Get to know the wild natural beauty and geological diversity of Crete in a self-paced hiking tour of the Samaria Gorge. Along the way, see picturesque Cretan villages and end your experience with a swim in the Libyan Sea, in the south coast of Crete. If you are lucky enough, may also get to see Kri-Kri the endangered goat which calls Samaria its home and whose only known habitat is the island of Crete!
Operated daily from May to October. For a specific date, check availability starting from Chania or Rethymno.
Only guests ages 5 through 12 are eligible for "children's rates"
From May to October:
There is no better way to experience the real side of Crete, than to traverse the island's unspoiled soil, swim in its crystal waters and stroll down its traditional villages. This hiking tour of the Samaria Gorge will give you the opportunity to do all 3 and in your own pace.
A National Park and World's Biosphere Reserve, the Samaria Gorge is a scar on the spine of Crete, but one so uniquely beautiful that you wish it never goes away. Extending 13 km long (8 miles), the ravine is home to several endemic species, with the most prominent being the goat Kri-kri, which can't be found anywhere else in the world.
Early in the morning, you will be picked up from designated spots around Chania or Rethymno via a luxurious bus and reach the starting point of your tour in Omalos Plateau around 7am. The panoramic view of the gorge from the plateau is a photophile's delight, so after a short stop for pictures, you will begin descending the 600 wooden steps that will take you inside the Samaria gorge. Shadowed by the adjacent White Mountains and with plenty of drinking water to be found along the way in many natural springs, this self-paced hike will create unique memories for every traveler. Behind your group, there will always be a hiking escort to ensure everyone's safety and provide assistance if needed.
During your hike, you are sure to come across the church of St. Nicolas, built on the ruins of an ancient temple. Just a bit down the road are the Iron Gates, the narrowest pass of the gorge, at only 4 meters (13 feet) width. The hike will conclude at Agia Roumeli, a beach at the end of the gorge, flowing to the Libyan Sea. Make sure you have some time left when you reach it, in order to take a swim in its warm Mediterranean waters.
At around 17:00 you will board a boat to the picturesque village of Sougia, where you will start your trip back to the place where you were picked up from.
Not included:
