Walking in Crete

For those who like walking, Crete is a paradise, but don’t expect it to be easy. Most of the walks are in the foothills and there are quite a number of guided walking tours.

One of the best walks is the Samarian Gorge, 18 kilometres long, the start is at Omalos and the first kilometre is downhill down a manmade winding path until the gorge floor is reached. The walk then winds down the side of the riverbed sometimes crossing to the other side when the walking becomes too difficult to manage. There are many water points where the weary traveller can fill their water bottle with fresh water

Halfway down the gorge there is the old abandoned village of Samaria, which is a good stopping place for lunch and to rest the weary legs. On reaching the end of the walk at Agia Roumely it is very nice to put the weary feet in the sea or go for a swim in the clear waters while waiting for the ferry to take you to Chora Sfakion and the bus back to wherever you want to go. There are organised tours for the walk but I think the best way and the cheapest is to do it yourself on the local bus from Chania.

The walk takes between 5 and 6 hours depending on how fast you want to walk, but if you walk too fast you don’t take in all the lovely scenery and the eagles soaring above.

Start of the Gorge walk

Down the Gorge

Three quarters of the way down