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Hiking in the white mountains in Crete - Greece

Follow in the footsteps of Zeus through landscapes of mountains tumbling into the sea, sumptuous gorges overgrown with oleander and beautiful fishing villages nestled in coves, making the island a perfect place for hiking and swimming. This itinerary takes you through some of Crete's most beautiful gorges. You'll enjoy resting on the Omalos plateau, authentic and friendly, as much as the seaside in small ports not accessible by road.

Itinerary

• Day 1: MONTREAL – HERAKLION OR CHANIA : Participants meet at Montreal-Trudeau airport and take off for Heraklion or Chania with connecting flight.
  Meals and overnight on flight
• Day 2: ARRIVAL IN HERAKLION : Arrival at Heraklion airport, welcome by our local French-speaking guide and transfer to hotel.
  Welcome dinner and overnight in a 3* hotel
  Dinner included
• Day 3: HERAKLION – RETHYMNO – LOUTRO : After breakfast, departure by bus for Rethymno, Crete's third-largest town and one of its most picturesque. Continuing on to Vrysses and Chora Sfakion, for a pleasant first hike to Loutro. Swimming at Glyka Nera beach. Settle in for 2 nights in Loutro, a small fishing village, a natural port on the south coast, accessible only on foot or by boat, where the absence of cars contributes to the calm.
  Breakfast, lunch, dinner included
  Elevation: +200 m, -200 m / Distance: 6 km / Approximate duration: 3 hrs
• Day 4: ARADENA GORGES : Departing from Loutro, we set off on a loop hike down the Aradena Gorge, which is much less frequented than Samaria. We follow a spectacular example of traditional kalderimia (paved mule track) down the gorge. We may be lucky enough to spot some of the griffon vultures that nest in the cliffs. The hike ends at the delightful Marmara beach, a small cove carved out of a white marble outcrop. Here you can swim and see several caves. Return to Loutro on foot and overnight in a family guesthouse.
  Breakfast, lunch, dinner included
  Elevation: + 600m, - 600m / Distance: 12 km / Approximate duration: 5 hrs
• Day 5: LOUTRO – AGHIOS PAVLOS – AGIA ROUMELI : Departure by boat from Loutro to Marmara and continuation of the hike along a magnificent coastal path. Short break on the beach and at Agios Pavlos church. Then on to Agia Roumeli, where we spend the night in a family guesthouse.
  Breakfast, lunch, dinner included
  Elevation: + 400m, - 400 m / Distance: 16 km / Approximate duration: 6 hrs
• Day 6: AGIA ROUMELI – SAMARIA GORGES – OMALOS PLATEAU : The longest and most difficult day of the week awaits us! From Agia Roumeli, we climb to Omalos via the Samaria Gorge. We choose to go up the gorge to go against the flow of the walkers who use it every day. We're on our own all the way to the village of Samaria, in the most spectacular part of the gorge. In the afternoon, we continue our ascent to the Omalos plateau. Short transfer to our hotel in Omalos, located in the heart of the plateau. A warm welcome from our hosts and good food based on local produce, will reward us for the day's efforts. Settle into our cool accommodation in the White Mountains for 2 nights to discover authentic Crete.
  Breakfast, lunch, dinner included
  Elevation: + 1200m / Distance: 17 km / Approximate duration: 7 hrs
• Day 7: OMALOS – IRINI GORGES – SOUGIA – OMALOS : A short transfer takes us on our way down to Sougia. We enter the Agia Irini gorge, passing through the verdant landscape of a canyon planted with laurel and pine trees. Bathing and resting on a beautiful curved beach of sand and pebbles with clear waters. We continue on to the archaeological site of Lissos, where we discover the sanctuary of Asclipios, before returning to Sougia by boat. Return by bus to the Omalos plateau.
  Breakfast, lunch, dinner included
  Elevation: + 100m, - 1100m / Distance: 12 km / Approximate duration: 4.5 hrs
• Day 8: OMALOS – CHANIA – HERAKLION : Two hour bus transfer to Chania. Stroll through this Venetian district. Farewell dinner with the whole group.
  Overnight in a 3* hotel, in Chania or Heraklion, depending on flight availability
  Breakfast, lunch, dinner included
  Distance: 10km / Approximate duration: 3 hrs
• Day 9: CHANIA OR HERAKLION – MONTREAL : Transfer to the airport for your return flight to Montreal with connecting flight.
  Breakfast included

The Challenge Against Cancer program is a series of fundraising travel campaigns to benefit cancer research. The Challenge against cancer is a unique program that offers our participants the chance to show their support for cancer research while discovering the world and surpassing themselves through various sporting activities. This unique adventure has a special and specific goal: to motivate our participants to raise funds for the advancement of cancer research.

Learn more about the Challenge Against Cancer program