West Crete

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.

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.

From Agia Roumeli, at the exit of Samaria Gorge, starts the easy and very beautiful coastal part of the European E4 trail that leads to Chora Sfakion. Originally it passes from the church of Saint Paul, surrounded by pines, and continues along the rocky coast to the exit of the gorge of Aradena (Marmara beach). From there it continues to the settlements Likos and Phoenix, reaching the scenic village Loutro. From Loutro starts another path that comes to the beach Glyka Nera. After meeting the main asphalt road to Anopolis, we come by the beach Iligas and finally Chora Sfakion.

Ancient Lissos was the seaport of Elyros and was built in a small valley between Sougia and Paleochora. It flourished from the Hellenistic period up to the 9th century, when it was destroyed by the Saracens. It was famous for the Asclepion, where patients from all over the island arrived to be healed from the thermal baths.