Imbros Gorge versus bottom part of Samaria Gorge

I’ve hiked the Samaria from the very top, and haven’t hiked the Imbros. The very bottom of the Samaria, from the Iron Gates to the sea, is a little bit of wooden causeway along the river, but really basically walking a paved road, with occasional buildings on either side. If those are your only two choices, and if a “hike” is what you’re after, not just a stroll on pavement that you could do at the outskirts of any town, or in a suburb, then the Imbros would seem to be your best choice.

I hiked up the Samaria Gorge with my spouse, narrow at times. There weren’t any buildings until we hiked out of the gorge.
Worth doing but sorry can’t compare to Imbros.
I liked staying on the southern shore in Loutro, taking ferries.

Both answers you received are correct. The first 3 kilometres from the ferry dock to the gate of the gorge are through the town and beside the river on a cobble stone walk way. It is interesting as there are farms and abandoned buildings on that path.

I understand there is now a shuttle service from the ferry dock to the gatehouse. It may be a good idea to take the shuttle and save some energy. I would suggest you keep going past the iron gates to the last rest stop on the hike down. Its called Christos. Is shaded with a river and quite tranquil.
We waited until the first hikers from the top arrived and then we returned to Agia Roumeli Thats when the 3 km walk back tot he ferry dock makes sense. You get to see all the interesting stuff on the downhill portion of the hike.

Where are you planning to start the trip from? Are you staying in one of the Lybian sea villages or are you planning on taking the early morning bus from Chania to Sougia and catching the ferry from there.

The ferry trip along the coast is what is going to make the Samaria from the bottom the outstanding choice.

Here is what you will see.
Samaria Gorge from the bottom https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157670610409530

Ferry trip Libyan Sea https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157653434073393

As I said before, Imbros ... you are so much more alone, you can drink in the silence, and commune with nature. Perhaps the Samaria traffic has slowed down due to COVID, and due to it being september, but there still will be a steady line of people ahead of you & behind.

In Imbros, I really sank into the hush... and began to feel how it was for those British & Aussie soldiers being hurried down to the sea by cretan resistance fighters... with Nazi troops in hot pursuit. And then when our "taxi" drove us back up on the rim road, I could look down down down into the depths, see tiny path we'd taken, and imagine the Cretan sharp-shooters on the edge, taking deadly aim down at the Wehrmacht (these mountaineers, like the "hatfield/McCoys" of Appalachia fame, were known for dropping a squirrel from a tree 1000 yards away). Of course this is just nerdly History Me, maybe no interest for others beyond landscape.

We are tending toward the lower Samaria Gorge option (thanks for letting us know about shuttle bus) but if it's too windy and the ferries aren't operating we will hike Imbros instead. We would drive to Sougia and take the first ferry to Agia Roumeli. The photos from the ferry ride are beautiful.
Thanks for all the information!