Aradena Gorge is located in the White Mountains of Sfakia in southwest Crete. A sensational hike traces the rocky bed of the gorge starting at the abandoned village of Aradena and ending at Marmara Beach.
From Marmara Beach, hikers can either follow the E4 hiking trail along the coast to Loutro, Sweet Water Beach, and Chora Sfakion (what we did), or organize a water taxi pick-up. Technically, it’s possible to hike the trail out-and-back, but we don’t recommend it.
The Aradena Gorge hike has a reputation for being very difficult. It’s challenging, because of the loose rocky terrain and the boulders. However, the most notorious section of the trail–namely the ladders–is easily bypassed. It’s imperative to carry sufficient water and wear sturdy hiking boots.
Though this Cretan trail requires some planning and organization, it’s absolutely worth it. Hiking Aradena Gorge followed by the coastal trail to Loutro and Sweet Water Beach was the highlight of our trip to Crete in March.
- Starting Point: Aradena Village | Google Maps
- Ending Point: Marmara Beach
- Distance: 5.6 point-to-point
- Time Needed: 3 hours
- Elevation Gain: 100 meters
- Elevation Loss: 660 meters
- Starting Point: Aradena Village
- Ending Point: Chora Sfakion
- Distance: 15.6 km point-to-point
- Time Needed: 7 – 7:30 hours
- Elevation Gain: 320 meters
- Elevation Loss: 880 meters
- Where to Stay in Chora Sfakion: Sofia’s Lovely Rooms (budget), Authentic Village Boutique Hotel (budget-midrange), and Ventus Luxury Suites (midrange)
Aradena Gorge Hiking Map
Essential Trail Info
Where to Start the Aradena Gorge Hike | The must-do hike commences in the abandoned village of Aradena, accessible by taxi or bus (seasonally) from the seaside village of Hora Sfakion. We were dropped off just beyond the Aradena bridge at the bus stop.
How to Get to Aradena Village | Outside of the main holiday season, it’s easiest to organize a taxi from Hora Sfakion. Our 20-minute taxi ride cost 35 EUR.
I asked the owner of Delfini Taverna for a taxi recommendation, and he happily provided this number: +30 697 330 5964. A few days before the hike, I called to organize a pick-up time and location and confirm the price. It worked out seamlessly.
How to Return to Chora Sfakion from Marmara Beach | You have two choices: take a water taxi, or hike. Here are two possible water taxi services: Athitis Lines and Deligiannis Lines. It’s important to organize a taxi boat in advance: figure out which water taxis are operating and confirm they can pick you up from Marmara Beach, etc… Only continue the hike to Loutro and onwards if temperatures are mild and you have stamina, since the coastal walk is very challenging.
Hiking Season | We only recommend hiking this trail during shoulder seasons (March – April / October – November), when temperatures are conducive to hiking. This is not suitable for high summer. For safety reasons, do not hike this trail in rain, or after heavy rainfall.
Trail Direction | We recommend hiking downhill from Aradena to Marmara Beach. After the rigors of the hike, the first glimpse of the coast—and the promise of the beach—feels like a fitting reward.
Difficulty | Difficult. From start to finish, the whole trail is rocky and uneven. Hikers must be surefooted. There are also some easy scrambling sections, where you may need to use your hands.
Trail Variations | The main decision you have to make is where to end the hike: Marmara Beach, Loutro Village, or Hora Sfakion. If you’re staying in Hora Sfakion for a few days, you can hike Aradena Gorge on one day, and Loutro to Chora Sfakion on another day.
Where to Eat | Taverna Dialeskari at Marmara Beach, Mermaid Island Taverna at Sweet Water Beach, and various tavernas at Loutro and Chora Sfakion. Note: all of the establishments are seasonal.
Responsible Hiking | There are a few livestock gates along the route. After passing through a gate, make sure you close it behind you.
Aradena Gorge Trail Description
Aradena Bridge – Aradena Village – Aradena Gorge (15-20 minutes)
Spanning the width of the gorge, the Aradena Bridge marks the starting point for this hike. On the west side of the bridge, there is a small bus stop, drop-off point, and kiosk.
A UNESCO site sign informs visitors that Aradena was an important city that flourished from Hellenisitc to Venetian times. The village was completely destroyed during the Ottoman era, following the defeat of Daskalogiannis in Aradena Gorge in 1770.
Daskalogiannis, local hero and revolutionary, funded and organized a rebellion in Sfakia against the Ottomans. To this day, Sfakia has a reputation throughout all of Greece for being home to a fierce, independent-minded population of freedom fighters. It’s the only area of Crete that was never fully occupied by foreign powers.
Aradena village was later rebuilt and repopulated. However in the mid-20th century, a blood feud led to the village’s ultimate demise. What began as a fight between two village boys, over the bell of a dead goat, escalated to a deadly altercation between two fathers, two families, and ultimately the death of 45 villagers. Those who survived the conflict fled, forever abandoning the village.
On that happy note, locate the timber trail sign “to gorge” (red and black arrows). The signed trail weaves between crumbling buildings and passes through a makeshift gate. After joining a road and passing the chapel, pass through another gate. Soon, the trail branches off on the left side. This junction is marked with a red-white waymark on a tree stump.
Between a fence and a crumbling dry stone wall, the path leads through an olive grove.
Soon, you’ll reach the rim of the gorge. Pass through the gate and descend the switchbacks to the gorge floor.
Long before the Aradena Bridge was built, this cobbled mule path served as the main connection between Aradena and Anopolis.
Aradena Gorge to Marmara Beach (2:45 hours)
One thing to be aware of: the gorge is scattered with the remains of goats—sun-bleached bones and the occasional unsettling carcass. The causes of death are natural—either from falls or being struck by falling rocks.
The sea-bound trail descends the gorge in a series of stages, alternating between flat stretches and steeper sections characterized by large boulders.
The trail begins along a flat stretch of the narrow gorge, where the towering cliffs on either side pull your gaze skyward. The austerity of the sheer cliffs is lessened by the dangling foliage and melodic birdsong.
Beneath the Aradena Bridge, there’s a short scrambling section. Red-white waymarks clearly indicate the way.
Soon the gorge trail divides. The scenic right path, secured with chains and flanked by a timber railing, climbs up the gorge wall.
Given the heavy waymarking, it’s clear that authorities responsible for trail maintenance want hikers to take this ascending path. The left path traces the gorge bed and ultimately descends the famous ladders.
Following the waymarks, we ascended the stone staircase, bypassing the ladders. The elevation gain offers new and exciting perspectives of the vertiginous walls.
As you near the gorge bed, the well-maintained stone path disintegrates into scree and loose rock. Take extra care, because it’s very slippery.
The descent continues in steps, weaving between boulders at times. Though these areas require attentiveness, none of them are particularly tricky.
The trail to Agios Eleftherios, a church along the way to Livaniana, branches off on the left side. Ignore that path and stay in the gorge, following the blue arrows. More boulders await.
Increasingly verdant with pine and oleander, the gorge widens significantly.
As the gorge narrows again, the sheer rock walls call to mind the dramatic limestone islands of Hạ Long Bay.
The steep boulder sections are spectacular–just keep an eye on the waymarks to stay on track.
Eventually, the trail eases as you near the sea. Marmara beach is a welcome sight.
Taverna Dialeskari, unfortunately closed during our visit, is the natural celebratory spot for lunch after conquering the famous Aradena Gorge.
Marmara Beach to Likos Beach (30 minutes)
For those that want to extend the hike to Loutro or Hora Sfakion, locate the E4 trail heading east.
Hugging the coast, the E4 presents no difficulty at first. When the path splits, bear right to Loutro.
Increasingly rugged, the jagged clifftop path requires great care–it’s not easy. A head for heights is an absolute necessity for safely hiking this passage.
The E4 dramatically drops down the cliff to Likos Beach, finishing with a descent over uneven, rocky steps. A portion of the carved staircase collapsed, making the descent a bit of an exposed scramble.
Hopefully, repairs will be made soon.
Likos Beach to Loutro (1 hour)
Walk along the beach to the seaside hamlet of Likos. After passing in front of a few apartments and tavernas, ascend the stairs of Nikos Small Paradise taverna to resume hiking along the E4. This wasn’t intuitive, especially during low-season, when we were the only hikers here.
