Crete: Samaria and the south coast
Sixteen kilometres of descent between 500-metre walls, then a village reachable only by sea and beaches where the water shades into lagoon: southern Crete is an island within the island.
Suggested stay — 4 to 5 nights
The Samaria gorge is the great Greek crossing: 16 km of descent from the Omalos plateau (1,230 m) down to the Libyan Sea, between walls that narrow to three metres at the Iron Gates. Open from May to mid-October, it takes 5 to 7 hours and spills out at Agia Roumeli, a roadless village where the afternoon ferry collects you towards Chora Sfakion or Sougia. For the solo driver the logistics are well-oiled: car at the Omalos car park, hike down, ferry, then the KTEL bus back up to the plateau — check the last bus time before setting off.
The south coast around it is the Crete of before mass tourism: Loutro, a white-and-blue hamlet without a single road, is earned by ferry or on foot from Sfakia along the coastal path; the beaches of Glyka Nera (fresh water seeping up through the pebbles) and Marmara are won the same way. Further west, the switchback road drops to Elafonissi and its pink lagoon — glorious at first light, overrun by 11 am in summer — and Falassarna closes the show with sunsets over kilometres of sand.
Don't miss
- The full descent of the Samaria gorge, leaving the plateau by 8 am at the latest
- Loutro and Glyka Nera beach, on foot or by taxi-boat from Chora Sfakion
- Elafonissi at first light, before the coaches arrive from Chania
- The switchbacks of the Anopoli road above Sfakia, a balcony over the Libyan Sea
Our tips on the ground
- For Samaria, the smart variant is to sleep at Omalos the night before: you start at 7 am in the cool, two hours ahead of the coaches from the north coast.
- The kri-kri goats are protected and the gorge closes in high wind or rain: check the opening status the evening before (the park announces it daily).
- On the south coast, withdraw cash before driving down: between Sfakia and Paleochora, ATMs and petrol stations can be counted on one hand.
Our flagship guide — €29
Guide available“Greece on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Crete: Samaria and the south coast
Can you do Samaria with a rental car, without an organised tour?
Yes, and it is actually more comfortable: guarded parking at Xyloskala (Omalos), park entry around €5, the Agia Roumeli-Chora Sfakion ferry mid-afternoon, then the connecting KTEL bus Sfakia-Omalos. The only risk is missing the last bus: check the day's timetable at the office or with your host, as it changes with the season.
Is the south coast worth it if you don't hike?
Absolutely: Loutro is reached by taxi-boat without walking a step, the Sfakia beaches can be driven along, and the Chania-Sfakia road through the White Mountains is a spectacle in itself. Hiking adds Glyka Nera and the E4 coastal path, but Cretan south also goes down very well with a frappé in hand, in the shade of a harbour taverna.