At the beautiful small village of Kanevos on the road from Rethimno to Plakias, a little before the imposing gorge of Kotsifos you will find Iliomanolis tavern. Mrs Maria an experienced cook, will offer you her best specialties made with fresh pure Cretan products, and your lunch, breakfast or dinner will be one of the most pleasant experiences in Crete.

Loutro is a small village halfway from Agia Roumeli, where the Samarian gorge ends, to Hora Sfakion, accessible only by boat. The majestic scenery, the calm, the crystal clear water and the hospitality of the local people gave Loutro numerous friends and ardent visitors. No cars, no bikes... nothing to spoil the peace of this historical place. Some small hotels, apartments and rooms as well as a few lovely taverns offer their guests a friendly atmosphere that makes Loutro an ideal place for vacation and relax.

"Zorbas Rent Rooms and Taverna" run by the family of George GliniadakisThere are five double rooms with private bathroom - hot water 24hrs/day, air conditioning, refrigerator and large verandas with nice view to the sea. The beach is only 80 meters away.The tavern serves breakfast and meals from the morning till late in the night. The traditional Cretan specialities are all made with extra virgin organic olive oil and other products from the owner's farm.

Kallérgi Mountain Refuge is located on the western region of Crete, above the plateau of Omalos, in the White Mountains (Lefka Ori) mountain range at an altitude of 1680 metres. The site is of unique natural beauty and commands great views to the surrounding peaks and the gorge of Samaria. It can be accessed by car or on foot (1 1/2 hour) via the 5km long dirt road from Omalos. The refuge can accommodate up to 50 people. It features a fully equipped kitchen, a lodge with fire place and wood burning stoves, toilets (indoors and outdoors) and a camping area. Electricity is supplied by a generator.
Kalergi refuge operates throughout the year (from November to March only on weekends)
For more information please visit:Mountaineering Club of Hania

1st September - The last two days of the walk were rather low key after the drama of the White Mountains. I left Kallerghi at 0800 after a proper Austrian mountain breakfast served up by my new Bulgarian friend Daniel. It is about an hour down the dirt road to the Omalos plateau and half way down I realised I had left my beloved katsouna (shepherd's crook) at the hut. I couldn't bear the prospect of going all the way back up so I rang Joseph to say that I would collect it the following week. I have learnt that it is now forbidden to cut sticks from the wood of the rare ambelitsia tree so mine is now a museum piece (with the distinction of having walked 450 kms across Crete).
Distance: 28.4 km
Time: 8 hrs. 20 mins.
Mov av 4.2 km/hr
Height: 405m.

At the end of the canyon that traverses the area of Rodakino lies the beach of Korakas at the bay of the same name. It is a nice, wide and 400m long beach, with clear waters and small grayish sand and pebbles. There are a few accommodation options in family run apartment complexes and a few taverns on the beach front. Umbrellas and sun beds are also available at the eastern part. The headland to the east separate Korakas Beach from another lovely beach named "Klimata". At the east side of that headland there is a small fishing harbour and along its coast there are sharp rocks in the shape of a crow's beak (Kórakas GR: Κόρακας, means crow) thus giving the name to the bay.

Pórtes (GR: Πόρτες - Gates) or Sideróportes (Iron Gates) is maybe the most striking point of the canyon. Here the canyon walls rise nearly 300 meters while the width is only 3.5 m. At this point the water runs almost all year round. The stratified limestone, the dominant rock of the canyon, forms specific geological formations, showing all the geological history of the canyon in the eyes of connoisseurs. Portes are 11 km away from the entrance of the Samarian gorge at Xylóskalo and 4km from the beach at Agia Roumeli.

Ágios Pávlos (GR: Άγιος Παύλος)is a beach on the shores of Sfakiá between Agia Rouméli and Loutró. The pine trees from the high cliffs above almost reach the sea and form a unique landscape. The beach is sandy with pebbles with no facilities except for a small tavern. It can be reached only on foot ( about 1 hour walk from Agia Roumeli) or by boat. The picturesque small church of Agios Pavlos (Saint Paul) a byzantine basilica of the 10th century A.D. with frescoes, lies just a few meters from the sea. It is built with stones from the beach itself on the spot where Saint Paul reportedly baptised people on his way to Rome.

Xylóskalo (Ksyloskalo GR: Ξυλόσκαλο) is the point where the Samarian gorge starts. It is located on the Lefka Ori (White Mountains) in the plateau of Omalos, 43 km from the city of Hania at 1250m above sea level. It is also the entrance to the gorge. There are two tourist lodges where visitors can rest and have food or coffee and take panoramic pictures of the gorge and the White Mountains. There is also the information center of the National Park and a parking area.
Xyloskalo means the "wooden stair" and refers to a wooden staircase built by the locals in order to facilitate the entrance to the gorge as at this point the cliffs are very steep. Today this part of the path is made of stones and it has a wooden handrail.
About 1km before Xyloskalo a dirt road leads, after 5 km, to the Kallergis mountain lodge at 1680m a.s.l.