Add dates

Things to do in Sfakia

Our most recommended things to do in Sfakia

From Chania: Full-Day Samaria Gorge Trek Excursion

1. From Chania: Full-Day Samaria Gorge Trek Excursion

Embark on a full-day guided trip to the Samaria Gorge from Chania. Arrive in Omalos in the heart of the White Mountains, and enjoy breakfast before trekking along the longest gorge in Europe — 4,000 feet above sea level.  After breakfast, enter the Samaria Gorge. Walk at your own pace with your English speaking guide at the end of the group to help out if you need them. Hike over rocks and stones, through a forest of thousand-year-old trees and along a river, passing by fresh-water springs along the way. Enjoy views of Crete’s most beautiful mountain range and see mountain goats roaming in the wild. Feel the exhilaration of challenging yourself with a long hike. At the end of the trek, visit the village of Agia Roumeli, where you’ll find a number of taverns, bars, and shops. Enjoy some free time to take a swim or have some lunch. A meeting point will be arranged so you can collect your ferry tickets from your guide. Late in the afternoon you’ll board a boat that will take you from Agia Roumeli to Sougia, where the bus will be waiting to transfer you back to the starting point about 730 PM.

From Rethymno: Samaria Gorge Full-Day Trek with Pickup

2. From Rethymno: Samaria Gorge Full-Day Trek with Pickup

Take a day trip from Rethymno to set out on an outdoor adventure into Samaria Gorge National Park. Hike at your own pace with a guide over rocks and stones, through a forest of thousand-year-old trees, along a river, and by fresh-water springs. Keep an eye out for mountain goats roaming in the wild. Begin your full-day excursion to Samaria Gorge with pickup and a drive to Omalos, in the heart of the White Mountains, where you can enjoy breakfast before you start the hike. Challenge yourself with 17 kilometers of walking over rocky terrain. Be accompanied by a mountain escort who speaks English, German and French. Get briefed about your hike and get your tickets for the entrance and ferry boat from your escort. These fees have to be paid to the guide upon arrival. After breakfast, enter the Samaria Gorge. Walk at your own pace as your guide will be at the end of the group to help out if you need them. At the end of the trek, visit the village of Agia Roumeli, where you’ll find a number of taverns, bars, and shops. Enjoy some free time to take a swim or have some lunch. A meeting point will be arranged so you can collect your ferry tickets from your guide. Late in the afternoon, board a boat to go from Agia Roumeli to Sfakia, where the bus will be waiting to transfer you back to the pickup point.

Samaria Gorge Hiking from Agia Pelagia, Heraklion & Malia

3. Samaria Gorge Hiking from Agia Pelagia, Heraklion & Malia

Stop to purchase a hearty breakfast in Rethymno on this full-day Samaria Gorge excursion. Begin your trek at Xiloskalo, where you'll enter the vast, 18-kilometer canyon. Hike along a path that follows the route of the ancient Taras River. Admire the caves that formed a natural shelter for the Cretans in war times and now are home to wild goats. See the abandoned village of Samaria before reaching the Iron Gates, 3 kilometers before the end of the gorge. Rest and enjoy lunch (at your own expense) at the small fishing village of Agia Roumeli. Cool off with a refreshing swim in the Libyan Sea before boarding the ship that takes you back to the village of Sfakia.

Semi-private hikking to Imbros Gorge with lunch

4. Semi-private hikking to Imbros Gorge with lunch

Escape into the wilderness of Crete on a private guided day trip to the Gola Di Imbros and Hora Sfakion from Rethymno. Explore the canyon, spotting rare species of birds as you hike, and refuel with a traditional Cretan lunch. Make a stop in Hora Sfakion and soak in the sun on Vrissi beach. Get picked and drive to the Gola Di Imbros, enjoying scenic views of Crete on the way. Arrive and follow your guide to the beginning of the trail. Descend into the canyon, winding between the narrow, towering rock faces that cover the trail with shade. Listen to your guide as they point out rare plants and wildlife that grow and live in this arid environment. Look out for tulips, Dyer’s alkanet, and the colorful scabiosa. Hear distant bird calls and keep an eye in the sky for blackbirds, thrushes, crows, hawks, and eagles. Pass by a stone arch and depending on how you feel, choose to end your hike here and get lunch back at the starting point, or continue another 15 minutes through the canyon to the village of Komitades for lunch in a traditional Cretan tavern. On your private trip, the choice is yours. After lunch, leave the Gola Di Imbros behind and drive to the coastal town of Hora Sfakion. Take a relaxing walk on pebble beaches or the picturesque Vrissi beach. Wave goodbye to the sea and transfer back to Rethymno.

