Spend a week hiking in Crete with local, certified guide, Akis. Climb to the top of Mount Ida, visit Samaria Gorge, Loutro Bay, Sfakia, and more!
Private
6 Days
May - Oct
High
Intermediate
* Discover some of the most amazing spots in Crete.
* Enjoy seaside and mountain trails.
* Spend a week enjoying the Mediterranean culture and cuisine.
Crete is a majestic island and the absolute Mediterranean destination, an ideal place to enjoy a hiking and cultural week.
On this one-week adventure, you will have the chance to explore some of the most amazing spots on the island. High mountains, magnificent gorges and canyons, and the extended trail network close to the Mediterranean Sea make this a unique trekking destination. Furthermore, the culture, history, food, unique flora, and fauna will perfectly complement and enrich your trip.
The hiking itinerary we will follow runs the south coastline of the island, one of the purest, most unspoiled, and isolated areas of South Europe. Some of the landmarks we will visit include the Mount Ida summit, Samaria Gorge, and Loutro, among others. You can find a detailed itinerary below.
Keep in mind that we will spend around 5 hours hiking each day. Therefore, you will need a good fitness level to join this adventure, however, you don’t need technical skills for this adventure.
So, are you ready to experience a unique 1-week trek in Crete? Then contact me today and let’s start planning your adventure. I look forward to guiding you!
- Accommodation included
- Guiding fee
- Breakfast
- Transport during the trip
- Mountain guide expenses
- Luggage transfer
- Snacks
National Park entrance fees included
Breakfasts included
Snacks during the hike included
Boat ticket during the hike is included
Transfers during the trip
Not included :
Meals and drinks
Meeting with the guests in Heraklion city in the morning and travel towards the Cretan country side at the foot hills of Mount Ida – The birth place of Zeus. Starting from Mygeros Plateau at an altitude of 1550m, the well-marked trail runs the north west side of the mountain and gives access to an impressive summit crest towards the Peak 2456m.
The summit view is stunning in every direction… the Aegean Sea islands to the North and the African coast line to the South are the highlights of this magnificent ascent.
Duration: 5 – 6 hours
Vertical ascent: 1000m
Pick up the guests and travel towards Chania town where we will settle down in a hotel at the Old Venetian Harbor.
Briefing about the schedule – overnight.
Today we will hike one of the longest and most beautiful gorges in Europe: The famous Samaria Gorge.
A well-marked trail runs 16 km of unspoiled nature inside the gorge, and finally exits at the Mediterranean Sea.
Duration: 5 – 6 hours
Vertical drop: 1250m
The hike ends at the seafront village Agia Roumeli. Rest, relaxation, swimming in crystal clear waters, Mediterranean food, and overnight stay at the village.
Breakfast at the guest house and start hiking.
The sea side trail runs the coast line through pine forest, and faces the Mediterranean Sea. Then, a steep but magnificent trail climbs the mountain towards our final destination, the St. John mountain village, too far away from the civilization and almost lost in time…
During our hike we can swim at the crystal sea waters and then continue towards the village.
Duration: 5 – 6 hours
Vertical ascent: 900m
Settle down in a guest house – briefing about the next day’s schedule.
Overnight stay
Breakfast at the guest house and transfer towards the entrance of Aradaina Gorge.
The trail runs the gorge through impressive rock formations, and during the hike we will experience the Cretan nature, smell the Mediterranean herbs and finally we will exit in a magnificent secret beach with crystal waters – The Marble Beach.
Duration: 4 hours
Relaxation & swimming
The same afternoon, transfer with a boat towards Loutro village, the most iconic and magnificent part of the south Crete. The small sea front village with magnificent Aegean architecture welcomes the hikers. Now, we are too far away from roads and vehicles, isolated at the very south end of Europe.
Settle down in a seafront hotel – overnight stay.
After breakfast we will discover the unspoiled nature round Loutro Bay and the archeological site of the area. The Mediterranean Sea is always by our side and we will enjoy the crystal waters many times throughout the day. Early afternoon return to the village – overnight.
Duration: 5 hours
Breakfast at the hotel and start hiking towards Sfakia.
We will cross the marvelous Sweet Waters beach and finally, we will access the historic Sfakia village, a place very tight connection with the 2nd WW history.
Duration: 3 hours
Short break at the picturesque Sfakia Bay and early afternoon transfer towards Heraklion city, where you will be dropped off.
End of trip
Sunglasses
Backpack
Water bottle
What are some recommended accommodations near our adventure location?
4.6
(16)
Mountain Guide
I was born in 1975 in Katerini, the town where I currently live.
I discovered the world of climbing and mountaineering when I was 15, and soon it became my passion. Over the years, I have specialised in mountaineering, ski mountaineering, rock climbing and ice climbing. I am a certified mountain guide (HMGA).
I have ascended hundreds of times Mount Olympus, Varasova, Meteora, Mount Gkiona, Mount Vardousia, Mount Pindos and others, both by the traditional and the modern routes.
But I also have a lot of experience abroad. I climbed many routes, both rock and ice/snow, in different areas including Mont Blanc, the Dolomites, Gran Paradiso and the Aosta Valley.
I also have a vast experience in ski mountaineering both in Greece and around Europe.
I am also a certified mountaineering and climbing instructor. I apply this by teaching in various Climbing and Mountaineering Associations.
During the winter, I also spend time as a ski instructor in my region, where there is a local academy.
Languages
Greek | French | English
Certificates
HMGA
Man
5
Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!
Maxine
5
Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.
Valeriya
5
You’re simply the best!!! :))) Explore-Share made everything easy and stress-free. Will definitely use again.
Joshua
5
We had Léo as a guide for our day climb in Fonty. We were blessed with a knowledgeable, warm, and instructive guide. Communication with Léo and Ivan was smooth and swift. Explore-Share was excellent in arranging everything for our day climb. The communication was quick, and the platform was easy to use, making our adventure stress-free.
Cami
5
Patrick was a great guide. He took us on an intermediate Via Ferrata at Passo Sella. Renato was quick to respond with any outreach on the Explore-Share platform. The booking process was straightforward, and once Patrick was confirmed, all went well. It was a wonderful experience, and I’d highly recommend the platform.
4.8
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