What an epic experience. This was my first trek with the team and Tribal Tracks. The leadership and organisation were excellent. This is a must if you enjoy challenging walks and fascinating history. Don't hesitate.
Andrew, Crete Sea to Summit, 2026
Location
Difficulty
Accommodation and Meals
Guesthouse, Hotel
Duration
6 days
Meeting Point
Chania
Annual Leave
5 days
Group Size
Up to 16
Seasons
May to October
Walking Distance
45km approx
Meet Charlie, a director of, and one of the co-founders of Tribal Tracks.
Breathtaking, rugged coastline treks with remote coastal villages
Impressive Lefka Ora - The White Mountains
Samaria Gorge - one of the longest gorges in Europe - we do it in reverse, walking up hill (a highlight for previous groups)
Stay in friendly, local guesthouses and enjoy the local cuisine (no camping)
Learn about World War II history from experienced local guides
Explore Chania's Venetian Harbour, discovering hidden squares, Byzantine churches, and Ottoman mosques.
All the info you need
Trip Details
This Sea to Summit trek offers a unique mix of pristine coastline trails, amazing mountain landscapes and traditional villages where we will be given a warm welcome by locals. The south west part of the island is more rugged and less visited, characterised by the famous Lefta Ori mountain range, dramatic gorges, secluded beaches and crystal clear blue waters. Please note, we can only guarantee a Single Supplement (charged extra as per dates and prices tab) in Chania and Hora
Trip Details
'What an epic experience. This was my first trek with the team and Tribal Tracks. The leadership and organisation were excellent. This is a must if you enjoy challenging walks and fascinating history. Don't hesitate.' - Andrew
We fly into Chania, a picturesque town located on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete.
Crete is known for its rich history, stunning architecture, vibrant culture, and beautiful natural surroundings.
We will be met by our local team and head to the southern coastal town of Hora Sfakion to prepare for our exciting 'Sea to Summit' challenge.
Accommodation and Meals
Guesthouse and dinner
We start our trek from Hora Sfakion, a beautiful village nestled between the azure seas and the White Mountain range.
We will embark on our journey by trekking along the coastline towards Loutro, a small village only accessible by foot or boat. The first few km's are coastal paths which have been cut into the rocks, in places there are fixed wires which are useful handrails. We head towards Sweet Water bay, if you dig down into the sand you will find the spring water from the mountains. Above the bay there is a small Ottoman church, a perfect place to have lunch before heading onto Loutro.
Historically, the area was a lair for pirates who attacked passing ships. More recently, during the Battle of Crete, it served as a temporary hiding and regrouping spot for Cretan resistance fighters and British intelligence officers, as well as a supply route for aid and supplies for the resistance. Whilst the majority of Allied forces were evacuated from Hora Sfakion many escaped over the White Mountains, hiding in caves and local villages along the southern coast.
After lunch, we will ascend into the highlands of the Sfakia and hike for several miles towards an old Ottoman fort and enjoy stunning views of the Libyan sea and back across to the White Mountains. We descend into the mountain village of Anopoli.
During the course of the day, we will come across ancient ruins, Venetian fortresses, and Byzantine churches while being surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty.
Approximate distance 11km and total ascent 878m/descent 333m
Accommodation and Meals
Guesthouse and full board
Leaving Aradena Gorge, we head back towards the coastline, following a historical coastal track with amazing views of the Libyan sea.
Today we'll walk approximately 10k, we take a short transfer to Agios Ioannis via Aradena village. The route begins with a descent from Agios Ioannis towards the coastline. The beginning of the coastal route heads through pine forests providing welcomed shade. The coastal route is a combination of pebbled beaches and sand. We can enjoy a rest at the ancient chapel of St Paul. Here there is a small café and an opportunity to have a cold drink and a swim.
We make our final approach to Agia Roumeli, if it is sunny it is exposed and can feel very hot and can be hard going. We'll finish at the village of Agia Roumeli — one of the wildest regions of Crete with some of the rarest flora, fauna, and geology. We'll feel a sense of both tranquility and adventure and can relax on the fine pebbles admiring the crystal clear Libyan sea.
There is the opportunity to have an early evening swim before dinner.
Approximate distance 9.3km and total ascent 57m/descent 825m
Accommodation and Meals
Guesthouse and full board
We will begin our trek from the village of Agia Roumeli, which marks the coastal entrance to the Samaria Gorge.
Onwards to the famously breathtaking 14km long Samaria Gorge, characterised by its towering limestone cliffs.
It was a critical escape route (to the coast) for those evading capture during the Battle of Crete, and a pathway for smuggling supplies.
The knowledge of steep cliffs and narrow passages were ideal for ambushes from the resistance fighters. The local terrain gave Cretan fighters a significant advantage over German troops.
We will walk the entire length of it, admiring the rich variety of flora and fauna and through what is known as the 'Iron Gates' — the narrowest point of the gorge between cliffs that tower over 300m high. The last 5km of the gorge route steepens with a number of switch back paths up to the exit gates. The river flows through the gorge and there are a number of small wooden bridges for crossing. Samaria Village is at the halfway point, it is here that the King of Greece and government officials hid when they fled to Crete in April 1941 before evacuating from the south coast to London. We finish at Xiloskalo ('wooden staircase'), near Omalos and will take a short transfer to our guesthouse.
'"The sense of achievement of going the wrong way up the Samaria Gorge against the flow of some 850 personnel venturing downhill was great when we finally reached the top to take on a well-deserved beer in celebration."
Approximate distance 14km and total ascent 1775m/descent 565m
Accommodation and Meals
Guesthouse and full board
Our challenge culminates at summit of Kouloule, standing at 1631m above seal level.
Despite a day of ascent yesterday, we're not stopping there. We're pushing on to 1631m above sea level to Kouloule summit, many of the summits served as important observation points during the Battle of Crete. Having control of this high ground meant having an advantage in monitoring enemy movements and coordinating defence strategies.
Departing on foot from our guesthouse we head up the old Shepherds trail up towards the ridge line. We start with a gentle ascent and then path steepens, the terrain is rocky and you need to really concentrate on this ascent route and pick your footing carefully. As you approach the ridge line there are impressive views across the Omalos plateau, over to the north coastline including Chania and over to the south with views of the Libyan coastline. The final ascent up onto the ridge requires low level scrambling, you will need use of both hands and feet, there are plenty of places to grab hold of to help pull you up. When you get onto the top of the ridge it can be windy and it is very uneven terrain. From the summit we continue along the ridge line towards Kalergi Refuge where we will stop for lunch stop. From the refuge balcony there are incredible views across Samaria Gorge.
We follow the dirt road track down from the Refuge and pick up a track for the final descent to the Samaria. We will be collected by minibus and transfer back to our guesthouse to collect luggage and then onward to travel to Chania.
Approximate distance 9.3km and total Ascent 729m/descent 531m
Accommodation and Meals
3* Hotel Chania and full board
After breakfast, we will explore several key battlefield sites before flying home in the afternoon
This morning, we will round off our Cretan adventure with a battlefield tour. Key visits will be to Hill 107 and Maleme Bridge (aka Tavronitis Bridge), a crucial strategic chokepoint during the 1941 Battle of Crete, and we'll finish at the Commonwealth war grave at Souda Bay War Cemetery.
After lunch we will transfer to the airport for our flight home or you can choose to extend your time in Crete.
Accommodation and Meals
Breakfast and lunch
Trip Details
Trip Details
In a nutshell, almost everything!
This is what you will need to buy/source yourself.
It is important that you read the itinerary carefully, and take account of the rating we have given it.
Although our challenges are not technical, they do require a good degree of physical fitness. The conditions will require stamina and strength, which you should recognise and train for. This will be a much better experience if you are fit and prepared. You should feel comfortable walking 6-8 hours per day.
For up-to-date vaccination information, please visit Travel Health Pro to see the most recent recommendations for your itinerary.
