agia Roumeli to Sfakia, where your bus will be waiting to transfer you back to the starting point.

From Agia Pelagia, Heraklion, or Malia: Samaria Gorge Hike

4. From Agia Pelagia, Heraklion, or Malia: Samaria Gorge Hike

Stop to purchase a hearty breakfast in Rethymno on this full-day Samaria Gorge excursion. Begin your trek at Xiloskalo, where you'll enter the vast, 18-kilometer canyon. Hike along a path that follows the route of the ancient Taras River. Admire the caves that formed a natural shelter for the Cretans in war times and now are home to wild goats. See the abandoned village of Samaria before reaching the Iron Gates, 3 kilometers before the end of the gorge. Rest and enjoy lunch (at your own expense) at the small fishing village of Agia Roumeli. Cool off with a refreshing swim in the Libyan Sea before boarding the ship that takes you back to the village of Sfakia.

From Rethymno: Loutro Day Trip by Boat

5. From Rethymno: Loutro Day Trip by Boat

Discover the village of Loutro, named after the Greek word for "bath", due to the many ancient baths in the area. Eat seafood and drink wine by the sea. Go for a swim in the warm blue sea. Marvel at the many famous white houses, and enjoy a relaxing sailing trip on a boat. Begin the excursion and travel from Rethymno, known for its harbor with fishing boats, to Chora Sfakion. Then, sail for 20 minutes to the village of Loutro, on the south coast of Chania. After you arrive here, you can spend 5 hours exploring in your own free time to do whatever activities you want. Go swimming in the clear blue waters of the sea. Eat some delicious local food such as fresh fish if you are hungry. Sip on wine by the sea. Also, admire the many white houses that make this place famous. Finally, board the boat and sail to Sfakia then return to Rethymno to finish your tour.

From Hora Sfakion: Private Boat Rental for Day Cruising

6. From Hora Sfakion: Private Boat Rental for Day Cruising

From Sfakia you can easily explore the south coast all the way along to Agia Roumeli (village at the end of Samaria gorge, no roads!) and also the remote and beautiful beaches and villages (Agios Pavlos, Marmara marble beach, Loutro fishing village again no roads!), Sweet water 'Glyka Nera' beach and Illingas beach - the options are many, you will not get bored! You will get all the tips you need and of course a detailed briefing upon rental.

From Chania: Samariá Gorge Guided Hike

7. From Chania: Samariá Gorge Guided Hike

Embark on a guided hike in the Samariá Gorge on a day trip from Rethymno or Chania. Get your daily dose of exercise, enjoy the panoramic views and take a swim. Discover the longest gorge in Europe, an area of stunning natural beauty. See its many flowers and herbs and the crystal-clear spring waters that flow from the mountains. Following an early morning pickup from the nearest point to your accommodation in Rethymno or Chania, travel through the mountains passing the plateau of Omalos. Arrive at some wooden stairs at the start of Samariá Gorge. You can opt to start the walk straight away or get some breakfast at the taverna before you begin. Hike for approximately 6-7 hours and experience the magnificent landscape on a 16-kilometer walk. Once you have finished the hike, there will be ample time for a swim and lunch at a taverna in Agia Roumeli.

Chania: Guided Walking Food Tour with Tasting

8. Chania: Guided Walking Food Tour with Tasting

We will set a meeting point in the heart of modern Chania town and we will start our experience in the Cretan taste. As a first stop we will try the famous traditional Bougatsa which combines the light salty taste of fresh cheese with sugar in an extremely crispy thin layer of dough. Of course, a Greek traditional coffee could not be missing of this typical Chania breakfast. Then we will find ourselves in the paradise of herbs and not only... A local expert of herbs will introduce us to the many different varieties of herbs from the mountains of Crete that are known for their healing and soothing nature. Malotira, Fliskouni, Diktamo, Sage, cinnamon, honey, oil and legumes, all organically produced and only from the island of Crete. Next stop will be in the mayor’s house, not for us to meet him but because there we will visit a local, family running, traditional “kaltsounadiko”. The word means the preparation room of the traditional dish called “kaltsouni” which is a kind of small pie with traditional sheet, filled with cheese or greens or a mixture of these two and baked in the oven or fried. Sweet and savory dishes will excite our taste buds... And now the time has come to try all the types of cheeses produced in Crete. The traditional and the contemporary, marry to give us the ultimate taste!!! Next stop the Cretan cheese world. This small shop is the branch of a cheese factory, well known to the locals, that presents its flavors to us. We will try different types of cheese that are made in in modern facilities but preserving the tradition. At this point a break is necessary and so we will follow the way to the old port of Chania having a walk next to the sea giving us the opportunity to share with you some of the history of the city. Following, we will be welcomed under the shade of the Plane trees with a different dish from the southern region of Chania, the Sfakia area, with their homonymous pie and the famous Dakos dish. Through the most picturesque alleys and after a short walking we will enjoy Gyros and beer. You should not leave Greece without trying the traditional souvlaki!!! And if you thought we were done you were wrong…Have you ever heard about Loukoumades?? If yes then we have a surprise for you, if not then get ready for an explosion of flavors in your mouth that will last for a long time and you will remember it forever. Golden balls of dough filled with chocolate, deep fried and covered by honey and sesame... Of course, our gustatory journey could not miss the ice cream that will accompany this wonderful treat.

