Crete Island Travel Forum

which would you recommend? We have a hire car and are off in sepmember but like to see places in quiet natural beauty.

Most of the publicity is about Samaria, but 2 of us did Imbros about 4-5 years ago in May and found it was DELIGHTFUL.. tht time of year of course, it was blooming with flowers & thyme & scent was lovely... we only saw 10-12 people the whole time there. In september it should be equally unpeopled; there are no bus tours to it.

The hike was shorter than Samaria- about 4 hours I guess including time out for a picnic halfway down. But it had the same "gorge visuals" and a narrow point (going under an arch) where u could literally touch both sides).

You start by leaving your car in the Village of Imbros... at the beginning of the gorge. (Don't leave car too soon...find the beginning FIRST). Before you descend, FIND A WALKING STICK -- 2 are even better. THe Germans gallop along with those collapsible sticks they pack. At the end, you link up to a road, you walk about a KM to a taverna where u can hire taxi to go back up on the gorge-rim road. THEN, if u plan to STAY on the South Coast, you get the the thrill of driving your car on those 20+ hairpin turns all the way down!! Be still my heart.

Once down on the coast, u might consider staying in Chora Sfakion, taking a 15-minute ferry ride to Loutro, and doing the cliff-walk BACK to CF... it takes a couple of hours, u climb/descend about 4 headlands on a "goat path." TAKE A WALKING STICK. Another hair-raising experience but thrilling. Halfway back, u can swim at gorgeous Sweetwater beach (and refill your bottle from the truly "sweet water" Spring). This is GREAT. TIP -- better swimming than at Frangokastello, where beach is lovely but water less than a meter deep.

As a final treat, just outside the wee village of Koumitades, behind a taverna, a ravine goes down, with a tiny sign "Ag. Giorgios" -- scramble down thru an olive grove, pushing the goats out of your way, and you will find a roofless c1300 chapel,w. MURALS of St. George -- 700 yrs old, intact due to dry climate.

Have a GREAT trip! the water will be super, and the weather nice also.

PS:On Road down to Imbros, so. of Vrisses, keep eyes peeled on LH side for brown "Ancient Site" sign -- "Minoan Settlement." Hit the brakes. Fascinating little site only fenced with 'chicken wire.' Just a nice little extra.

If you want quiet - Imbros! We walked it a couple of years ago in October and hope to do it again this September. Try and time your walk to catch the 1100 bus from Hora Sfakia back up to Imbros or get to Hora Sfakia really early, park and getthe 7.00 bus up! The taxi fares (unofficial taxis seem to appear at the end of Imbros) can be steep.

3 weeks tomorrow and I sbhall be in Loutro, so I might see you in the Gorge.

(You could try the Agia Irini Gorge near Sougia - that's on my list of "to do's"

Don't know Imbros, but my wife and I enjoyed Samaria thoroughly. Having said that, 3 months' ago it was off-season so faily quiet. Bus from Hania up to Gorge start. Then away we went for several hours. Caught ferry at bottom (South coast) which took us to bus where we went back to Hania.

Most of route was quiet, but when you get near bottom you meet the strollers coming up from the south who go up to the 3 m gap; turn around and stroll back. They can get in the way and many don't want to to move aside so you just have to be a bit rude sometimes and almost barge through/around them!

Great walk though! Note: some friends we travelled with opted to take tour of Samaria. They started 2 hours earlier than us (we took local bus) and finished an hour later in Hania, AND paid about twice as much! My recommendation: Do it yourself!

Just to let you know my hubby and I went to the Imbros gorge by car and parked at the base,I too my shame only walked up it for a hour but saw some lovely sights and spent the rest of the afternoon in a bar at the base of the gorge with some lovley people and a few bottles of beer hic . My hubby who is very fit walked and ran up to the top and back in 2 hours,thanks for all your advice.

Glad that you enjoyed what you saw! We did it again the the 2nd week in September and ambled down in about 1 hour 45 - if we do it again, we will go up!

Also stayed at Agia Roumeli for 2 nights and wandered up to the start (end?) of the Samaria Gorge one evening - we intend to go back in 2009, stay for a few nights and have one LONG day walking up before the crowds start coming down and DOWN once they majority have passed through - there's no target for how far we intend to get. we walk for as long as it's enjoyable! Have a look at http://www.flickr.com/photos/elenitsa/1427940485/ for the scenery!