Crete is the largest island in Greece and it’s another remarkable Mediterranean destination for geologists or any outdoor enthusiast. In this post, I’ll describe the hikes we did in the southwest corner of Crete. In my next post, I’ll explain why there are so many deep gorges in Crete—it’s all about the geology of course!
Itinerary of our self-guided tour
Cretan Adventures tour company offers a variety of self-guided itineraries. We choose one with hikes in both Crete and Santorini (https://www.cretanadventures.gr/en/our-tours/self-guided-hiking-crete-santorini/). We added a day on each island, for a total of 7 days in Crete and 5 days in Santorini. To get from Cyprus to Crete we flew on Ryan Air, the only airline with direct service, from Paphos in Cyprus to Chania in Crete. The adventure company provided us with maps, transport between sites, and hotel reservations. Otherwise, we were on our own.
After two days in the coastal town of Chania (also spelled Hania), we were transported to the southwest part of Crete for four days of hiking (described below). We then took a ferry to Hora Stakion, where we were transported to Heraklion (also call Iraklio), where we had time to visit the archeological museum with artifacts from the Minoan palace of Knossos. The following morning, we took a two-hour ferry to Santorini, the subject of a future post.
Map with locations of Chania (northwest coast; two-night stay), Sougia (southwest coast; two-night stay), Loutro (southwest coast; two-night stay), and Heraklion (north coast; one-night stay). Mount Pachnes is near the southern edge of a series of summits in the limestone rock of the White Mountains—there is a photo of these mountains in the Lissos section below.
Agia Irini Gorge (=Saint Irene Gorge)
Our driver let us off at the trailhead for this gorge, located next to a village with the same name. The 7.5 km (4.7 miles) long trail runs along the Ageriniotis river that has cut downward to create the gorge. We hiked through dense vegetation, with cypress, East Mediterranean pine, maple and oak trees, and a variety of aromatic herbs.
These photos show the narrowness and steepness of the walls, which are made of limestone. Most of the limestone is massive; that is, lacks distinct layers. Some has been metamorphosed into marble. The orange coloration is from rain and overlying soil streaking the limestone’s surface. This was an easy hike that was downhill all the way.Crete has famous wild goats, called “kri-kri”. We did not see the wild goats but we did see lots of domestic goats who were cute—especially the young ones. The goats roam through the gorge to eat, and then are periodically rounded up by their owners. This photo also shows some of the aromatic herb plants.
At the end of the trail, it was only 2 km to the serene coastal town of Sougia, where we stayed two nights.
We loved the tiny coastal village of Sougia, with its beach-town vibe and tranquil setting. See map above for location.We highly recommend a stay in Sougia. Bottom photo is the main street; ocean is on the left. Although it’s a very small town, tourist infrastructure is good, with excellent lodging and restaurant options. Top photos (by Jay) are our meal at one of the restaurants: fresh fish, delicious salad, and a spicy feta cheese dip called tirokafteri. As usual, cats entered the open-air patio and cruised for handouts. This one was particularly active.
Gorge hike to Lissos
The next day we hiked through Lissos Gorge and over a large ridge to the ancient city of Lissos. This trail extends along the coast and is part of E4 Hiking Trail Crete. E4 is the European Long Distance Path that begins in Spain and continues through France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece (including the length of Crete) and ends in Cyprus. This web site describes the Cretan part of the E4: https://www.completely-crete.com/e4-hiking-trail-crete.html.
Left-side photo: Lissos Gorge with walls of limestone. Right-side photo: crossing the ridge on the way to the ancient city of Lissos The thin red-brown soil is exposed where the trail was cut through the rocky limestone landscape.Early May was a great time for these hikes in southwest Crete. It appeared to be the height of wild flower blooms.Looking down on Lissos with ruins of the ancient city and a lovely cove where we had a swim and our packed lunch. This valley feels almost magical, since it can only be accessed by foot or small boat.The site was considered magical by the ancients. They chose it as the very special sanctuary of Asklepios, the God of Healing. There was a temple (remnants shown in photo) and also special rooms for treatment, healing and resting. Water from a natural spring was thought to cure illnesses. The temple is from the late 3rd century BCE (Hellenic Period). During the subsequent Roman period, a mosaic floor was installed in the temple, as shown in the photo.After visiting Lissos, we returned to Sougia via a higher elevation route. The loop, plus walking around the ruins, added to a total hike of about 13 km (7.5 miles). This view is of the White Mountains—both the Irini and Samaria Gorges are in slots between the mountains and where I was standing. The highest summit—Mount Pachnes—is 2453 m (8046 ft) high, only 3 m lower than Psiloritis, the highest summit in Crete (see map at top of post). The mountains are “white” because they are made of limestone.
