Chania Gorges

At the foothills of the White Mountains, the province of Sfakia is home to one of the most famous gorges in Europe, the imposing Gorge of Samaria. The trail is crossed by thousands of visitors every summer. It starts from the plateau of Omalos, descends through a magical dense forest of cypresses and pine trees, passes between very narrow passages with vertical walls of a height of up to 500m, before reaching the seaside village of Agia Roumeli. Other well-known hiking canyons of the region are the gorge of Imbros gorge that starts near the plateau Askyfou, the wild canyon of Aradena, the lush green Sfakiano Gorge, the Gorge Kallikratis, the rugged canyon of Tripiti and the famous gorge of Agia Irini which ends at the beach of Sougia. Some green hiking canyons are located at the region of Zourva and Karanou, while West Crete also hosts the impressive gorges of Diktamos, Lissos, Topolia, Asfendou, Kambos, Sirikari, Sassalos and more.

Show Map

Samaria Gorge

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 3.61 (107 Votes)

Samaria Gorge is one of the longest and most famous hiking gorges in Europe. Thousands of visitors walk the route from Xyloskalo on the Omalos Plateau to Agia Roumeli every year. The complete hiking route is approximately 14.5 km long and usually takes 5-7 hours, depending on pace and stops.

Imbros Gorge

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 3.49 (64 Votes)

Imbros Gorge is located in the province of Sfakia and is the third most visited gorge in Crete, following Samaria Gorge and Agia Irini by Sougia. The scenery is beautiful and the low difficulty makes the descent of Imbros ideal for families with children. The length of the gorge is 11 km and the course lasts 2-3 hours.

Aradena Gorge

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 3.94 (48 Votes)

The deepest gorge in Chania is the gorge of Aradena. The 138-meter-deep gorge is ideal not only for sightseeing or hiking but for bungee jumping as well. Trekking inside the canyon till the exit on the majestic Marmara beach is an unforgettable experience for those who attempt the descent of the canyon.

Agia Irini Gorge

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 3.88 (54 Votes)

The gorge of Agia Irini is on the west side of the White Mountains, with many vertical passes. It gets its name from the homonym village located near the entrance, 46 km from Chania. Its length is 7.5 km and its crossing takes three hours. The gorge ends up in the seaside village of Sougia.

Therisso Gorge

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 3.69 (36 Votes)

The Gorge of Therisso (named also Eleftherios Venizelos) is located near the city of Chania. You can go there by car. The main gorge is six kilometers long. The vertical cliffs are impressive and the lush vegetation has nothing to envy of the other Chania Gorges. The place deserves a visit, even with a vehicle, cobined with a visit in the historical beautiful village of Therisso.

Topolia Gorge

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 3.68 (31 Votes)

The gorge of Topolia is located at West Crete and it runs along the road leading to Elafonissi. The canyon actually starts near the village Strovles at an altitude of 450m, and exits near the village Topolia, at an altitude of 150m.

Sarakina Gorge, Meskla

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 3.70 (46 Votes)

Near village Meskla at the root of the White Mountains, we meet the small, but really impressive, gorge of Sarakina (don't confuse it with the other popular gorge named Sarakina in East Crete, by Mythi at Province Ierapetra). The name Sarakina comes from the faith of the locals that Saracenes used to hide in there.

Diktamos Gorge

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 2.98 (53 Votes)

The canyon of Diktamos starts 21km east of Chania, next to the village Katochori at an altitude of 300m, and ends 8km eastern, at the village Faragi, at an altitude of 40m, next to the village of Stylos. Thus, it is also known as Katechori Gorge or Stylos Gorge.

Chania

Samaria

Imbros

Agia Irini

Chania Gorges

Also read: