Now published as a full colour guide, this new edition supersedes and expands Cicerone's original guide to The White Mountains, with additional routes, photographs and information for the Psiloritis and Lassithi ranges, and new mapping. With an agreeable climate, an amazing landscape and a history stretching back to the start of civilisation, Crete makes an outstanding destination. The beauty of the Gorge of Samaria National Park is well known, but Crete offers many other spectacular gorges, together with numerous peaks rising to over 2100m. There are high mountain plains, forested crags, massive cliffs, and remote beaches. Proud, but also informal, friendly and hospitable, Cretans offer a range of facilities to visitors both in the countryside and on the coast.This work features general information on: walking in Crete; Western Crete: 53 walks in the White Mountains and south coast together with 10 multi-day trekking routes; Central Crete: 17 walks and treks on Mount Ida; Eastern Crete: 12 walks and treks in the Lassithi Mountains; and, E4 Trail across each of these ranges.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION; Hillwalking and Trekking Regions; Getting There; Flying to Athens. Ferryboat from Piraeus; Arriving in Crete: Airports; Chania; Heraklion; Arriving in Crete: Ferryboat Ports; Souda (for Chania); Heraklion (and bus stations); Rethymnon (and bus station); Arriving in the Evening; Getting to the Trailhead; Public Transport; Taxis; Shopping and Accommodation; Shopping in Towns; Shopping in the Countryside; Accommodation in the Countryside; Noise Pollution; Mountain Refuges; General Information, Skills and Equipment; Public Holidays; Time Difference; The Language Barrier; Weather; The Winter Months; Water; Shelter; Types of Pathways; The E4 Trail; Walking Technique; Backpacking and Camping; Daysack and Trekking Essentials; Mobile Phones/Telephones; Compass, Altimeter and GPS; Contour Maps; Emergencies; Clothing and Footwear; Lone Women Walkers; Insects and Other Hazards; Wildlife and Hunting; Plants, Trees and Flowers; Using this Guide; Grading System; Walking Times; PART 1 THE WHITE MOUNTAINS THE LEFKA ORI; Route Suggestions; The Omalos Plain; Walk Grade Route; 1 A Around the Omalos Plain; 2 B The Gorge of Samaria National Park; 3 C The Ascent of Gingilos; 4 A Xyloscala to Kallergi Refuge; 5 C Kallergi Refuge to Melendaou; 6 D Xyloscala to Koustoyerako via Strifomadi or E4 Trail variation; 6a D Koustoyerako to Xyloscala via Strifomadi; 7 C/D Omalos to Koustoyerako via Ay. Theodoros Chapel; 7a C/D Koustoyerako to Omalos via Ay. Theodoros Chape; 8 B Omalos to Ay. Irini Gorge; 9 B Ay. Irini Gorge to Souyia; 9a B Souyia to Lissos and Paleochora (E4 Trail); 10 C Omalos to Zourva; 10a C Zourva to Omalos; 11 A Zourva to Meskla; 12 C Omalos to Lakki and Meskla; 12a C Lakki to Omalos; The Northern Foothills (see also Walks 11a, b, c); Walk Grade Route; 13 C Kambi to Volikas Refuge; 14 B/C Kambi to Melidoni; 14a B/C Melidoni to Kambi; 15 C Kares to Gournes; 16 B/C Melidoni to Fres; 17 A Fres to Vrisses; 18 A Fres to Vafes via Tzitzifes; 19 C Melidoni to Vafes via Vothanas; 19a C Vafes to Melidoni via Vothanas; 20 A Vafes to Vrisses; 20a A Vrisses to Vafes; 21 C Vafes to Askifou; The Askifou Plain; Walk Grade Route; 22 A Around the Plain; 23 A Askifou to Imbros; 24 A The Imbros Gorge; 25 A Kommitades to Hora Sfakion; 26 B/C The Asfendos Gorge from Askifou; 27 D AskifouGoni to Kallikratis; 28abc B Connecting Walks from Kallikratis; 29 B The Kallikratis Gorge; 30 B AskifouAmmoudari to Niato (E4 Trail); 31 D The Ascent of Kastro; 32 B/C Askifou to Imbros via Trikoukia; 33 C Askifou to Anopolis (or Hora Sfakion) via Kali Lakki and Mouri; 34 C Askifou to Vafes; 35 B Krappis to Lake Kourna; Anopolis; Walk Grade Route; 36 A/B Anopolis to Loutro; 37 A Kambia to Loutro; 38 A Kambia to Anopolis or Ay. Ekaterini; 39 B Kambia to Hora Sfakion; 40 A Anopolis to Aradena; 40a C The Aradena Gorge; 41 A Aradena to Ay. Ioannis and Sellouda; 42 B Aradena to Ay. Roumeli via Sellouda; 43 B/C The Aradena Forest and Kroussia; 44 C Anopolis to Askifou via Kali Lakki; The South Coast of Sfakia; Walk Grade Route; 45 B Hora Sfakion to Loutro (E4 Trail); 46 B Hora Sfakion to Anopolis; 47 C Hora Sfakion to Mouri; 48 B/C Loutro to Livaniana and (a) Anopolis or (b) Marmara Beach; 49 B Loutro to Ay. Roumeli (E4 Trail); 50 B The Gorge of Samaria National Park; 51 A Around Ay. Roumeli; 52 C/D The Eligas Gorge; 53 B/C Ay. Roumeli to Anopolis via Sellouda; Mountain Treks; The Madares; Valleys of the Central Massif; Katsiveli; Potamos; Route Suggestions; Trek Grade Route; T1 D Theriso to Livada via Kolokithas; T1a D Livada to Theriso; T2 D Kambi to Livada via EOS Volikas Refuge; T2a D Livada to Kambi; T3 E Askifou to Livada via Niato and Grias Soros (E4 Trail); T3a E Livada to Niato and Askifou (E4 Trail) (Trek 3 in reverse); T4 C/D Livada to Katsiveli (E4 Trail); T4a C/D Katsiveli to Livada (E4 Trail); T5 C/D Katsiveli to Potamos (E4 Trail); T5a C/D Potamos to Katsiveli; T6 D Omalos (or Kallergi Refuge) to Potamos (and Katsiveli); via Melendaou (E4 Trail); T6a D Potamos to Kallergi Refuge (E4 Trail); T7 D Potamos to Ay. Ioannis via Zaranokefala; T7a D Ay. Ioannis to Potamos via Zaranokefala; T8 D Anopolis to Katsiveli; T8a D Katsiveli to Anopolis; The Ascent of Pachnes; T9 C/D Roussies to Pachnes Summit; T9a C/D Pachnes Summit to Katsiveli; T9b C/D Katsiveli to Pachnes Summit; The South Coast; T10 D Ay. Roumeli to Souyia (E4 Trail); T10a D Souyia to Ay. Roumeli (E4 Trail); PART 2 PSILORITIS MOUNT IDA; The Summit; The Nida Plain; Approach Routes to the Mountain; From the North; From the South; From the West; Route Suggestions; Walks and Treks from Trailheads of the Foothills; Walk Grade Route; P1 C/D Anoyeia to the Nida Taverna; (a) Ay. Yakinthos to Nida Taverna on the E4 Trail; (b) Ay. Yakinthos to Nida Taverna via Old Droving Route; P2 C Zaros to Ay. Ioannis Chapel via the Rouvas Gorge; P3 D Ay. Ioannis Chapel to the Nida Plain (E4 Trail); P4 C Kamares to the Kamares Cave; P5 C/D Kamares Cave to the Nida Plain; P6 D Kamares to the Summit of Mount Ida; P7 B/C The Arcadi Monastery to Aravanes Kampos; P8 D Aravanes Kampos to the Nida Taverna; P9 D Mount Ida Summit: Northern Approach Path; P10 D Aravanes Kampos to Toumbotos Prinos EOS Refuge; P11 C/D The Amari Valley: Fourfouras and Kouroutes; Walks and Treks from Trailheads on the Nida Plain; Walk Grade Route; P12 C/D Nida to the Summit of Mount Ida; P13 D Summit of Mount Ida: Descent to Kamares; P14 C/D Nida to Anoyeia on the E4 Trail; P14a C/D Nida to Anoyeia on Old Droving Trail; P15 D Nida to Ay. Ioannis Chapel (and on to Zaros; via Rouvas Gorge) on E4 Trail; P16 D Nida to Kamares via Kamares Cave; P17 D Nida Taverna to the Arcadi Monastery; PART 3 THE LASSITHI MOUNTAINS; Route Suggestions; Walk Grade Route; L1 B Kastamonitsa to Ay. Georgios (E4 Trail); L2 A Ay. Georgios to Tzermiado; L2a A Tzermiado to Ay. Georgios; L3 B/C Tzermiado to Karphi and back; L4 B/C Ay. Georgios to the Katheros Plain and back; L5 D Ay. Georgios (for Mt Dikti Summit) to Selakano (E4 Trail); L5a D Selakano to Ay. Georgios; L6 B/C Selakano to the Katheros Plain (for Lassithi or Kritsa); L6a B/C Katheros Plain via Pertiakos to Selakano; L7 C Katheros Plain to Kritsa (for Ay. Nikolaos); L7a C Kritsa to the Katheros Plain; L8 B/C Margoulas to Xeniakos and Ano Viannos; Appendix 1: Glossary; Appendix 2: Further Reading; Appeneix 3: Useful Information

About the Author

In 1979, after returning from a spell in the early Dubai building boom, Loraine Wilson swapped life as an Architectural Assistant for trek leading, mainly in the mountains of Greece. A lifelong hillwalker and backpacker, she has been walking the Cretan mountains since 1982. In 1995 a course in Heritage Management alerted Loraine to the necessity of encouraging inland tourism in Crete, and her guidebooks aim to make a positive contribution to it.