Edge Of Crete
An eight-day expedition along the southern coast of Crete
from Chora Sfakion to Paleochora
DECEMBER 12-20, 2025
APRIL 2-10, 2026
95 km of hiking
95 km, 3200 m. up and down. Each day quite easy, all together serious adventure.
3-6 PARTICIPANTS
Small group, personal contact.
Wildness and beauty of nature
Adventure like no other.
The last wild, seaside path in Europe. Without hundreds of tourists, crowded beaches, large hotels or cars. But with wild mountains, charming bays and rocky peninsulas. A narrow path with a view of the Libyan Sea all the time. Plus two amazing gorges - Samaria and Imbros in the program.
A really long adventure - kind of hiking meditation.
What's in offer
All transfers: from Chania airport to Imbros (car), from Sentoni to Sougia (boat) and from Paleochora to Chania on the last day
Accommodation. 7 nights in hotels in various villages on the coast
Guidance and support during all trip
All meals
Chilling on the beach
Extras (t-shirt, buff, medal)
What's not included
Travel/health/accident insurance
Plane tickets to/from Chania
Drinks and snacks
Obligatory equipment
We move in the speed hiking style. This means that we take with us only as much equipment and clothes as is necessary. We fight for every kilogram of the carried weight. By walking lightly we move faster, we get tired less and have more time to admire the world around us.
Light hiking shoes or mountain running shoes but with good ground protection - sharp stones on the route (La Sportiva Ultra Raptor or similar).
Light raincoat - rain is not expected but the jacket also protects from the wind.
Water - it's extremely dry
Recommended equipment
Poles - if you like them, a hat or other head protection from the sun, sunscreen, smartphone with a good camera, sunglasses.
Trip Overview
The beauty of the place
An amazing trip through the most inaccessible corner of Crete. Over one hundred kilometers of wandering on the seafood through the infinite number of bays, peninsulas and … mountains. It is a coastal path but rarely leads on the beach itself. Instead, we have 3000 m elevations on the route and dozens of approaches and descend. These are not impressive peaks (500 m at the highest point) but the mountain nature of this route is obvious. This is our most scenic route. Even when we are higher on the slopes of the mountains, the sea can be seen from virtually every point.
Although it is a coastal route, we added two beautiful gorges: Samaria and Imbros. It would be a shame by passing by to give up their exploration.
We marked the route as medium difficult only because it was divided into short parts. Every day we have a relatively small section to hike (from 10 to 18 km), but we repeat this sequence for many days. Nevertheless, in a technical sense it is a difficult route – at all times a narrow singletrack, a huge amount of stones, stinging shrubs (fregana), and there are also cliffs and places with large exposure. An additional difficulty can be the temperature (this is the warmest place in Crete), a complete lack of water and shadow. On the other hand, there are at least a few additional tavern in the season where we can supplement water and food.
FAQs
What kind of adventures does Foxtrot Tours offer?
We are mountain and wildlife fanatics. We love to walk and run in the mountains. We also believe that preserving clean, unspoiled nature is one of the most important values of mankind. We try to minimize the trace we leave in nature. Our trips can be difficult, and we like to draw continuous lines on the map (longer routes), so we avoid any sections covered by mechanical vehicles unless necessary. Our main goal is to experience the beauty of the world around us and try to challenge our own limitations. If you are tired after our trip – we have achieved the goal.
How difficult are hiking trails in Crete?
Hiking trail in Crete are very difficult, both because of the huge number of sharp stones, large differences in height, often high temperature, almost complete lack of trees, and therefore shaded places, and complete lack of water. In addition, Cretan paths are not very popular, so they easily become overgrown with prickly weeds (fregana) and are therefore difficult to see. However, this is what makes them so unique. Of course, there are easy paths in Crete, but you can go there on your own, you do not need our assistance.
What weather can I expect in Crete?
Crete is one of the warmest places in Europe. During summer trips, the temperature at sea level can exceed 30 degrees Celsius, on the mountain tops it rarely exceeds 20 degrees Celsius. However, due to direct sunlight, the perceived temperature can be higher. In the winter months, the temperature almost never drops below 15 degrees Celsius at sea level, high in the mountains there is snow for 4-5 months.
Crete has over 300 sunny days a year, prevailing westerly winds are not very strong (Crete is not the Cyclades), autumn months are much warmer than spring months. Two or three times a year there are invasions of Saharan sand that limit visibility.
Who can take part in the trips organized by Foxtrot Tours?
Our adventures are not for everyone. Due to the long and difficult routes, expeditions organized by Foxtrot Tours are intended for people with very good physical preparation and experience in high mountains. If you are a mountain runner, your ITRA index should be at least 500 points. If you are an experienced hiker, regular visits to a fitness club (2-3 times a week) will certainly prove helpful. A love of high temperatures is also advisable – Crete is the southernmost region of Europe – it can be hot. If you are a walrus and you like to swim under the ice, we recommend Iceland.
