Crete, hiking in the Greek jewel

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands. Bathed in the southern sun, nestled between the Aegean and Libyan Seas, its mountains rise to over 2,400 meters, and its most secluded coves still hold vestiges of a rich history (the myth of the labyrinth and the Minotaur are present in many places on the island). The city of Chania, with its charming Venetian harbor, will be our starting point. Over the following days, we will explore the white mountains and their extraordinary lunar landscapes, the southern coast with its small villages accessible only by boat or on foot, and the unspoiled nature that will be a constant presence throughout our journeys.

View of a coastal landscape with green trees, blue water, and mountains in the background under a clear sky. Coast of Crete
View of a mountain with rock formations and a tree in the foreground, in a landscape of valley and shaded stone walls. Crete, white mountains
Mountains with dark clouds above a valley on a cloudy day. Crete, white mountains
Old stone house on the coast with blue sea and mountains in the background, surrounded by rocks and vegetation. Agios Pavlos, Crete
Hikers walking along a rocky path overlooking the sea and mountains in the background during the day. White Mountains, Crete
Coastline of a beach surrounded by cliffs with vegetation and a blue sea, with mountains in the background. Crete
Panoramic view of the blue sea with a rock in the lower left corner and a tree with twisted branches. In the background, mountains and a clear sky. Crete
A sunlit, rocky, and barren mountain with steep terrain and no visible vegetation. White Mountains, Crete
View of a canyon with high, steep rock walls, with green trees at the base and a group of people walking among rocks and gravel. Crete
Landscape of mountains covered with pine trees, with a view of the sea in the background and a clear sky.

8 days from €1,455 including flights

Dates: October 4-11

Confirmed for groups of 5 or more: Confirmation in progress

Difficulty: 2-3/5

The pluses of this program

  • Hiking through the most varied part of the island of Crete

  • The landscapes of the white mountains, with canyons, 2,400m peaks and a preserved coastline.

  • The ascent of Mount Pachnes, the highest of the Lancaian mountains and second highest in Crete.

  • Traditional Cretan food!

Pine forest with mountains in the background and clear sky. Gran Canaria, Canary Island pine

Program

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Program 〰️

  • Arrival at Chania or Heraklion airport and transfer to the small seaside town of Chania. Depending on the arrival time, free time to explore Chania. Overnight stay in a small hotel near the Venetian port.

  • After a bus transfer, we begin our walk from the village of Paleocora, following the coast and passing the beautiful cove of Lissos, where we'll see the ruins of a temple and its mosaics, before arriving in the lively town of Sougia. Overnight stay in a small hotel in Sougia. Dinner at a traditional Greek taverna by the sea.

    5h30 of walking, 600m of positive and negative elevation gain.

  • We left Sougia heading east, always following the coast along a path that already revealed spectacular views of the sea cliffs and the white mountains. We passed a charming, solitary chapel and finally arrived at the mouth of the majestic Tipry Canyon.

    We return to Sougia by boat. Night in Sougia.

  • Early bus transfer to the high plain of Omalos, where we begin our descent into the deepest canyon in the Mediterranean, the legendary Samaria. Now a national park, the impressive canyon gorge bisects the western part of the White Mountains and is a refuge for the last remaining Cretan ibex. We descend along a path to the narrowest part of the canyon, where the trail leads us over the river stones to the sea. We spend the night in a hotel in the small port of Agia Rumeli.

    5 hours of walking, 1200 m descent.

  • From Agia Roumeli, a path leads us along the seafront to the ancient chapel of Agios Pavlos, built a thousand years ago on the water's edge, where we can still admire the frescoes painted centuries ago. We continue along the coast to the small cove of Marmara. From here, a short boat transfer will take us to the beautiful port of Loutro with its white and blue houses. Overnight in a hotel by the sea.

    4.5 hours of walking. 250 meters of ascent and descent

  • Today we climb to the highest peak of the White Mountains: Pachnes. After a 4x4 ride along the shepherds' track, we begin hiking along a trail that zigzags between immense sinkholes reminiscent of lunar craters! The view from the summit, at 2453 m, is fabulous and encompasses almost the entire island. We return to the cars, which will drop us off in the small mountain village of Livianiana. Overnight at the hotel where we'll sample some of the best food in Crete.

    4 hours of walking. 400 meters uphill and downhill.

  • Following an ancient path, we descended towards the blue of the Mediterranean. The Loutro coastline unfolded before us, and the trail led us to Marmara, where we had time for a swim and to relax in the small taverna before beginning our trek through the impressive Aradena Canyon. We ascended the canyon along a path to the abandoned village of Aradena (a night of vengeance led to its abandonment several decades ago), and from there, we continued to Livianiana. We spent our second night in the small hotel in this shepherd's village.

    5 hours of walking, 600 m of elevation gain and loss

  • Transfer to Heraklion airport.

Important information

  • Hania: a two-star hotel near the Venetian port.

    Sougia: Little family hotel or Guesthouse next to the sea

    Agia Roumeli: Little family hotel next to the sea

    Loutro: Small hotel or guesthouse by the sea

    Livianiana: Small family hotel

  • By private and public bus, in 4x4, by boat.

  • Exploramunt technical sports guide for Medium Mountain.

  • Hiking along paths, with some short sections without a trail.

    Between 4 and 6 hours of walking per day.

    A medium-to-good physical condition is required.

  • Between 5 and 14 people

  • During excursions, we only take the essentials for the day's outing. The rest of our luggage is transported between hotels by boat or car.

Prices and conditions

PRICE FROM €1,455* including flights

Included in the price: International flights. Accommodationfrom day 1 to day 8 (7 nights), half board (breakfast + dinner) from breakfast on day 2 to breakfast on day 8. 6 picnic lunches. All transfers mentioned in the program from arrival at Heraklion Airport on day 1 to departure from Heraklion Airport on day 8. Luggage transfer between accommodations. Organization and guiding by Exploramunt. VAT.

Not included in the price: dinner on day 1 in Chania (around €20), insurance, tips or museum entrance fees, drinks during dinners, any other service or activity not expressly mentioned in the program.

*We have budgeted €255 per person for the flight, departing from Europe. At the time of registration, if the flight price has increased from €255, we will apply the increase to the total price of the trip.

Payment terms: 40% of the trip price is due upon registration. The remaining 60% must be paid no later than 4 weeks before departure. We advise you to purchase cancellation insurance at the time of registration, as the cost of airline tickets and some services is non-refundable by the agency if you need to cancel.

If the group is not confirmed at the time of registration, only €100 will need to be paid (this will be refunded if the group is not confirmed) and the rest up to 40% of the price will be paid when it is confirmed.

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