Although we are travel experts, we are not medical specialists, so we cannot explicitly recommend what vaccinations you should or shouldn't have. Always seek the advice of a medical professional if you are unsure. They will likely want to see a copy of your itinerary, and can then best advise whether they think an advised or 'to consider' vaccination is appropriate for you.
Please note that information on vaccinations can change at short notice.
In setting the maximum size of our groups, we take a number of factors into account.
Altitude, degree of difficulty, the terrain, the climate and time of year, all determine the maximum group size. Sometimes it will be 20, sometimes it will be 8-14, but safety is always our priority.
You will be accompanied by a Tribal Tracks UK Leader, Mountain Leader qualified, as well as supported by our local, in-country guides.
It is a requirement of Tribal Tracks booking terms and conditions that each supporter must hold their own travel insurance, which covers the trip and the activities they are doing. Read more here.
We advise you to put insurance in place as soon as possible, ideally on booking so you are covered immediately. There have been instances where someone has signed up, broken their leg a few weeks later, and been deemed unfit to travel. If travel insurance were in place, the non-refundable deposit could be claimed back from the insurance policy. Without this, your money is lost.
Your insurance must be valid and in date, covering the entire period that you are travelling for, including the return journey home. It must cover medical and personal accident risks, and should include repatriation costs and air ambulance or helicopter rescue services, where appropriate.
We will need to know the travel insurance provider, your policy number and the 24 hour medical/emergency assistance number.
Tribal Tracks has 100% Financial Protection and has a trust account with the Protected Trust Service, member number 5566.
This means that all client monies paid to Tribal Tracks are held in our dedicated trust account, which is supervised by an independent trustee. This means that in the very unlikely event that Tribal Tracks ceases to trade, your money is safe. For more information, please visit this link. Any flights booked for you by Tribal Tracks will be ATOL-protected under our own ATOL certificate.
Tribal Tracks considers the safety of all of its participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have thorough safety systems in place.
In the event of an injury, we have an evacuation plan in place for all elements of the trek route. We do ask that you look after yourself during the trek in the following way, as this will help avoid unnecessary problems:
We know that the unexpected can happen.
While you are away, things can happen at home and people may need to get in contact with you. This can be tricky when you are in remote areas. So, shortly before departure, we provide you with an Emergency Procedure document to distribute to your nearest and dearest. This sets out how to contact Tribal Tracks and the steps Tribal Tracks will then take to get in contact with you.
It is really important that you are well prepared for your physical challenge and that you are confident that you will be able to fully participate.
Although our leaders are well trained to deal with different capabilities, if they have any concerns about someone’s ability to safely partake in the trek, or their impact on other people’s enjoyment, we authorise them to take necessary action which, in some circumstances, may involve asking someone to step out of the trek. Although this is a very rare occurrence, by booking this trip you agree to section 11 of our Booking Conditions which clearly states that our leaders have the authority to do this. In these circumstances, we will ensure anyone sitting out is safely provided for and offered alternative options where possible. Refunds will not be provided for activities missed and customers may be liable for additional costs incurred.
At Tribal Tracks, Responsible Travel is enormously important to us, and our commitment to responsible travel is evidenced in every itinerary that we prepare.
Core to our business is the belief that holidays can and should be enjoyable to the traveller but should be conducted in a socially, environmentally and economically responsible manner which brings benefit to local communities. This is implemented through a variety of measures which can be found in our Responsible Travel policy. We encourage you to read this and to play your own part in travelling responsibly.
If you're not happy with something, please talk to the Tribal Tracks Leader. They are there to ensure your experience is as enjoyable as possible. They can only act on what they know, so please don’t be afraid to raise anything that needs addressing with them and certainly don’t wait until the end of the trip. If you’re travelling with a charity, someone from there will be on the trek too, if you’d feel more comfortable liaising through them.
If you are feeling unwell on this trek, tell your leaders and listen to their advice, they are professionals who will know the best course of action for you. If you need to be taken off the trek, or if there is an emergency, our experienced leaders and local guides carry phones and can call for help. No one will be left unaccompanied. If necessary, we hold details of your next of kin and travel insurance and will help organise next steps and onward arrangements.