Imbros Gorge Hike From Rethymno

9. Imbros Gorge Hike From Rethymno

Discover Imbros Gorge, which runs parallel to the more famous Samaria Gorge. Although the Imbros Gorge is smaller, many people prefer to cross here because it offers a very different hiking experience than the Samaria Gorge. After your tour, enjoy a refreshing swim in the sea and lunch at a village taverna. Enjoy hotel pickup and arrive at Imbros around 10 AM. Have breakfast and then hike about 2.5 hours to discover the beauty of this narrow natural passage. Learn about the rock formations and the legend of the 2 brothers that Imbros is named after. For many years, the Imbros Gorge served as part of the trail that connected Chania to Hora Sfakion. Stroll through a piece of World War II history, as you walk where thousands of British soldiers passed through after the Battle of Crete to get to Egypt. End your hike in Komitades Village and then depart for Sfakia. Take a swim in the refreshing Libyan Sea and eat lunch with the locals in the taverns before returning to your hotel.

Samaria Gorge: Private Transfer Tour

10. Samaria Gorge: Private Transfer Tour

The hike to the Samaria Gorge is a must for everyone who decides to book a tour with our tour agency. Preserved and protected environment, stunning mountain passages and wildlife indigenous to Crete are waiting for you in this private tour of the Samaria Gorge. Our excursion for you to hike the lengthy 16 km trail starts at the lowlands, the city center, and the neighboring valleys of Chania, where we will make a short stop at a private farmstead to supply ourselves with fresh organic fruits for the lengthy excursion to the Gorge of Samaria. The free avocados, oranges and Grapefruits of the lavish farm will give us energy, while we start to understand the microclimate of Crete, especially the lowlands, in contrast to the highlands, the White Mountains of Crete, and the Creeks of Samaria, where we will be heading. After this small stop, our experienced tour guide will take the route towards Omalos Plateau, and the Samaria Gorge: He will carefully explain the route, and the various stops inside the Samaria Gorge National Park, some hints for better endurance and trouble-free pass towards the Village of Agia Roumeli. He will also supply to you a special booklet with crucial information and undisclosed secrets of the area, so as to be prepared and enhance your hike to the Gorge of Samaria. After a short while, we reach an altitude of 1300 meters, at Xyloskalo (Greek for Wooden Steps), where our guides leaves you and you start the descent through those wooden steps in the untouched nature of Crete! Beware of the wild herbs you may come across and the famous Kri- Kri, the indigenous Cretan goats that reside in the Samaria Gorge! After 6-7 hours, you will eventually reach the end of the Gorge, in the desolate and beautiful fisherman’s village of Agia Roumeli. A rewarding swim in crystal clear waters and a nutritious lunch at the traditional Cretan Taverns with Authentic food are mandatory for the full experience! In the afternoon, you take the vessel from Agia Roumeli towards Sfakia Port (as there are no roads connecting those villages!) where you will again see our private guide that will return you safely to your hotel in the late afternoon.

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What people are saying about Sfakia

Wow this trek will forever stay in our memories! This is a very challenging hike (saying this as 27/30 year old couple who regularly go to the gym) with a very early wake up call (4:30am), quite a long bus journey there and back to the hotel, then 70% of the hike is just going down rather than on a flat surface so you'll feel your knees and ankles will be swollen. You need lots of snacks, sandwiches and water (though there are water fountains on the way). I wouldn't recommend this to anyone with little fitness or little children, also the heat gets to you (in September 31 degrees). You need to keep up with the pace, the guide tells everyone what time they should reach each station (don't expect any cafes etc) as you also want to dip in the water (a must!!) before getting on a ferry back. The guide was very nice and made sure everyone was okay though you loose track of him if you don't keep up with the pace. I wouldn't do it again but it's a great lifetime experience!

Such a great day! The tour was very well organized. Excellent pick up and drop off. Everything ran on time and the instructions were clear. The gorge was beautiful and not as difficult as we expected. We finished in 4 hours and then spent an amazing afternoon at Agia Roumeli beach. It’s a VERY long day but a must-do when you visit Crete. This tour made the experience seamless.

great and thorough guide, incredible scenery, you feel like you've really accomplished something at the end, but isn't for the faint hearted, it is a tough but rewarding day, make sure the rest up the day after!

Great experience! Very well organized trip. Our guide was very helpful and provided a lot of details during the trip.

Make sure you are up for this!!! needs fitness..it'll hurt the next day..