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Great gorge....wild but with a quite good path, in some places you have make small jumps and other parts you have to slide down rocks. When you reach the beach of Marmara the walk was so worth it.
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Date of experience: July 2020
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Walked from Loutro up the mountainside (escorted by Griffin vultures) via Anopolis to Aradena Gorge. Spectacular with only the goats for company. Lots of fun with metal ladders and stone slopes to clamber over. Much better and quieter than Imbros. Recommended for younger, fitter walkers.…
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Date of experience: July 2019
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The Gorge of Aradaina offers a great experience for every hiker ect. It's about 7 km long and i think can be walked through in 2hours. The difficulty is medium. It offers a wild beauty to the traveler with easy trails but in specific spots it get's really difficult. Climbing is not necessary because specific ladders are placed and make it easier to pass it through. You MUST have with you plenty of water and wear necessary gear (shoes) to make it. Nature at its best. A very big advantage is that ends in Marmara Beach where you can enjoy a great swim in deep blue clean water. There is a taverna over there that offers great tasteful plates. I recommend it to everyone. (be carefull it's not for children up to 16 years old - it's dangerous and difficult)…
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Date of experience: September 2019
2 Helpful votes
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We tracked from Paleiochora to Sfakia, and walked up and down both Samaria and Aradena gorge. Both are amazing, but we prefer Aradena. Nearly no traffic (groups walking down Samaria) and more exciting nature.
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Date of experience: September 2019
1 Helpful vote
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So, I won't add much about how awesome this hike is. If you want to do a gorge hike on Crete, and following the hundreds of bus tour tourists through Samaria is not your idea of a great time, go here - it's absolutely stunning, and you get it mostly for yourself. Instead, as I was a bit lost when looking for info about this, I'll describe my itinerary for a day trip from Chania through the gorge to the beach and back to Chania. Please mind that this review was written for June 2019, so double check departure times yourself. 1) Bus ride Chania - Chora Sfakion There's a morning bus leaving Chania at 8:15 am. Be at the main bus station by around 8 to buy a ticket at the counter. The bus ride takes you about 1:40h and was a little over 8€. 2) From Chora Sfakion to Aradena There's one bus going up to the deserted village where the hike starts, but that leaves at 9, so no public transport for you. I took a Taxi (fixed price, 30€). There is a counter of the taxi company in the supermarket on the harbor promenade (sign outside). I've been told hitchhiking works as well, but didn't want to gamble due to time constraints. 3) The hike through Aradena Gorge Bring enough water (>2l per person) and proper hiking boots. It's a hike, not a walk. You occasionally need to use your hands, and should be sure-footed and not afraid of heights. Trust the arrows and signs, even if they seem misleading at first. As it's still reasonably early (around 10:30) when you start, there's still some shadow in the gorge and the heat isn't too bad. Plan 2-3 hours depending on how fast you are and how much time you spend taking pictures and admiring the views. 4) Marmara Beach The hike ends at the lovely pebble beach of Marmara. There's a tavern with a marvelous view over the bay with great food and drinks for very reasonable prices. Fuel up, go for a swim, relax for a bit. 5) Marmara Beach to Chora Sfakion Now you have two options. There's a taxi boat leaving Marmara Beach at 5 pm going to Loutro. I am relatively sure that if you take that one, then the next ferry from Loutro to Chora Sfakion you should be able to reach the last bus back to Chania, but that was too risky for me. Instead, I followed the E4 hike (yellow and black markings) along the coast line back to Loutro, which took me a little over an hour and was pretty exhausting in the afternoon sun. I left at around 3 pm. The treck starts right at the beach of Marmara and is occasionally not very well marked. Loutro is a cute small coastal village, but nothing special. From Loutro there are frequent ferries going to Chora Sfakion, including one at 5 pm, which I took. The ticket was around 6€, and the boat ride took maybe 20 minutes. 6) Chora Sfakion back to Chania The bus leaves at 6:30 (some schedules say 6:15), after some ferry that comes along the coast arrives. In my case it was delayed by about half an hour, so don't trust on this one if you have to catch a late flight out of Chania. You're back in Chania at 8:30 to 9 pm. Again around 8€. All in all I spent around 50€ on transportation, plus food and drinks, and was on the road for about 13 hours. If you are in Chania and don't plan to stay a night on the southern coast, this is definitely a way to enjoy a fantastic gorge hike with some relaxing time at a beach. I hope this write-up helps a few people.…
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Date of experience: June 2019
12 Helpful votes
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