If your flights are included in the trip price you will automatically be booked on to the same flights as everyone else in the team, unless you let us know before or on booking. If you want to book your own flights, you need to ensure that you coordinate your arrival and departure times with the trip’s itinerary. If your dates/timings don’t align with the itinerary, you will be responsible for costs incurred for additional airport transfers or accommodation arrangements.
Tribal Tracks can book alternative flights for you (for example, from a different departure airport) but this may incur an extra charge. We will liaise with you about costs before booking to ensure you’re happy to proceed.
Please inform us of any dietary requirements or allergies before you travel, and preferably at the time of booking and no later than 4 weeks prior to departure. We can cater to almost any diet, but only if we know about it beforehand.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) monitors all overseas destinations and offers advice to British citizens. In order to be fully informed of safety issues, crime rates, political stability and local customs you can view the advice here. We monitor FCDO advice carefully and may, on occasion, be required to cancel trips, reroute itineraries, or make other changes to trips based on the FCDO advice. Any decision will always be made in the interests of your safety and security and will be fully communicated to you.
If travelling with a child and only one parent is present, please be aware that you must have the permission of everyone with parental responsibility before that child can be taken abroad. You automatically have parental responsibility if you’re the child’s mother, but you still need the permission of anyone else with parental responsibility before you take the child abroad. A letter from the person with parental responsibility for the child is usually enough to show you’ve got permission to take them abroad. You might be asked for the letter at a UK or foreign border. The letter should include the other person’s contact details and details about the trip. If you are travelling with a child who has a surname different to your own, for example you are a single parent, you are advised to travel with evidence of your relationship (eg a birth certificate) and a divorce or marriage certificate if applicable. In other scenarios, for example, you are a grandparent taking your grandchild on a trip, or you are taking your child’s friend on a trip, you should be able to provide evidence that you have permission from the child’s parents to do this. You should also check the requirements of the country you are travelling to, as they may have additional specific requirements and the age limit up to which a person is considered a child may vary.
Trip Details
This kit list is meant as a guide — it might not be crucial to purchase everything on this lisk, ask us at any point if you are unsure.
Trip Details
Your main luggage will be transferred from point to point for you and you will not have access to this during the day. You will therefore carry the essentials with you in your day sack. We recommend the following (and therefore recommend this is what you train with too)
On day three of the trek, you might not be reunited with your luggage until around 1930pm, so you might want to add a spare pair of clothes to change into if you want to change before your luggage arrives.
Meals are provided throughout from dinner on the day of arrival to lunch on day of departure. Water will be provided with each meal. Alcoholic drinks are not included but can be purchased.
While on trek, breakfast and dinner will be in the guesthouses, and packed lunches will be provided by the guesthouses. The main meal will typically be lamb or chicken with vegetables and packed lunches will typically consist of bread, cheese/meat, a savoury snack, fruit and nuts.
We will have our last evening meal at a restaurant in Chania, and our final lunch in Maleme.
We can cater for all dietary requirements but all participants must declare these on booking. We need to let our local teams know well in advance, as well as the airline.
You will collect your water for the day ahead (until you reach your next accommodation) at breakfast. We recommend bringing at least 2 x 1l water bottles or a water bladder. Water bladders make it easier to drink on the go. Remember that 1l of water weighs 1 kilogram. There will be points to stop and fill up enroute each day if you need to (Day 1 - Loutro, Day 2 - Cafe, Day 3 - springs at half way point in Gorge, Day 4 - Refuge)
As this trek is from guesthouse to guesthouse, you will have access to electricity to charge your devices each night, and Wi-Fi will be available in most of the accommodation. Of course, there might be power outages or Wi-Fi outages that are out of our control, but to date, we haven’t had any issues! We recommend that you bring a multi-region adapter plug with you.
If you want to use your mobile data while on the trek, be aware that it may incur extra charges from your carrier. It might be worth purchasing an eSim from Holafly, Airalo or similar.
