West Crete self-guided walking holiday
- Mar - Nov
- Small Groups
- 10-14 days
- Customizable
"Walk ancient paths and experience incredible diverse landscapes, a unique culture and delicate ecosystems..."
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Follow the European E4 path and explore the beautiful Cretan mountains and coastline, three spectacular gorges, picturesque remote villages and incredible beaches.
The prefecture of Chania is the greenest part of the island as the range of the White Mountains ensures the highest rainfall in Crete. You’ll stay at the picturesque Old town of Chania and then continue to the coastal village of Loutro, at the Sfakia region, then Sougia and finally Palaiochora. All along the way you’ll enjoy incredible views to the Libyan sea.
Join our West Crete self-guided walking holiday and experience incredible landscapes, beaches, a unique culture and delicate ecosystems, mainly of plants and birds.
Here is an example of what you will experience during our West Crete self-guided walking holiday:
Join our West Crete self-guided walking holiday and you will:
Walk and explore the history, culture and unique natural world of Chania district,
Discover areas of unique natural beauty under own expert guidance,
Hike three of the most beautiful gorges in Crete,
Walk to magical parts of the islands that you would never discover on your own,
Learn about the local herbs and plants, birds and other members of the animal kingdom, above and under the water!
Visit traditional Cretan villages,
Experience customs and traditions, cultural happenings, local feasts with Cretan music and dance,
Sample organic, home-made food locally produced wherever you eat,
Swim at the magical waters of the Libyan sea,
Stay at traditional family run guesthouses,
7-day, 10-day or 14 day walking holiday adapted to fit your schedule… possibility to combine this walking holiday with visiting other islands such as Santorini or Naxos & the Small Cyclades.
The carefully chosen walks during our West Crete self-guided walking holiday are graded as easy to moderate. You will walk mainly on paths of moderate gradient with ascents of up to 500m in a day. You will walk up to 5-6 hours in the day including stops to rest and for lunch. Being predominately limestone some parts of our paths can be quite rough and stoney.
The below itinerary is a sample. We recommend various walks and there are options for all levels.
Flexible itineraries are available: We can recommend longer, more challenging hikes or more relaxed-paced walks offering you more time to relax and enjoy the sea and sun of the Libyan sea.
The E4 European Walking Path in Crete is about 500 km in total, beginning at Kastelli- Kissamos in the west and ending at Kato Zakros in the east. The path takes in some of the most beautiful scenery and interesting hiking country in Crete.
The E4 Path route is quite varied and can range from simple walking on smooth asphalt roads to some serious hiking in rugged gorges and some real mountain trekking. The trails we recommend are popular with hikers but a prior experience with hiking is required. At some points the E4 trail forks into two tracks and you can choose the mountain section or the coastal section.
In Crete the path is marked with yellow markers and yellow/black arrows.
The above itinerary can be combined with our self-guided walking holiday in Santorini!
We have reserved for you a lovely authentic family-run guesthouses at a very central locations in Chania, Loutro & Palaiochora. The owners are very hospitable and helpful and are known to provide the most delicious breakfasts. We’ll send you full details.
The combination of natural beauty and culture but also the hospitality of her residents will make this holiday unforgettable for you.
Please contact us at info@nofootprint.gr for further information!
Please contact us for further information and advice.
We organise our West Crete self-guided walking holiday all year round apart from July and August when it’s too hot.
Spring and autumn are the best times of year for walking. In spring nature is at its most abundant. The island is covered with a blanket of wild flowers. During the walks you can also discover rare orchids. The colorful butterflies are a feast for the eyes; you smell herbs like thyme, oregano and sage. In the summer, it is a little drier but in autumn the first rains bring a new shower of flowers and amazing autumn colors.
The best time to visit:
- March: blossom is out.
- April to mid June: for wild flowers, sunshine and moderate temperatures. The Easter period is recommended as it’s one of the most important celebrations in Greece and you’ll have the chance to experience traditional feasts and gatherings.
- September to end of November: for warm seas, gentle weather and autumn flowers. Grapes and olive harvests.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@nofootprint.gr
WEST CRETE SELF-GUIDED WALKING HOLIDAY FEES
9-nights/10 days walking holiday staying at traditional family-run guesthouses:
All prices are per person for two people sharing a standard double room.
* Low Season (1 Oct – 30 April): 880€ pp
* High Season (1 May – 30 June and September): 970€ pp
Supplement for single rooms: We don’t recommended to walk on your own.