The footpath, bordered by fences, connects to a paved road that leads inland across a goat farm. At the bend, bear right on the hiking trail. Notice the black and yellow arrows.
The inland path connects to the hamlet of Finikas. When you intersect the paved road, head left, rather than down to the village. At the bend in the road (Google Maps), near an open garage, a path bypasses the village, leading across the headland to the Koules of Loutro fortress ruins.
Blue waymarks guide the way initially, but somehow we wandered too far uphill.
Luckily, the way across the headland is obvious.
Beyond the fortress ruins, the path drops down to Loutro. When the trail splits, take the left path, following E4 (yellow-black waymark).
Arriving in the idyllic white-washed village of Loutro is a treat worth savoring. If the tavernas are open, it would be nice to spend the rest of the afternoon here, before hopping on a water taxi back to Hora Sfakion.
Loutro to Sweet Water Beach (1 hour)
Signs mounted on walls and buildings steer hikers in the direction of Sweet Water Beach. There should be no confusion. The E4 climbs out of the village and then leads east, hugging the coast. Initially, there is some fencing along the coastal path.
Clearly etched across the crumbling ochre and cream landscape, the coastal path is initially very easy.
However, after about 20-25 minutes from Loutro, the path breaks off suddenly, due to a landslide. This requires extra care and careful maneuvering down an exposed step. Hopefully, by the time you read this and hike the trail, this short section has been repaired.
The trail continues across the pebbly shore of large Perivolakia Beach, backed by an eroding cliff, to Timios Stavros beach. Next, the path gently rises, passing a white-washed chapel along the way.
Before long, you’ll reach a viewpoint overlooking the cliffs of Sweet Water Beach (Paralia Glyka Nera), named for the freshwater springs that run beneath it. After taking into the incredibly stark, yet profoundly beautiful cliffed landscape, descend to the beach.
Sweet Water Beach to Chora Sfakion (1:45 – 2 hours)
From the eastern end of the beach, the trail continues across a rugged and eroded rockscape, where the cliffs meet the sea.
As you mander between boulders and across loose rock, pay attention to the sporadic black-yellow waymarks. The path is rough, so please go slowly.
One short stretch of this rugged trail is secured with a fixed cable.
With towering cliffs on your left and the sea stretching out to your right, the path eases, and it finally feels like you’re back on a proper trail.
A striking ledge path, carved into the cliff, safely wraps around the cliffside. This striking path presents no difficulty, as it’s sufficiently wide and there are some fixed chains.
After the cinematic ledge, the trail scales a rocky slope. A well-built path angles up the cliffs to the paved road, thank connects Aradena with Chora Sfakion.
Back on level ground, follow the road all the way back to Chora Sfakion (40-50 minutes).
Where to Stay in Chora Sfakion
Home to 265 inhabitants, the white-washed village of Chora Sfakion boasts a lovely harborfront, a beach, and a delightful collection of tavernas and accommodations. It’s also the capital of Sfakiá, a remote and mountainous region that served as a center of resistance against the occupying forces of the Venetians and Ottomans. To this day, locals of Sfakiá are known to be brave, fierce, and independent-minded.
Most accommodations don’t have on-site parking, but provide free parking within walking distance
Budget | Sofia’s Lovely Rooms is a cheerful guesthouse with air-conditioned rooms and a secret garden–a quiet oasis in the heart of Sfakia.
Budget – Midrange | Adults-only The Authentic Village Boutique Hotel features 14 attractive, air-conditioned rooms, equipped with COCO-MAT handcrafted beds as well as kettles and coffee machines.
Midrange | Ventus Luxury Suites offers modern air-conditioned rooms, some with private jacuzzis, near the harbor. Breakfast is available at an extra charge.
Midrange-Luxury | Built into the cliffs above the ferry port, Panorama New Generation impresses with its modern seaview rooms, swimming pool, and fabulous breakfast.
All accommodations in Chora Sfakion.
More Crete Travel and Hiking Guides
Hiking:
- Best Hikes in Crete
- Loutro – Sweet Water Beach Hike
- Katholiko Bay HikeLissos Gorge Hike
- Red Beach Trail in Matala
- Kourtaliotiko Gorge
Travel:
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