Crete: Secluded beaches, mountain villages and coastal hikes

Walk through the narrow streets of the old town where you will notice the different architectural references of the Ottoman Empire, the Venetians and the beautiful houses of the Jewish quarter.

Depending on your time of arrival, you can do a walk to the will walk to the Lighthouse for great photos and continue to Kum Kapi, the favorite neighborhood of the locals, and even further to beautifully preserved old tanneries of Halepa, which have also been used many times as a movie set.

In the afternoon, you will meet your local Trekking Hellas guide who will brief you on the following days of your trip.

Overnight in Chania hotel ***

The hike starts on an old cobbled path called the "Vasiliki Strata", which was once the only connection between Omalos mountain plain and the villages below before roads were built. The route runs through an area with cypress forest mixed with pine trees, but also points with stunning views of the Gulf of Chania - Kolymbari. In some areas of the route vultures nest.The hike ends in the village of Agia Irini, from where you will be transferred to Sougia port to catch the afternoon ferry to Agia Roumeli.

Overnight in Agia Roumeli.

• Total distance: 4,3 km
• Hiking hours: 2
• Difficulty: 1/5

Have a healthy breakfast and get ready to walk through the famous and undeniably beautiful Samaria Gorge, but we'll go the other way around and “the lazy way”, from the exit to the impressive Iron Gates, where the walls of the gorge close in, leaving a space of only four meters for hikers. Of course you can always go a bit further and go back to the Agia Roumeli exit. In the afternoon, while waiting for the crowds to leave, you can visit the old abandoned village and the Agia Roumeli fortress. After the last boat departs, you will experience the calm beauty of the village and enjoy it all to yourselves.

Overnight in Agia Roumeli.

• Total distance: 3 km
• Hiking hours: 1h
• Difficulty: 1/5

After yesterday’s lazy day, be prepared for a longer hike leading after 1 ½ hour to the long sandy stretches of Agios Pavlos beach and the Byzantine church to the green and leafy village of Agios Ioannis, passing by some of the greatest viewpoints to the Libyan Sea and Samaria Gorge. Because the last leg of the hike is upwards through a pine forest, you can also catch a taxi boat to Sfakia and get transferred to the village.

Overnight in Agios Ioannis.

• Total distance: 5.5 km
• Hiking hours: 2,5 hours
• Difficulty: 2/5