Crete: Day Trip to Sfakiá, Plakias and Kourtaliotiko Gorge

5. Crete: Day Trip to Sfakiá, Plakias and Kourtaliotiko Gorge

Start with pickup from your and meet your guide for the day. Drive up into the White Mountains to the famous Askifou Plateau. After a short coffee break, travel along ravines and gorges to the village of Chora Sfakion, a former rebel stronghold against Venetian and Turkish occupations in centuries past. Following the rugged south coast, enjoy the views of Gavdos, the southernmost island of Europe. Arrive at the picturesque village of Plakias and enjoy some free time for relaxation and swimming in the crystal-clear Libyan Sea. On the way back along the north coast, stop at the Kourtaliotiko Gorge. Walk down approximately 200 steps to the bottom of the gorge and enjoy the views of a beautiful waterfall. Finally, be returned to your hotel.

From Chania: Sfakia, Frangokastelo, Imbros, and Vrysses Tour

6. From Chania: Sfakia, Frangokastelo, Imbros, and Vrysses Tour

Discover the beauty of Crete on this tour to from Chania to the villages Sfakia and Vrysses. Go for a swim at Frangokastelo beach and admire the views at Imbros Gorge. Drink cold soft drinks, beer, wine, and bottled water. Snack on sandwiches and Cretan kalitsounia (cheese pastry).  Enjoy the convenience of being picked up from your accommodation in Chania. Sit back and relax as you drive through the southernmost part of Greece. Watch an audiovisual presentation of Cretan customs as you drive. Have access to free Wi-Fi and USB charging onboard.  Stop at the remote seaside village of Chora Sfakion. Spend some time to exploring the narrow streets in the village and go shopping for local products. Continue to Frangokastelo beach, which is famous for its sand and stunning Venetian castle.  Take some time to soak up some sun on the beach and swim in the crystal clear waters. Learn about the Drosoulites visions which are seen by locals in the region. Make your way to the entrance of Imbros Gorge where you can take pictures of the breathtaking view.  Visit the traditional village of Vrysses. View the tall plane trees in the village and explore the local tavernas and cafes. Return to your accommodation in Chania at the end of your tour. 

Other Sightseeing Options in Sfakia

Want to discover all there is to do in Sfakia? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Sfakia

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 2,237 reviews

Wow this trek will forever stay in our memories! This is a very challenging hike (saying this as 27/30 year old couple who regularly go to the gym) with a very early wake up call (4:30am), quite a long bus journey there and back to the hotel, then 70% of the hike is just going down rather than on a flat surface so you'll feel your knees and ankles will be swollen. You need lots of snacks, sandwiches and water (though there are water fountains on the way). I wouldn't recommend this to anyone with little fitness or little children, also the heat gets to you (in September 31 degrees). You need to keep up with the pace, the guide tells everyone what time they should reach each station (don't expect any cafes etc) as you also want to dip in the water (a must!!) before getting on a ferry back. The guide was very nice and made sure everyone was okay though you loose track of him if you don't keep up with the pace. I wouldn't do it again but it's a great lifetime experience!

Such a great day! The tour was very well organized. Excellent pick up and drop off. Everything ran on time and the instructions were clear. The gorge was beautiful and not as difficult as we expected. We finished in 4 hours and then spent an amazing afternoon at Agia Roumeli beach. It’s a VERY long day but a must-do when you visit Crete. This tour made the experience seamless.

- The views are amazing and you will also find a small city at the end of the hike. - The route is not that hard to walk. Walk at your pace because there is enough time. - Make sure you have food and water with you. Before starting the hike, you will stop at a small place that have sandwiches and some pastry, but they are average.

great and thorough guide, incredible scenery, you feel like you've really accomplished something at the end, but isn't for the faint hearted, it is a tough but rewarding day, make sure the rest up the day after!

Make sure you are up for this!!! needs fitness..it'll hurt the next day..