Kayak and Hike the Coast of Crete

Welcome to Crete! Your host will meet you at Chania airport and transfer you to your hotel in Kissamos. In the evening, join your host and fellow adventurers for a welcome dinner of traditional Cretan food.

After breakfast, you'll take a short drive to the corner of Kissamos Bay for an introductory kayak session along the coastline, weaving through dramatic rock formations and sea caves before landing in natural rock pools for a snack and swim in the bay. Hike back along the old villagers’ path: a coastal route with sea commanding views. After the hike, tuck into a late lunch at a coastal taverna with amazing local seafood. Return to Kissamos in the late afternoon for a well-deserved relaxing evening.

Start today's hike from a small traditional village on the north coast, ascending through olive groves to a spectacular ridge. Wind your way down to Falassarna Bay along sand dunes to reach the stunning beach. Hop in your kayak and paddle out to Limpet Island, the tip of the submerged ridge in the bay. If the sea is calm you'll jump in to the clear turquoise waters for a snorkel to admire the glistening shoals of fish. Kayak further along the coast beneath towering cliffs, exploring small bays before heading back to shore for a late lunch overlooking the Mediterranean.

The stunning kayak route today needs an early start and an hour's drive through the mountainous heartlands to the southwest corner of Crete. Put-in at the pebbly Krios Beach, heading along the south coast to reach quiet, white-sand beaches fringed by juniper trees. Kayaking here is a dream on the azure water, with myriad spots to jump in for a swim. Along the way stop at a hidden, heart-shaped bay at the site of an ancient temple - a perfect spot for a snack and a snorkel. Depending on conditions, it may also be possible to reach the famous Elafonissi Beach before returning to your pull-out point. As is tradition on our Crete trips, your adventure today is rewarded with a classic Cretan late lunch at a taverna in one of the villages en route back to Kissamos.

Take a break from the sea and get some kilometres in the legs today with a beautiful hike into a quiet gorge, which is a nesting site for Griffon vultures. Start high in the hills above Kissamos and enjoy some fantastic views over the bay. Descend through oak woods and semi-abandoned hamlets into a steep-sided gorge where goats often forage. The hike finishes with a steep climb to the ancient site of Polyrrinia, which is now a mixture of ruins and occupied houses. Stop for lunch at a traditional family taverna before returning to Kissamos by vehicle (there is also the option to return on foot, via a 7km path the village's children used to use to get to school in Kissamos).

The big day on the water awaits today with a memorable 14km paddle along the south coast from Sougia to the village of Agia Roumeli, only accessible by water. Taking only what you need for the next two days, set off in the kayaks and explore the length of this section of coast, finding small bays and beaches, rock formations and sea caves, with plenty of chances for snorkel stops as you go. The final landing spot of the week is on Agia Roumeli’s pebble beach. Once you have dried off, get to know this blissfully isolated village, devoid of cars and connected only by footpaths to the neighbouring towns. Bed down for the evening in this unique and peaceful place.

After yesterday's kayaking culmination, today it's time for the pinnacle of hiking in Crete - Samaria Gorge. Cretans refer to it as 'the' gorge - the longest and the most spectacular of the hundreds of gorges in Crete, it is also one of the longest in Europe. Fuel up with a hearty breakfast before hitting the trail that meanders through the national park. Starting at sea level and walking up the gorge means that you will have the path to yourself for most of this self-guided hike and be one of the first people to arrive at the famous narrow passage of Portes. Climbing steadily, the gorge rises from the rocky riverbed and colourful cliffs, through the old village of Samaria and past the church of Santa Maria before a final, tough ascent through shady pine trees to exit at the top of the gorge. You'll be rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views over the route you have just conquered. Your hosts will collect you at the top of Samaria Gorge and transfer you to Chania, where you will spend your last night in Crete.

Your Cretan odyssey had to come to an end eventually. After breakfast, your host will transfer you to the airport at Chania in time for your return flight home.