Samaria Gorge
From Sougia, we were transported to the mountain village of Omalos, where the Samaria Gorge trail head starts at an elevation of 1250 m (4100 ft). The 16-km (10-mile) long hike is almost all downhill, ending just 2 km short of Agia Roumeli village at the coast.
Samaria Gorge is a stunning trek in one of Europe’s largest gorges. Considered one of the best hikes in Crete, it attracts tourists from all over the world. Since 1962, the gorge has been part of Crete’s national park system. We saw many park staff who were helping hikers and maintaining safe conditions.
The gorge is closed during the winter and was due to open on May 1. Park staff must work hard to clear rocks and tree pieces from the hiking trail after winter storms. They failed to open the park on May 1, but luckily for us they did open it on May 5. We could then follow our plan to hike on May 6. The backlog caused a 1000-person visitor count on May 5. But by the second day it was only 500 people—still not a wilderness experience, but worth the effort.
Samaria Gorge is open until October 31, although it may close on any day if weather conditions are extreme. Our driver told us it was closed a few days last summer because temperatures reached 47°C (117°F)! Best times to hike are in the spring and fall, when temperatures are moderate.
At the trailhead, looking southward down into Samaria Gorge.After hiking down a very steep part with switchbacks, we entered a flatter part of the gorge with lots of vegetation. The trail crossed back and forth over the gorge-cutting river that would be a torrent during winter storms. Given the popularity of the hike, we were rarely alone, but people spread out as we descended the trail and it didn’t felt too crowded.Left-side photo. The bottom part of the canyon is very narrow with steep walls. Imagine how quickly the gorge would fill with water during winter storms—good reason to close the park during the winter. Right-side photo. Unsurprisingly, there are many signs about falling rocks and hikers are urged to keep moving through this area.The narrowest part of the gorge—where Jay is standing—is only 4-m (13 ft) wide. I am standing by one of the rocks that fell from the canyon walls.It is not proper to anthropomorphize rocks, but walking through the gorge, we could not help but exclaim:”These rocks have suffered”. I’ll write about the tectonic events that have deformed these rocks in my next post. Here, suffice it to say that the contortions of the rock layers filled everyone with wonder, geologists and non-geologists alike.Left-side photo: another wall of limestone with contorted layers. Right-side photo: natural springs along the gorge provide fresh water for drinking and washing. Water is safe to drink because it is filtered through the thick layers of limestone.Samaria Gorge is named after the ancient town of Samaria, where people lived to seek protection from invaders. Doesn’t seem like it would have been a good place to be in the wintertime though. It was abandoned in 1962, when the gorge became a national park. Left-side photo: Jay and I on the bridge to the rest stop by Samaria village. Right-side photo: ruins of Samaria village. It’s important to keep one’s entry ticket. At the trail’s end park personnel check that everyone has made it out of the gorge. Wouldn’t be good to be in there overnight!
Hiking near Loutro
After tranversing Samaria Gorge to Agia Roumeli, we took a short ferry ride to Loutro, our lodging for the next two nights. Loutro is a tiny coastal town that can only be accessed via boat or foot—what a pleasure to be in a town with no vehicles!
The charming coastal town of Loutro (see map above for location on the west side of the White Mountains—Mount Pachnes). Because it is surrounded by high, steep slopes on all sides, it is only accessible by foot or boat.
We had the option of hiking through Aradena Gorge from Loutro. However, it would have been a 20-km-long (12-mile-long) hike with >700 m (2300 ft) elevation gain on a steep south-facing slope, so we opted for a shorter hike westward along the coast past some archaeological ruins to the even tinier town of Finikas.
View northwest along the coast west of Loutro. Just above the tiny town of Finikas (white buildings at sea level) is the village of Aradena that is the starting point for hiking down the Aradena Gorge. The path we’re on is another piece of the E4 European hiking trail.