We offer group and special offers for our West Crete self-guided walking holiday. Please contact us for further information…
The West Crete self-guided walking holiday fees includes:
- Our choice of the best self-guided walks along the coast of West Crete
- Digital hiking map, GPX files and recommended routes at wikiloc that you can download at your mobile,
- A detailed info pack on recommended routes, points of interest, photos and hiking map of the islands,
- Introduction to the unique flora, fauna, history and culture,
- Accommodation & breakfast,
- Transfers from the airport to the hotel and back,
- Transfer of luggage to the next destination,
- Transfer from Palaiochora back to the airport,
- Suggestions for lunch/supper/excursions/beaches and archeological sites to visit,
- Local support from our representative 24 hours/day (call or meet upon arrival to answer questions),
- Emergency telephone support in the event of a problem.
The fee excludes:
- Flights to Crete,
- Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks,
- Entrance fees to museums and archeological sites,
- Travel insurance and personal equipment,
- Transfers to the beginning of the hike and back unless it is specified (advice is offered for taxis/buses/ferries – we can pre-arrange all for 240 EUR extra pp),
- Anything not included above.
Book your self-guided walking holiday on West Crete…
Itinerary
As you stroll through narrow lanes and hidden back streets you’ll discover the neighbourhoods where once Christians, Muslims and Jews used to coexist, secret gardens, ancient ruins, parts of the Byzantine wall, the Venetian fortifications and buildings and Ottoman mosques and dwellings… myths and legends about invasions, occupations, resistances and independence will come alive and fascinate you. Enjoy supper at one of our favourite local taverns. Overnight at Chania, Old town.
Imbros gorge became a refuge for Christians during the Turkish occupation and a base for revolutionaries. For Australians, New Zealanders and some British, walking through the gorge of Imbros is almost a pilgrimage. Many Allied troops walked through the gorge in May 1941 in order to escape the island to Egypt. Break at Chora Sfakion for a swim and a beautiful meal by the sea.
From Chora Sfakion starts an incredibly beautiful coastal walk which is part of the European E4 hiking trail that leads to picturesque Loutro. You’ll enjoy a relaxed walk towards Glyka Nera where you’ll swim, snorkel and enjoy the turquoise colours, vastness and remoteness of the south beaches of Crete. Continue along the rocky E4 towards Loutro.
Walking distance: 8km and 7km, 2.5 and 2.1 hours. Actual walking time: 5-6 hours with stops for observations and rest. The 2 trails are considered easy, although some parts are rocky.
Walking distance: 11km, 5 hours. Actual walking time: 7-8 hours. The path is considered moderate.
Walking distance: 12km, 4 hours. Actual walking time: 5-6 hours. The path is considered easy to moderate.
In the gorge you will find around 450 unique plant species, protected under international law, in order to safeguard this delicate ecosystem. You’ll walk past huge pine and cypress trees and you may meet its famous inhabitant, the endemic wild goat of Crete or “Kri-kri”. The walk through the Samaria Gorge takes 5-8 hours depending on your pace and it is totally worth it! Six hours is the normal time including stops to rest and appreciate the natural landscape and wildlife.
End the day with a swim at the deep blue waters of Ag. Roumeli and then we’ll take the boat back to Sougia.
Walking distance: 16km, 5 hours. Actual walking time: 6-8 hours with stops for observations and rest. The path is considered moderate.
Note: option to walk the gorge of Ag. Irini which is less touristy, but equally interesting and spectacular, a miniature of Samaria.
Continue along the E4 all the way to Gialiskari beach where you can enjoy a refreshing swim before continuing to Palaiochora.
Walking distance: 12km, 4 hours. Actual walking time: 5-6 hours with stops to swim, visit Lissos and rest. The path is considered moderate.
Walking distance: 9km, 3 hours. Actual walking time: 4-5 hours with stops to swim and lunch. The path is considered easy.
Walking distance: 10 km, 3.1 hours. Actual walking time: 4-5 hours with stops for observations and rest. The path is considered easy to moderate.
Map
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“The guides, Annie and Melita, were fantastic and showed me a part of Greece I never would have seen. I especially loved how they took care of ordering our food and introduced to us to the Cretan delicacies. Meeting new, like-minded people is always a highlight of a group tour. Wonderful holiday in all ways. A great value. Thanks!”
Dina & Ralph, USA
“Thanks to beautiful Crete, dazzling blue and white, splashing of vibrant flora. But always a generous people, even in the face of tourist rudeness. We are so blessed by Loutro and its people! And without you – your creative problem solving, your commitment to choosing special activities, your willingness to spend all your time with us, your positive attitude and energy, our experience would have been so different. Many efharistos!”
Ward and Gale, USA
“Thank you for my introduction to Greece! It has been an incredible trip. I loved the hikes, swims, food and most of all your leadership for all we experienced. All the best.”
Deborah, USA
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