Hiking in Crete Crete hiking trails Crete hiking trails
Where to eat (and drink) deliciously in Crete, I will tell you where on this blessed island to indulge in a healthy lifestyle.
A picture from the Internet to attract attention. Ruins of the village of Samaria:
I must say right away that getting into the Samaria Gorge is extremely easy with a guided tour. You need to get up early in the morning, get on a comfortable bus, come to the entrance on it, quickly run through the gorge, go to the sea, take a boat that will take you back to a comfortable bus, which has arrived at the pier in serpentine serpentines during this time.
Just don't go there by car! Because then you have to go through a small part, and then go back, moreover, steeply upward.
But we never look for easy ways. We spent three whole days exploring the gorge and its surroundings and did not regret it in the least.
Yes, we were alone without children. For the first time since they, children, appeared with us at all.
In order not to depend on sightseeing buses, stocked up in advance with the schedule of buses. Which, as it turned out, does ... sometimes ...
We also stocked up on everything necessary for an autonomous existence, only gas could not be brought from home, we got it in Rethymno in a store with the promising name Extreme (Arcadia Street). In principle, there is gas in almost any supermarket, but this did not fit our burner.
The day bus from Chania arrives at the gorge (Omalos village) at four o'clock. It’s a little late to enter the gorge, but if you want to catch the boat, it’s too late. We decided to take a walk in the mountains, spend the night in beautiful place, and already in the morning to go.
Just above the entrance to the gorge, the richly marked trail to the Kallergi Refuge mountain shelter begins. 
In general, these trails became a discovery for me, I was sure that mountain climbing with a backpack is our domestic fun, and foreign tourists exclusively drive around in beautiful cars. But no. The gorge and its surroundings are part of the many kilometers European hiking trail E4. As far as I understood, this path can be traversed without a tent or other weights, but only through shelters and hotels. At least I saw a lot of tourists with small backpacks.
At times the paths are blocked by fences, but this is not from tourists, but from sheep and goats. 
Sheep and goats are adorable and willing to pose: 
The shelter itself looks like this: 
But we didn't go to it. It was terribly stupid to go there when you had already dragged the tent, gas and, most importantly, a canister of water three hundred meters up. We stopped in a relatively flat and conditionally protected from the wind sandy hollow. GPS showed 1521 m. Above sea level. 
In the evening we ran to the ridge, just along it there is a fence that limits the territory of the reserve from tourists, not only goats. We were amazed at how strong the wind was, but in our "base camp" it was quiet and comfortable. At night, the wind came down to us. Such a serious wind.
But what kind of stars are there ... There are so many of them, and they are so big.
The next morning we climbed the nearest peak (1628 m), from which we looked at the shelter, at the surroundings. 
On this road you can get to the mountain shelter by car. 
This is just a gorge, a view from above, and the sea in the distance is the purpose of the journey. 
We went back down to the entrance to the gorge. 
It would be smarter to go in closed shoes - this soft-looking grass is actually brutally prickly. And the sheep eat it, there is no other there. Poor fellows.
And about the gorge itself and so on, I'll try to write tomorrow.
Hiking
In our country hiking still associated with huge backpacks, spending the night in tents, songs by the fire, midges, with "girls to the right, boys to the left." And in densely populated Europe, obsessed with "eco", "bio", etc., hiking is a way to quite comfortable rest for all kinds of people. And the poor student, and the wealthy clerk, and the bourgeois family with teenage children at some point collect their backpacks, stock up on a guidebook and set off "along the path." Most often they do not spend the night in tents. Distances are everywhere such that they always you can stay at the hotel in the next settlement. You also don't have to carry food with you (well, perhaps to a minimum), since in villages, towns, as well as in especially scenic spots there is always a cafe.
I already wrote about that.
One of the most interesting such trails is E4. Through all Crete one of the most picturesque sections of it runs from west to east.
Route E4 in Crete
Crete is generally very convenient for hiking... The absence of large wild animals and poisonous snakes, as well as forests (with the exception of not very large areas in the west of the island), makes the hike quite safe. And the ubiquitous presence of traces of human activity will not allow you to disappear, even if you go astray. High in the mountains, you will be accompanied by the sound of bells worn on goats. And where there are goats, sooner or later a shepherd will appear.