Other gorges
There are many gorges along the southwest coast of Crete. They all extend from the mountainous area in the center of the island to the south coast (see map above). In my next post, I’ll explain how so many rivers have cut down through the land to create the gorges.
What a wonderful trip! My only visit to Crete was in 1981. 3 blondes in a Suzuki jeep for the weekend. Looking forward to the next installment.
Landscapes Revealedon May 19, 2025 at 7:54 am
1981 – WOW! It must have different then, although probably not so much on the southwest coast. You were brave – we wouldn’t have wanted to be driving ourselves on those narrow, steep mountain roads! Nice to hear from you Sarah.
Julieon May 19, 2025 at 3:01 am
Wow, looks like you had beautiful weather as well. When so much of what I read these days suggest that the natural beauty and the slow pace of life have been destroyed on the planet, it seems that you two keep proving all of that to be wrong. Did you feel that the villages were still “alive” for their own sake, or does the population of Crete live on tourism now? The 1000 person release into your gorge hike might indicate this. Would these places just continue to exist if people stopped coming or would they be abandoned (like many of the small villages in Italy where you can’t get a cell phone signal in the stone houses, or your car to the door of your house). I wish there were more people that appreciated what these places have to offer… Hugs to you both.
Landscapes Revealedon May 19, 2025 at 7:51 am
Tourism is super important for Crete. We saw more development on the north coast, but on the south, there just isn’t room for towns to expand because they are located in small areas (e.g., mouth of the gorges) surrounding by high, steep cliffs. Towns like Sougia and Loutro would “dry up” without tourism. In fact, people move there to work during the spring–fall tourist season and then return to the cities in the north or even to Athens or other countries. I think these small towns have retained their character because they don’t have the type of beach many tourists are looking for. The beaches are small and made of gravel, which makes them challenging to walk on — or to install umbrellas on. Indeed, we will keep looking for more out-of-the-way spots when traveling (see upcoming post on Santorini!). Thanks for reading Julie.
Gorgeous! Love the photos and the commentary.
Thanks Sunny!
What a wonderful trip! My only visit to Crete was in 1981. 3 blondes in a Suzuki jeep for the weekend. Looking forward to the next installment.
1981 – WOW! It must have different then, although probably not so much on the southwest coast. You were brave – we wouldn’t have wanted to be driving ourselves on those narrow, steep mountain roads! Nice to hear from you Sarah.
Wow, looks like you had beautiful weather as well. When so much of what I read these days suggest that the natural beauty and the slow pace of life have been destroyed on the planet, it seems that you two keep proving all of that to be wrong. Did you feel that the villages were still “alive” for their own sake, or does the population of Crete live on tourism now? The 1000 person release into your gorge hike might indicate this. Would these places just continue to exist if people stopped coming or would they be abandoned (like many of the small villages in Italy where you can’t get a cell phone signal in the stone houses, or your car to the door of your house). I wish there were more people that appreciated what these places have to offer… Hugs to you both.
Tourism is super important for Crete. We saw more development on the north coast, but on the south, there just isn’t room for towns to expand because they are located in small areas (e.g., mouth of the gorges) surrounding by high, steep cliffs. Towns like Sougia and Loutro would “dry up” without tourism. In fact, people move there to work during the spring–fall tourist season and then return to the cities in the north or even to Athens or other countries. I think these small towns have retained their character because they don’t have the type of beach many tourists are looking for. The beaches are small and made of gravel, which makes them challenging to walk on — or to install umbrellas on. Indeed, we will keep looking for more out-of-the-way spots when traveling (see upcoming post on Santorini!). Thanks for reading Julie.
Wow, that’s some spectacular country. I could enjoy being out there 🙂
You would like it Rebecca. You wouldn’t even have to backpack, since there are little towns along most routes!
The limestone, contorted rocks, arid landscape and gorges… wow, especially the contorted rocks. I find them fascinating.
It was fun to see so many people taking photos of the rocks, just for pure aesthetic interest.
Wow! Previous comments say it all. Thanks, Karen
Thanks for reading!
Love this post, Karen! I hope to do more traveling someday.
Thanks Jane! I think you’d like Crete.
Looks amazing! I want to go.
You’d love it!