Gorge hike
Ha gorge, for people who already hike.
Photo: Salih Akbudak / Pexels
Quick facts
- Region
- Lasithi
- Start town
- Ierapetra
- Typical duration
- 5–7 hours
- Type
- Gorge hike
Ha gorge cuts down to the south coast west of Ierapetra. It is a serious scramble with metal rungs in places, not a signed family walk like a mild section of Richtis. People who are comfortable on rock and exposure use it. Everyone else should not start. Water, shoes and a retreat plan matter, and a guide is the sensible version if you do not already know this kind of path. After rain the rock is a reason to postpone. There is no boat collect at a café.
The trailhead is inland of the south coast near Ierapetra. Go with a local guide unless you have the skills and the route notes. Tell someone your finish time.
It suits experienced hikers. Skip it for a first gorge, for children, and for anyone who does not like exposure. Imbros and Richtis are the easier east-and-south alternatives.
Ha gorge, for people who already hike needs 5–7 hours from Ierapetra. The months that usually work are April to October, and only in stable weather. The stones are the walk, so wear shoes you have already used and carry more water than a town morning needs. Rain and a closed gate change the plan. Have a shorter walk in mind before you leave Ierapetra. Ha gorge, for people who already hike is this gorge, with this start in Ierapetra. A shorter or longer gorge nearby is a different walk.
Is it worth it
Ha gorge, for people who already hike is worth the hours from Ierapetra when it suits experienced hikers. It is a serious scramble with metal rungs in places, not a signed family walk like a mild section of Richtis. If that is the part your group will fight, leave it for another date.
What to bring
- Water and a hat, because Ha gorge cuts down to the south coast west of
- Shoes that match the ground on Ha gorge, for people who already hike. The trailhead is inland of the south coast
- A layer for the start in Ierapetra. April to October, and only in stable weather still has cool mornings and wind.
- The return hour written down. Ha gorge, for people who already hike takes 5–7 hours, and a second plan the same day is how you miss it.
Tips
- April to October, and only in stable weather is the window to trust for Ha gorge, for people who already hike. Outside it, ask whether the day is even running.
- Leave Ierapetra with 5–7 hours clear. The trailhead is inland of the south coast near Ierapetra. Go with
- Search “Ha gorge hike Crete” and check that the meeting point really is Ierapetra.
Related tours
- Gorge hike
Richtis gorge to the waterfall
Agios Nikolaos4–6 hours
Richtis is the gorge inland of Exo Mouliana, between Agios Nikolaos and Sitia, walked down to a waterfall and a small cove. It is not Samaria. The path is waymarked, rocky, and shaded in places, and the last section can be slippery. The waterfall is the point. In a dry September it is a trickle, and after spring rain it is the reason you came. The walk back up is the part people underestimate. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October, after rain the stones are slick. It suits steady walkers who can spare a half-day from the east coast. Skip it with a buggy, after heavy rain, or if anyone needs a flat path. There is no boat at the end to collect you. Drive the coast road to Exo Mouliana and follow the gorge signs to the car park.
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Zakros gorge, the Valley of the Dead
Sitia4–6 hours
The Zakros gorge, often called the Valley of the Dead, runs from inland Zakros down to the Minoan palace at Kato Zakros. The walk is a few hours on a stony riverbed, with caves in the walls and almost no shade. It is waymarked and it is not a casual stroll. You need a plan for the return: a taxi, a second car, or the walk back up, which changes the day. Summer heat in the gorge is serious. Water is your job. The usual length is 4–6 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October, not after heavy rain. It suits fit walkers who can arrange the car shuttle. Skip it in high heat at midday, after storms, or with anyone unsteady on loose rock. Start at the upper entrance near Zakros village. Finish at Kato Zakros. Arrange the ride back before you step in.
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Day tripMyrtos beach day
Ierapetra3–5 hours
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. The usual length is 3–5 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October. 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.
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FAQ
Questions.
- Plan on 5–7 hours from Ierapetra. It suits experienced hikers.
- April to October, and only in stable weather. Outside those months the day is often closed, cancelled, or a different trip. Ask the day before you leave Ierapetra.
- The trailhead is inland of the south coast near Ierapetra. Go with a local guide unless you have the skills and the route notes. Tell someone your finish time.
- It suits experienced hikers. Skip it for a first gorge, for children, and for anyone who does not like exposure. Imbros and Richtis are the easier east-and-south alternatives.
- Ha gorge, for people who already hike is worth the hours from Ierapetra when it suits experienced hikers. It is a serious scramble with metal rungs in places, not a signed family walk like a mild section of Richtis. If that is the part your group will fight, leave it for another date.