Day
1: Laki - Omalos (4 hours)
We go by road from Chania to Laki.
From there a pleasant walk takes
us on the historic trail leading
to the plateau of Omalos. Nowadays,
this trail is hardly ever used as
there is a good road leading to
Omalos.
Day 2:
Omalos - Gingilos - Omalos
(5 hours) Gingilos, the impressive
mountain that rises vertically above
the Samaria gorge is actually quite
easy to climb. The view from its
summit (2080 m) is one of the best
mountain views in Crete. You can
see the Libyan sea (to the South)
and the Aegean sea (to the North)
from the same spot. Those not up
to walking to the summit can stop
at the spring of Lino Seli or at
the saddle below the summit. This
mountain can only be climbed when
the weather is stable. As an alternative
we can walk to the mountain refuge
of Kallergi which offers a stunning
bird’s eye view of the Samaria
gorge.
Day 3:
Omalos - Agia Roumeli (5
hours) A walk in Crete has to include
the gorge of Samaria! Although the
walk is long (16 km) and we descend
1250m, the path is well maintained,
making the hike fairly easy. To
avoid the crowds, we will be leaving
around midday and arrive by the
sea in the early evening. This lets
us have the place almost to ourselves.
Day 4:
Agia Roumeli rest day:
Most guidebooks describe Agia Roumeli
as a dreadful place, full of tourists
who have just “done” the
Samaria gorge and are waiting for
the next boat out. If you stay away
from the mainstream it is actually
a very quiet place, with beautiful
sea and deserted beaches. It’s
just our luck that almost nobody
has realized this YET ! This day
will allow you to have a rest by
the sea. For those who must walk,
we can visit one or more of the
three Venetian castles high above
the village or make an incursion
into the wild, unknown Eligas gorge
which runs parallel to the East
of the Samaria gorge. |