Are there any age restrictions?
Due to the difficulty of the routes and legal requirements, our trips are intended for people who are 18 years old or older.
What is the mandatory equipment for the expedition?
Since our expeditions are not intended for beginners, we assume that everyone knows best from their own experience what they need and what they feel comfortable in. This applies primarily to footwear – the most important element of clothing. We advise against large and heavy hiking boots with high uppers. In Crete, speed hiking shoes will work much better, as long as they have a sole that protects against sharp stones, e.g. La Sportiva Ultra Raptor or Salewa PEDROC PRO MID POWERTEX. It is also mandatory to have a light raincoat (also protects against the wind) and large container of water. Other elements of necessary equipment are listed separately for specific expeditions (e.g. a headlamp if moving at night).
What type of insurance should I have?
You need general travel insurance that covers participation in outdoor sports. Make sure your insurance includes what is called an evacuation insurance policy. There are many insurance companies in different countries, you can choose the one that suits you best. For our part, we can recommend membership in the Alpenverine Austria association combined with insurance that covers rescue operations up to 6,000 m above sea level.
How can I book my adventure and pay for participation?
You reserve your place on our trip by clicking on the link placed on our website. When booking a place, you pay only 30% of the price of the adventure. You pay the remaining amount at any time, but no later than 5 days before the date of the event.
I am canceling my journey, can I get my money back?
Think before making a payment, if you cancel the participation, the amounts paid are not refunded. However, you can use the funds paid for other trips organized by Foxtrot Tours, within the next 12 months.
Daily schedule
A classic expedition from point to point, in hard -to -reach area without asphalt roads. This means that each participant of the trip must carry all the things he needs in the backpack (of course without food and camping equipment – we sleep in hotels). Every morning breakfast at the hotel, sandwiches for the road and dinner for the evening at the destination point.
Day 1: Chania - Imbros Gorge - Chora Sfakion (12 km)
Arrival at Chania airport. We will be waiting for you at the airport at 13:00. If you arrive earlier, pick-up from the city center is possible. We drive to Imbros village (55 km) and start hiking Imbros Gorge all the way to Chora Sfakion on the coast of Libyan Sea.
Day 2: Chora Sfakion - Loutro (8 km)
The second day of hiking, all the time with the Coast of the Libyan Sea. Short distance, almost flat route, spectacular views. Overnight in a hotel, in a climatic village around the bay.
Day 3: Loutro - Agia Roumeli (15 km)
A beautiful hike through a slightly more mountainous path, with a charming – and the only one on the route – a real pine forest with a soft path. Taverna Agios Pavlos and an old chapel in a complete remote area. Overnight in Agia Roumeli, at the mouth of the Samaria Gorge.
Day 4: Agia Roumeli - Samaria Gorge - Agia Roumeli (18 km)
Wandering the Samaria gorge from Agia Roumeli (up, although almost flat) to Old Samaria and back. The second night in Agia Roumeli (you don’t have to take all your things, we go lightly).
Day 5: Agia Roumeli - Tripiti Beach (12 km)
The most difficult but also the most beautiful day of the adventure. Immediately after Agia Roumeli, a steep approach begins to the highest point on the route (500 m a.s.l.). Along the way, we also have the most inaccessible beaches in Crete – Domata and unusual rocky formations on the Sentoni beach.
At the mouth of the Tripiti gorge, we get into a water taxi and transfer for night to Sougia.
Day 6: Tripiti Beach - Sougia (10 km)
After breakfast at the hotel in Sougia, we get into a water taxi again and return to Tripiti Beach, where we finished the hike the previous day. The route is again wonderful and quite mountainous but not as difficult as the previous day. Again, we go with a small backpack, we have a second night in the same hotel in Sougia.
Day 7: Sougia - Paleochora (16 km)
The last day of our expedition. We cross a small gorge, the ancient city of Lissos located in a hard -to -reach valley surrounded by vertical rocks, one more fragment of the seaside path in the mountains and a large, flat beach Gialiskari.
Day 8: Paleochora - Chania
Transfer day. After breakfast and rest on the beach, we get into the car and go to the airport to Chania. At 14.00 the end of the trip.
You can find a detailed and very emotional description of the coastal route on the website:
Check out our
Other Adventures
About Us
We are mountain lovers, explorers of new, unknown paths. We love walking and running in the most remote corners of Crete. Although we are an international group, we are based in Chania for many years. We have experience in organizing tourist expeditions, multi-day trips into wilderness and trail running competitions.
Angela
Greg
Testimonials
56
Completed Projects in the mountains
3054
Happy Customers
128
running competitons
15
new routes created