One of the great things about this trek is that there is no camping. As much as we love camping, you can’t beat a warm shower and a bed each night. Hotel rooms and local guesthouses are usually twin-share. If you’re travelling as a couple, we’ll book a double where possible.
A single supplement (£150) can be offered on nights 1 and 5 (at the hotels in Hora Sfakion and Chania) but due to the size/configuration of the guesthouses in the more remote areas, a single supplement is not available as we cannot guarantee it (days 2, 3, 4).
As we are staying in guesthouses throughout the trek, you will have flushing toilets at the start of the day and at the end of your trek. If you need to ‘go’ during the day, remember to leave no trace - this is what the baby wipes and nappy sacks in your day sack are for. You will have to carry everything with you until you come to the next bin.
The trek is a challenge. We will be walking for a long time over sometimes challenging terrain with steep ascents and descents.
The best way to build endurance fitness is to start with some gentle walks and gradually build up both the distance and duration over the next few months. In the last 2 months, we would recommend to go out and do long days, ideally in the hills, to build up the strength in your legs. About a week before the trek, limit any training to short walks – you want to have fresh legs at the start!
For the trek you should be comfortable trekking between 6 - 8 hours per day, but remember we have all day to achieve the distances and will not be going at racing snake pace. It may sound obvious, but make sure that you are walking properly, hitting the ground with your heel first, then rolling onto your toe, which pushes you onto the next step (this will help reduce the risk of shin splints and tendon pulls). Walk with your head up, eyes forward and shoulders level.
It is a good idea to develop a level of cardiovascular fitness (exercising and strengthening your heart and lungs). This comes from running, cycling or swimming for between 20 minutes and an hour, and will really help develop your endurance fitness. Three sessions a week is normally advised, increasing time and distance over time.
Replicate conditions in training i.e., use all the kit you will be using and try your walking poles if you want to use them.
Your trip will be led by an experienced Tribal Tracks Leader. All Tribal Tracks Leaders have (at least) a Mountain Leader Summer Qualification and relevant outdoor first aid qualifications. The Tribal Tracks Leader usually meets the team at the airport in the UK and travels with you, but if they are already in-country, or travelling from elsewhere, they will meet you on arrival at the airport in Chania. We will also be accompanied by local guides (the number will depend on the team size). Our Cretan guides always receive exceptional feedback, like this "The best guide I’ve ever come across. His language skills and attention to logistical detail were top drawer. He shared his extensive knowledge very generously. Most importantly, he led us at a perfect pace and with confidence”
In September, on the south coast, the weather is warm, dry and sunny Mediterranean weather. Crete's south coast, it is often slightly warmer and drier than the northern part of the island due to the mountain range blocking northerly winds. You can expect daily temperatures of around 27°C, with a pleasant drop to around 20°C at night. Should you fancy a dip in the sea, this is a very inviting 24°C.
Rain is incredibly rare at this time of year, with an average of only two rainy days for the entire month, usually in the form of brief, scattered showers.
It is important to pack so that you know where everything is. Here at Tribal Tracks, we are big fans of separating kit into different packing cubes (compression ones are great), or even just individual plastic bags can really help with this.
You can pack by item (e.g., socks and pants in one cube, tops in another, waterproofs in another etc.) or by day, putting your entire outfit for that day together in one place. We recommend taking an extra bag or cube to separate the dirty kit from your fresh clothes, too.
In the event of an injury, we have an evacuation plan in place for all elements of the trek route. We do ask that you look after yourself during the trek in the following way, as this will help avoid unnecessary problems:
We ask that your luggage is kept to the absolute minimum. We will tell you the weights that you should not exceed, but usually (depending on the airline), your main bag should not exceed 23kgs in weight.
It is important that you wear your trekking boots or take them in your hand luggage on the flight, as they are vital for the trek and cannot be replaced if your luggage is lost.
We recommend leaving behind items such as high-value jewelry, watches, etc. Your passport and money should always be kept on your person.
Trip Details
If you want to alter the length of this trip, or want to make any changes or add any other activities, just let us know, we are happy to adapt where possible.
Have a question? Get in touch, our small team will be delighted to help.
