Gorge hike
Arvi gorge, Kalami and a swim on the Libyan Sea.
Photo: Mike Kw / Pexels
Quick facts
- Region
- Heraklion
- Start town
- Heraklion
- Planning time
- Depends on the selected itinerary
- Type
- Gorge hike
Arvi gorge cuts down toward the south coast, and Kalami is a separate stop on the same side of the island. A guided day joins the walk with time at the water. It is not the Sarakina trek and not a swim at Triopetra. The photograph of Triopetra shows another south-coast beach from above. Use it only as the kind of coast, not as the cove you will enter.
Confirm the pickup in Heraklion, the gorge entrance, and where the swim is. The gorge, Kalami and the town of Arvi are not the same car park. Wear shoes that can get wet if the path crosses water.
Is it worth it
It suits walkers who also want the sea afterwards. Skip it if the group cannot manage a gorge path, or if you needed a beach with no hike. Ask the distance and the shade.
What to bring
- Worn-in walking shoes, water and sun protection.
Tips
- Check the selected listing for transport, admission, equipment and cancellation terms.
Related tours
Gorge hikeSarakina gorge and the Makrygialos coast
IerapetraDepends on the selected itinerary
Sarakina is a gorge west of Ierapetra, with water in the bed after rain. Makrygialos is the coast further east, with a Roman villa set back from the beach. They are different stops. A day that names both still has to say which walk you do and where you swim. This is not Samaria. It suits people who can walk a wet path and still want the south coast afterwards. Skip it if anyone cannot manage slippery stone. Confirm the gorge entrance separately from the Makrygialos seafront. The villa has its own gate. Do not treat a beach car park as the start of the gorge.
View detailsFind options on GetYourGuide
Day tripMyrtos beach day
IerapetraDepends on the selected itinerary
Myrtos is the long pebble-and-sand beach village west of Ierapetra, with a simple seafront and a mountain wall behind it. The day is a swim and a lunch, not a list of sites. The beach is open to the south wind. When that wind is up, the surf is the story and the tavernas are the better half of the visit. It is an easy drive from Ierapetra and a more honest beach day than a rushed Chrissi crossing in marginal weather. It suits anyone based in Ierapetra who wants the sea without a boat. Skip it in a strong south wind if the swim was the only goal. Drive the coast road west from Ierapetra. The village sits on the beach. Parking is in town. Walk from there.
View detailsFind options on GetYourGuide- Town walk
Ierapetra along the south coast
IerapetraDepends on the selected itinerary
Ierapetra faces the Libyan Sea on the south coast. The seafront walk is the town’s edge, not the Kales fortress visit and not a boat to Chrissi or Koufonisi. A long quay and a beach east or west of town are different stops. It suits an evening on foot. Skip it as a swimming plan until you have seen the actual shore, the wind, and the facilities. Start from the town centre and follow the public waterfront. The fortress has its own entrance. Boat departures use the quay named on that sailing, not every stretch of pavement.
View detailsFind options on GetYourGuide
Options checked on GetYourGuide
Each link opens one product page. The operator named there is not a Discover Crete partner. Availability, the pickup and the inclusions are confirmed on that page for the date you choose.
Arvi Gorge, Kalami and the Libyan Sea
A small-group day of about eight hours with pickup to Arvi Gorge, fruit from the plantations, the abandoned village of Kalami, the chapel of Panagia Keralimeniotissa, a swim and a seaside lunch. This is the south-east coast, not Samaria and not the Sarakina walk to Myrtos. Availability was not checked.
Check this activityArvi Gorge, Kalami and the Libyan Sea
FAQ
Questions.
- Planning time: Depends on the selected itinerary. Confirm the exact duration and whether travel from your accommodation is included in the selected option.
- Suggested season: Check current access and the selected date. Confirm the date, access conditions and operating schedule before making a booking.
- Confirm the pickup in Heraklion, the gorge entrance, and where the swim is. The gorge, Kalami and the town of Arvi are not the same car park. Wear shoes that can get wet if the path crosses water.
- It suits walkers who also want the sea afterwards. Skip it if the group cannot manage a gorge path, or if you needed a beach with no hike. Ask the distance and the shade.