Walking in Crete-a guide to visitors of the Samaria Gorge

Crete is the paradise of walker, and when you go on a walking holiday in Crete you will experience many beautiful landscapes. West of the island is one of the best areas to go on a guided tour, and the highlight for many people is a trip to the Gorge of Samaria, which is one of the most popular natural attractions of the island.

Visiting Samaria Gorge

Samaria Gorge is located in the National Park of Samaria in the White Mountains and is 16 kilometers long in total. There are plenty of smaller canyons to discover when you go walking in Crete, but this is the largest and most popular.

You'll find it very hot if you visit Samaria Gorge in summer, so spring is probably the best time of year to come. It is closed during the winter of October onwards due to heavy rains and usually opens in late April or may, depending on how much work is required to prepare the path again.

The best thing to do is take a bus to Omalos and go from there-that shouldn't be too difficult to organize during the tourist season. Alternatively, if you go on a guided tour will likely have organised transport for you.

The walk through the Gorge

The walk through Samaria Gorge is 13 kilometres, with a further 3 km to Agia Roumeli, the coastal tourist village where you will find many taverns to relax at the end of the ride. Walking in Crete often involves rocky terrain and Samaria Gorge is no different-although it is certainly easier to walk in some areas.

You'll find toilets and resting places along the route, and also there are guards for assistance and signage, just in case there was any possibility of losing! The walk will take about 4 to 6 hours on average, although some manage it in less time. It depends on the amount of experience you have and how slowly you want to take it.

Things of interest to see her walk include the iron gates, a part of that is very narrow gorge, wild goats and the village of Samaria, which is a good place to pause.

Explore Samaria Gorge while walking in Crete

Walking in Crete offers many great opportunities to explore this beautiful island. Samaria Gorge is the most popular walk, so if you want to check out one of the must-do activities, this is it! If you're feeling a little more adventurous later then you can head to some of the less visited, including canyons Aradena and Agia Arini.

Walking in Crete-visiting Gorge of Aradena

There are many fantastic places to visit when you go walking in Crete. The island is famous for its spectacular natural landscape, which makes walking a pleasure, and there are many places where you can still escape from the crowds. Crete is hot, dry, arid and rocky, mostly, but it's still incredibly beautiful. One of the best places you can visit is Aradena Gorge. It is not very touristy, certainly when compared to its larger brother Samaria Gorge and makes for a wonderful experience.

The Gorge

Gorge of Aradena in Sfakia region is located on the island of Crete, in the southwest of the island. The Gorge is great, although not as large as Samaria Gorge, about seven kilometres from the deserted village of Aradena Marmara beach. When walking in Crete at this location, the average person should expect to have about four hours to complete the route.

Walking difficulty

Aradena Gorge used to be considered a walking difficult, mainly due to a section where it was necessary to climb up the rope. However, this has now been replaced by a metal ladder, and there's even a path you can take to avoid it completely. However, it remains a hike a challenge that requires a bit of experience to complete it.

A tip to consider when you visit the Gorge's floor upwards. You may think that this would be more difficult due to the slope, but it really works as a hike easier.

Getting there

If you decide to go the Marmara the Aradena then you need to arrange transport. When starting of Marmara, this will involve a boat trip to Loutro or also can walk along the coast to the entrance of the Gorge. If you go with a guided walking holiday specialist, then this will no doubt be organized for you in advance.

Be careful

You must be very careful whenever you visit a Gorge while walking in Crete. There are a number of dangers to be aware of, including the fall of rocks. These can be caused by recent rains, as well as the goats in the throat, so don't walk here after bad weather and steer clear of goats. You must also ensure that you take plenty of water with you, and good shoes.

Walk in the Gorge of Aradena

If you go on a walking holiday in Crete, then a trip to the Gorge of Aradena could prove one of the highlights. There are a number of major tours throughout the island, but this is definitely one of the best-prepare yourself for an incredible experience.