The E4 route in Crete runs from Kastelli Kissamos in the west to Kato Zakros in the east. In the area of the town of Sugia, the path forks. The southern section runs along the sea through Loutro and Chora Sfakion, the northern one through mountainous terrain. The length of E4 along any route will be about 320 km. The minimum travel time will take about 3 weeks. It should be borne in mind that the route is not properly marked everywhere, and it is easy to get lost.
For those who just want to try to join hiking and not ready to overcome yet mountain passes, I propose to consider the southern seaside site in the Loutro area.
Acquaintance with the E4 route in the area of Loutro (southern coast of Crete)
Loutro is a wonderful place, the inhabitants of which have managed to make it super attractive for tourists without having to worry about building a road. Nearest locality, which can be reached by car - the village of Anopoli - located 5 km from (more precisely, above) Loutro. A trail leads from Anopoli to Loutro. Not E4, but an ordinary path along which a donkey and a human can pass, but a car cannot. Go down quickly, but back will be more difficult. It is much more convenient to get to Loutro by ferry from Sfakia (Chora Sfakion). There, in a large parking lot near the port, you can leave your car for a few days and go to Loutro, just to walk and swim in the clear sea (just like that or by boat). In the village itself, there are only fish restaurants and a beach among the attractions. But as in any self-respecting Cretan village, there is a mini-square with a small church. And what a beach in Loutro! Large rounded pebbles, clear water, fish, crabs ...
From Loutro follow the signs to the E4.
Towards the Choir of Sfakion the trail goes from 0 to about 50m above the sea. The journey takes 2-2.5 hours if you don't go down to the beach for a swim. The places are crowded. Every now and then you will come across other travelers, it is impossible to get lost here. At the bottom there is a rather steep coast, in some places the path approaches the water itself. And at the top - low rocky mountains, overgrown with thyme and other hard shrubs, which goats love so much. In summer, it is quite hot in these places, there is little shade, but nevertheless, trees on the way come across, so if you wish, you can take a break from the sun. But if you find yourself at the beginning of the rainy period, extraordinary discoveries can await you: along the trail and right on it, extraordinary flowers, crocuses, wild tulips and various others are blooming.
Remains of a village west of Loutro along the E4
If you go the other way, west of Loutro, you will first come across the ruins of an old fortress over the sea, then the remains of a village. I find it difficult to determine when it was abandoned by the inhabitants: maybe under the Venetians, or maybe 50 years ago. In any case, there are now only the lower parts of stone houses, 2-4 stones high. However, most likely it is old village Loutro, which, after the residents left, was dismantled for the construction of hotels in the bay. Behind the village on the mountain you will see 2 towers, one of which is old, and the other is a remake of someone's villa.
On the way, you will pass a chapel by the sea. A hermit lived here 15 years ago. In 15-20 minutes you will come to the leftovers Roman settlement Phoenix... Enough large settlement for those times. The modern Phoenix village consists of two hotels and a pebble beach. There is no road to Phoenix either.
In another forty minutes you will reach the next beach - Marmara, and if it happens in the summer, be surprised at how crowded it is. Not all vacationers came here on foot. This secluded beach, like neighboring Phoenix, is served by boats from Chora of Sfakion and Agia Roumeli... There is a cafe and several houses above the beach. You can relax in the shade, have a snack or spend the night. And then - further along the signs of the trail E4 ...
As you can see, there is nothing difficult or scary about hiking along the trails of Crete. Many, having walked one day for a couple of days, set themselves the goal of walking the path from end to end. Holidays, of course, are not enough, and people come from year to year. They pass a section of the route, then rest on the next beach and go home. The next year, they start from where they left off. And then they decide to conquer other sections of the E4 route, in France, Spain, Bulgaria, Greece and other countries.
Porto Lutro 3 *: the central hotel of the village, beautiful, high quality
Madares 2 *: simple inexpensive hotel, above the restaurant of the same name, rooms with a kitchenette and large balconies.
