Aradena Gorge in Crete

Aradena Gorge in Crete

Sfakiá, Greece

Aradena gorge is located in the mountainous and remote region of Sfakiá, on the south coast of Crete. Although often overshadowed by Samaria gorge, it’s a great and more exciting alternative to it. The variety of narrow and dry sections, areas covered by abundant trees and a quite adventurous part with steep ladders and ropes make it a very enjoyable and unique hike.

This part of the island is very isolated, actually, there are no roads along the coast. If you have a car (or a scooter), you can easily reach Chora Sfakión and from there go to the beginning of the hike. Otherwise, the only way to get there is by bus from Chania. You can check the bus schedules here (Chania – Chora Sfakion).

It’s not a circular hike. The beginning (the natural way) of the hike is at Aradena bridge. People normally leave their vehicle at Chora Sfakion’s harbor and take a local bus (2.6€) or a taxi (34€; 4 seats) to reach it. For the way back they take a boat from Marmara Beach (8€). Don’t place undue reliance on the bus schedules, because they might be late or even don’t show up. Theoretically, you will have the next options:

• Daily van around 08:00 from here. It takes you to the beginning of the hike.
• Bus : It’s the line Chania - Chora Sfakion - Annapolis. It’s supposed to arrive around 08:30 here, (never on time). It doesn’t work on Sunday. It will drop you off in Annoupolis and you will have to walk 3 km to the beginning of the hike.
• Unexpected vans: Suddenly, some people might turn up screaming “Aradena” from a van. They will take you to the beginning of the hike. From here.
• Taxi: If you run out of patience, you can contact this taxi office (+30 69726 90 139).
• Hike up and down the gorge. You can leave the car directly at the bridge, but you will have to walk up and down the gorge. The way up is tough.

When you have finished the hike, in Marmara Beach, you will have to take a boat to Chora Sfakion (8€): Athitislines contact. You can buy the ticket on board, but sometimes they only accept cash. There might not be a direct line, if that’s the case, you will have to stop in Loutro and take another boat Loutro-Chora Sfakion. The frequency is high, but don’t arrive too late as the sea might get rougher and some services might be suspended.

The hike is 5 km long, which will take you between 2-3 hours to go through. The cliff is 150 m high, while the total elevation loss is 600 m. You will start at Aradena bridge, where you can buy some drinks or snacks in the kiosk next to it. Behind the kiosk you will find the starting point and the ruins of the old Aradena town.

The first section is very steep and winding. Once you are in the gorge, It will not take long to see a fork with a path going a bit up on the right side. The left route goes through the bottom of the gorge and it’s quite difficult but funny. Climbing up and down some rocks, going down small walls while helping yourself with a rope, and walking down a couple of steep and high ladders (10 meters) are some of the difficulties you will have to face. All of this is avoidable if you take the right path which is easier and recommended if you don't have a head for heights.

Some parts of the gorge are narrow while some others are wider. If you want to have shade, try to avoid the central hours of the day since the sun will be hitting the bottom of the gorge.

Along the hike you might see some endangered bird species such as the bearded vulture. Unfortunately, some dead goats could also be on the path :( .

As we have said, the end of the hike is at Marmara Beach. There you can have a drink/meal at the tavern, swim in the caves or relax on a sunbed.

You might also do bungee-jumping from the bridge at the beginning of the hike, contact with this company to get more information.

Bear in mind that there are no boat services in winter!

If you like hiking and want to escape the crowds, you can’t miss it. Additionally, you can spend some time on Marmara Beach and its caves afterwards!