Sarakina Gorge hiking & jeep safari: South Crete full day

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/17

Duration8h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Hike a gorge, swim in pools, and drive where roads don't go

A full-day jeep safari and hiking tour of South Crete that starts with hotel pickup and takes you through Kritsa village, Kroustas Pine Forest, and Sarakina Gorge, where you hike and swim in natural pools. The day includes a BBQ lunch with local wine, a stop at Males village for coffee, and time to swim at Myrtos beach before returning to your hotel. Hiking takes about 40–45 minutes and depends on seasonal water levels in the gorge; the route may change for safety or weather.

Step-by-step itinerary

Sarakina Gorge hiking and local sights

Drive to Kritsa village
Walk in Kritsa village
Stop at Mirabello Gulf viewpoint
Off-road in Kroustas Pine Forest
Coffee break in Males village
Hike Sarakina Gorge and swim
Lunch with local wine
Relax and swim at Myrtos seaside
Return via Ierapetra city

The Experience

How do you see the wild side of South Crete without renting a car? A driver picks you up from your hotel and handles the 8-hour route in a 4WD Landrover Defender or Mercedes Vito, which matters because the day splits between paved roads and off-road tracks that a regular car cannot take. The first stop is Kritsa, a traditional village built into the Dikti Mountains where you walk the narrow cobblestone streets for about 30 minutes and get a feel for how people actually live here. A panoramic viewpoint over the Mirabello Gulf comes next — the kind of stop where the vista does the talking.

Then the jeep leaves the main roads. You drive through Kroustas Pine Forest on tracks where you can collect local herbs and photograph the forest itself, not just pass through it. Males village is a brief pause for coffee at a local café before the day's centerpiece: Sarakina Gorge. The hike through the gorge takes 40–45 minutes and you do it at your own pace. Natural pools sit inside the gorge where you can swim if the seasonal water levels allow it — that part depends on when you go, not on the operator's promise. The gorge is where most people remember the day.

After the hike, lunch happens at a restaurant with a BBQ, local wine, and water included. Myrtos beach is the final stop, a seaside village where you swim in the clear southern Crete water before the drive back passes through Ierapetra and returns you to your hotel. The whole day is guided in English or another language on request, and the route can shift if weather or safety calls for it.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and return.
full-day jeep safari in a 4WD Landrover Defender or Mercedes Vito with air conditioning and fuel.
BBQ lunch with local wine and water.
experienced driver speaking English or another language on request.
swimming time at Myrtos beach.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Safari Experts Crete

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're staying in a hotel without a rental car and want to reach the gorge and the off-road forest tracks that a regular vehicle cannot access. The jeep and driver handle the route, the timing and the navigation, so the day holds together without you building it.