From reading my understanding for samarai gorge is you hike 10 miles downhill until you reach the small village and beaches . From there you take a ferry back. I am healthy 30 year old and I exercise regularly and go on short 30 min runs and do some high intensity interval training. How exhausting is hiking the 10 miles? I haven’t done a joke this long but I run and walk an average of 3-5 miles a day
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
7548 posts
You will be fine, two out of shape 40 year olds made it, though we could feel it the next day.
We went from Chania, you can take the bus to the trail head, then start down. The initial stretch is pretty steep, then it levels some, but always downhill. The path is broken, loose rock, so a good sturdy pair of shoes is a must. There are no services along the way, maybe a latrine. I would at least take water, maybe a snack.
When you get to the village at the end, you take a ferry to another village where you can catch a bus back to Chania. Not sure what logistics you would use if you left a car at the top, leaving the car, if you had one, in Chania would make the most sense.
Posted by
Philadelphia, PA, USA
3320 posts
BTW, when you asked about Samarai Gorge, i suddenly pictured Medieval Japanese warriors with topknots, surging down a Greek Gorge waving their swords!
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7356 posts
We’re planning a Crete trip for September. One of our guidebooks mentions that the 11-mile Samaria Gorge can be completed by fit walkers in about 5 hours, but to allow 8, including a break of at least an hour. If you’re going in the summer, rest during the hottest part of the day. Sounds like you’d maybe be in shape to do the gorge in reverse, uphill! But, maybe do a bit of longer distance walking at home (working your way up, little by little) if you’d like to have a longer-distance walk under your belt before your trip?