Fourteen Awesome Short Hikes in Crete, Greece

Of all of these short hikes in Crete this is the shortest. This is barely a hike, more like a short walk but there are stairs involved that lead down to a beautiful sea cave. I saw a picture of this cave and since we were nearby decided to check it out. The drive here was a bit difficult to follow but we made it without any trouble. This hike basically involved walking down many steps to a beautiful sea cave. It took actually just a few minutes but careful footing was needed. Once in the cave it was quite slippery but slowly and carefully we made our way around. You can click here for my full post, Koutalas Beach and Sea Cave.

This hike in 2019 is certainly one of my favorites of these short hikes in Crete. It starts at the backside of Gouverneto Monastery and past the Memorial Tomb. The path is easy to follow but remember you have to go back up! Follow the trail down to the Arkoudospillo Cave. You can go in this cave and explore it a bit. Continue to follow the trail to the Monastery ruins. Once you have explored and enjoyed the cave, you can find your way down the side of the bridge (there was no distinct path) to the waterway beneath the bridge and walk onward to the sea. The waterway was rocky but not difficult to hike. The sea was beautiful! You can find more information on my Katholiko Monastery and Beach link.

Seitan Limani is a fantastic beach although not easy to get to. This had been on my list from the moment I found out about it. We drove here after the Katholiko Monastery hike so it was late morning when we arrived. The drive to the beach is not bad but the hike down is a bit rough and slick at first. Once you get down the cliff side it is an easy and short walk to the beach. The water was wonderful and the beach nice. Watch out for all the goats though! They make themselves comfortable wherever they are! To find out more you can click soon my post, A Steep Hike Down Seitan Limani.

Balos Beach is an iconic beach in Crete and of these fourteen short hikes is probably the one I would not miss. The dirt road to the beach is not easy but it is a beautiful drive, just go slow and watch for goats. The views during hike down are magnificent and I had great anticipation as we came closer to the beach. The trail is easy to follow but again, it is a long way up so prepare for that! The water here is so beautifully clear with several shades of blue. Check out my link to read more, Balos Beach Adventure.

The hike from Loutro to Marmara Beach started out easy but ended up difficult. We left from Loutro, hiked up to a castle ruin, then down past a couple of small villages to Likos Beach. From there we climbed up and over a cliff. This was the toughest hike I have done in Crete and I almost didn’t do it. Since I really wanted to swim at Mamara Beach, and with the encouragement of my husband, I forged ahead. And I am truly glad I did. This is one of the short hikes which really showcases the coastline of Crete. Although I didn’t look down much, the views were amazing. Swimming in the sea was our refreshing reward after we had finished. Follow this link for the entire adventure, Hike to Loutro to Mamara Beach .

This hike to Kourtaliotikio Falls was a long time coming! There are two areas to view the falls. One is from above and one is to swim into them. In 2019 we had every intention of doing both but due to a previous storm we were only able to view the falls from the top. Finally, 2023, we made it down to the river. Of course to view them properly you have to swim in freezing cold mountain water. You can hike to the top or to the bottom or both following a trail down the gorge. You can even hike all the way to Preveli Beach if you wish. Regardless, it is raw Crete beauty. The dirt and rocky path itself is not long, just steep and lots of steps.

This is another iconic beach in Crete. Preveli Beach is just so beautiful. Another one I would definitely not miss. If you want the iconic scenery you need to hike down from the west side. Unfortunately, this is also a tougher route. Again, as many of our other hikes, this is not long, just steep, rocky, and with lots of steps. I remember the steps here being particularly difficult on the way back up as I am 5’1″ and some of the rocky steps were quite a stretch for my short legs! Once you reach the bottom, definitely take the time to walk through the Palm Forrest and also to enjoy a refreshing swim. You can read more about it on my first Preveli Post from 2019.

If you don’t have time or just want a short, quicker route to get to Preveli Beach you can hike to the beach from the East side. We did this in 2023 and it worked out perfectly for us. It was an especially hot day so taking the shorter route was a nice shortcut to the beach. Although you have different views coming into Preveli Beach, this hike is much less strenuous with less steps and of course a shorter distance. You can still go enjoy a hike through the palm forest once you make it to the beach or just enjoy a great swim. Either path you do for Preveli, bring some water shoes as it is a rocky beach. Here is a link to the easy way down for Preveli Beach.

While writing this blog, and remembering Crete, I want to call each of these 14 short hikes my favorite. I guess they are all favorites in different ways. Martsalos really stands out though because it was so isolated and there were so very few people here. It was the most peaceful beach and a lovely swim. The hike was not too bad and we passed by a monastery, also a few palm trees and many goats. There was a spot on the way back where we scrambled a bit as we had somehow lost our path. Regardless, I would love to return here someday. You can read about the lovely Martsalos Beach at this link.

We had planned to hike to Agiofaraggo Beach in 2019 after our hike to Martsalos Beach but we ran out of time. So in 2023, we came back to this area just to hike this trail and swim here. I was glad we did. Although more populated than Martsalos, this beach was still not crowded. This path was relatively short but you will pass a small church and cave. I really enjoyed this hike but if I had to pick between the two, I would return to Martsalos. You can read more of our hike to Agiofaraggo Beach on this link.

We explored Dikteon Cave in 2021. Although the cave was not extremely large, there were a lot of steps and it was a bit of a hike to get to. Dikteon Cave is believed to be the birthplace of the Greek god Zeus. This is a beautiful cave that is really worth the hike to go see. The hike up the mountain to the entrance is a relatively hike with some nice views. The cave was quite chilly as caves usually are but I thought this was particularly cold. It definitely felt good in comparison to the September heat outside. The cave was magnificent and excellent lighting. Follow us on the hike to Dikteon Cave at this link.

Although not necessarily a hike, exploring the Ancient City of Lato felt like a hike with the amount of walking, climbing around, and the roughness of the paths. This is one of my favorite ancient cities in Crete as when we went, there were few people here and you could walk and explore throughout the complex. Set upon a hill above the village of Kritsa, Ancient Lato overlooks some spectacular views. The paths are dirt and stone, often loose stone, so careful stepping is needed. I am hoping to return here and explore this beautiful ancient city again. Follow my link for more information on Ancient Lato.

The hike to Aforesmenos Lighthouse is by far the creepiest hike I have embarked upon in Crete. It is located just northeast of Elounda overlooking the Agios Ioannis Cape. The day we hiked to this lighthouse it was gray and dreary which gave it a creepy feeling. Not to mention, we were told by some locals that over time, this was an evil place. That of course added a bit of unease to my thought process! Regardless, this was a wonderful hike and truly a beautiful experience. To read more about this hike you can click on my Aforesmenos Lighthouse link.

And finally, the last of our short hikes is the hike up Mt Oxia to Ancient Naxos near Elounda, Crete is absolutely spectacular. The views of Mirabello Bay are beautiful and it feels like you are on the top of the world. Once on the top of Mt Oxia you will see ruins of Ancient Naxos (the city, not the island). This once fortified city now only has a few remaining ruins which are amazing to see. It is truly wonderful wandering through the countryside of Crete, seeing the beautiful sea, passing the many goats, and smelling the fragrant Greek herbs as you meander along. To view more of this great hike you can follow my link for hiking up Mt Oxia.