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The bay of Loutro on Crete's south coast: white houses at the water's edge, boats and bare mountain slopes

Sample journey · 10–12 days

All of Crete, on foot and at the table

Heraklion & Knossos, the Lasithi Plateau, Rethymno, Chania, the Samaria Gorge, Loutro & Falasarna

Photo: Tadeusz Zachwieja / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Crete is often known only through a single resort, yet it is an island almost 260 km long, with high mountains, fertile plateaus, gorges and two entirely different coastlines. In the north are harbour towns from Venetian and Ottoman times; in the south, sheer cliffs dropping into the Libyan Sea and villages reached only by boat or on foot. And everywhere there is the table: olive oil, wild greens, cheeses, raki and a hospitality that still feels genuine.

This route crosses the whole island from east to west without doubling back, and stays at least two nights in each place. One day is given to walking the Samaria Gorge, the others to gentler trails, museums, markets and swimming. It suits active couples and families with older children, and is easily shortened and slowed for younger ones. The route, the length of the walks and the stays would be shaped around you.

The route

The journey

  1. Heraklion & Knossos
  2. Lasithi Plateau
  3. Rethymno
  4. Chania
  5. Samaria Gorge
  6. Loutro & Sfakia
  7. Falasarna & Elafonisi
  8. Chania
  1. The north entrance of the palace of Knossos with red Minoan columns and a fresco, photographed on film

    01Days 1–2 · Heraklion & Knossos

    Beginning with the Minoans

    On arrival in Heraklion, an evening by the Venetian harbour beneath the Koules fortress. The next morning, while it is still cool and quieter, the palace of Knossos with a guide who helps you picture the world that flourished here 3,500 years ago, then the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, home to the original Minoan frescoes and the Phaistos Disc. In the afternoon, the road into the mountains.

  2. A winding road descending to the Lasithi Plateau between the mountains, seen from above

    02Days 2–4 · The Lasithi Plateau

    A mountain plain and the cave of Zeus

    Up a winding road, and suddenly a flat, fertile valley opens up, ringed by mountains, its fields still dotted with the remains of old windmills. Two nights in a village guesthouse: cycling along level lanes between orchards, the Dikteon Cave, where myth says Zeus was born, and long lunches in a village taverna, with goat, wild greens, fresh cheese and homemade raki. On the way, you might stop in the village of Kritsa and its frescoed church.

  3. A small street in Rethymno with plants, balconies and café tables

    03Days 4–6 · Rethymno

    An old town where Venice meets the Ottomans

    On the way, Arkadi Monastery, one of the great symbols of Cretan history. In Rethymno the lanes wind between Venetian houses with wooden Ottoman balconies, past minarets and the Rimondi Fountain to the harbour and the great Fortezza. In the old town, craftsmen still stretch paper-thin filo pastry by hand, and the long town beach begins just a few streets away.

  4. People walking along the stone promenade of Chania's harbour, with old Venetian-era houses beyond

    04Days 6–8 · Chania

    A lighthouse and a crescent harbour

    An hour west lies Chania, for many the loveliest town on Crete. The Venetian harbour with its old lighthouse and domed mosque, small squares under the trees in Splantzia, the leather-workers' lane and the market. In the evening, a walk along the harbour wall to the lighthouse and dinner as the mountains behind the town turn red. This is where you gather strength for tomorrow's walk.

  5. Hikers on the rocky riverbed between the high walls of the Samaria Gorge

    05Days 8–10 · The Samaria Gorge & Loutro

    Down the gorge to a village without roads

    Early in the morning, up to the Omalos plateau and around 16 km down through the Samaria Gorge: from pine forest high in the mountains, past an abandoned village, to the Iron Gates, where the rock walls close to just a few metres apart, and finally to the sea at Agia Roumeli. From there, a boat to Loutro, a white village that no road reaches. Two nights here are a rest for the legs: swimming in clear water, a coastal path to neighbouring coves and Sfakian pies with honey.

  6. Falasarna beach and bay from above at sunset, western Crete

    06Days 10–12 · Falasarna & the west coast

    Sunset at the end of the island

    A boat to Chora Sfakion and a drive over the mountains to the island's western edge. Falasarna beach is known for its sunsets, and from the port of Kissamos a boat runs to the Balos lagoon, its water glowing turquoise. The next day, Elafonisi, with pink-tinged sand in a shallow lagoon; early morning or late afternoon is the best time to be there. Chania airport is about an hour's drive away.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Knossos in the early morning

    The Minoan palace before the big groups, then the original frescoes in the museum.

  2. 02

    The Samaria Gorge

    One of Europe's longest gorges, walked from the mountains to the sea: a long day, and one that stays with you.

  3. 03

    Loutro without cars

    A village reached only by boat or on foot, where the evenings are quiet enough to hear the waves.

  4. 04

    The Cretan table

    From mountain-village tavernas to harbourside fish restaurants: food that is a reason to travel in itself.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • With younger children

    Instead of the whole Samaria Gorge, a short walk up from the sea to the Iron Gates and back, or the much shorter Imbros Gorge, with more time for beaches and cycling on the plateau.

  • More walking

    Stretches of the south-coast path between Loutro, Agia Roumeli and the Aradena Gorge, village to village, with the luggage travelling by boat.

  • A food journey

    A cooking day in a mountain village, olive oil and wine estates, and, in autumn, the raki-distilling season in the villages.

  • In spring

    In April and May the mountains bloom with wildflowers and orchids and the heat doesn't yet get in the way of walking, though the Samaria Gorge usually only opens in May.

Practical considerations

  • The Samaria Gorge is usually open from around May to October, but it can close temporarily even in season because of extreme heat, wind or rain; we check dates and conditions before you travel and keep a back-up plan.
  • The Samaria walk is long and physically demanding: around 16 km, mostly downhill on a stony path, with five to seven hours of walking. Good fitness, sturdy footwear and plenty of water are essential.
  • Boats on the south coast follow seasonal timetables and may be cancelled in rough seas; far fewer run in winter.
  • July and August are very hot on Crete, so walks start at dawn; spring and autumn are usually best for walking.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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