On foot in Crete
Just as there is a disease of the body, there is also a disease of the way of life.
Democritus
Crete is the perfect place for people who love hiking and excursions that combine sports, cognition, health, communication and the joy of overcoming.
The mountains of Crete are high, steep, wild, difficult to climb, but surmountable. They are majestic, ancient, but not harsh. Silence lives there, ancient olives, herbs, Kri-kri goats, the purest air, in which calmness is poured, mixed with the smell of honey.
The plateaus of Crete are never so vast that a weary traveler does not reach a source or a shadow. The azure sea, which, without fierce excitement, crashes into the shores overgrown with pine, cypress and sometimes palm forests, beckons to get to the nearest cove, cape or one of the constantly visible islands with its bluish haze, promising an adventure.
Crete's gorges grant shade, even on the hottest summer days.
Trails built in ancient times lead to cozy villages where you can always relax and see life from a different angle.
And you understand that you don't have to run anywhere, that many problems are so insignificant, empty and stupid. The answers to the questions that have been tormenting for a long time are obvious !!! Here is the World! Watch and live! There is Grace. Harmony. Love. Closeness to God. You just need to open your heart and absorb all this. So that you can then give to other people and invest in all your actions.
In this section you can get acquainted with the standard travel itineraries in Crete.
We can help you prepare your excursion and travel around Crete based on your wishes, interests and needs. To do this, you just need to write to us from the "CONTACTS" section.
For the convenience of choosing the most suitable route, the island is divided into three regions - western, central and eastern... In each of these regions there are tourist routes with detailed description attractions that you can visit by choosing this route.
All tourist routes have established difficulty levels:
Level A - easy walks that do not require much physical effort and experience.
Level B - hikes along well-visible paths.
Level C - mini-expeditions.
We also carry out family excursions and travel which are divided into the following difficulty levels:
AF level - short in time, easy family walks that do not require much physical effort and experience. For families with children over 2 years old.
BF level - long in time, as a rule, having rather large differences in altitude and requiring good physical shape family hikes along well-visible paths. For families with children over 7 years old.
CF level - difficult, long, requiring very good physical and mental preparation family mini-expeditions. For families with children over 10 years old.
Information on family hiking trails can be obtained in the section "FAMILY ROUTES".
When choosing one or another route, you must keep in mind that the time indicated on the card is approximate and depends on the time of the year, weather conditions and the composition of the group.
Day 1. Meeting of the participants of the hike
Arrival in the city of Chania. Gathering the group, moving to the picturesque mountain village of Omalos, from where the hiking part of the program will begin.
Day 2.
Climbing Mount Volakias, which is 2116 meters above sea level.
Day 3. Hike to the Samaria gorge
We go down the forest path to the Samaria gorge - one of the largest and most beautiful in Europe.
And in the evening we will go out to the sea, where we will spend the night.
Day 4. Trekking to the village of Sugia
We make the transition along the southern coast to the village of Sugia.
On the way we will come across many canyons, ancient ruins and beautiful wild beaches.
Day 5. Boat trip
Today we are sailing by boat to Paleochora Bay. On the way, we admire the beautiful views of the coast.
Then a short hike to Gialos, overnight.
Day 6. Pink beach Elafonisi
Trek to Elafonisi beach.
We rest on the pink sand and swim in the warm sea.
Day 7. Balos bay
We move to the north of the island to the snow-white Balos bay.
Day 8.
Day at the beach.
Day 9: Transfer to Heraklion
We move to the capital of the region - Heraklion and see the many sights, walk around the city.
Day 10.
We visit the city of Rethymno.
Day 11.
We can use the spare day as a rest on one of the beaches or we can visit the sights outside the program.
Day 12. End of the hike, return home
We return to Chania. We say goodbye to the already so dear participants and hospitable Crete, after which we go home.
Price: 340 $
Payment is possible both in cash and non-cash.
Duration: 12 days
Difficulty: Medium difficulty
The route is suitable for beginners and more experienced tourists, children from 14 years old. Minimal physical fitness is desirable.