Aradena Gorge: Hiking with a View of the Libyan Sea

The trek through the gorge begins at the abandoned village of Aradena, deserted since 1952 due to a vendetta, and concludes at Marmara Beach. While the gorge starts at an altitude of 1,000 metres, higher than Lefka Ori, the current route has been established. 

The route, spanning around 4.5 kilometres, poses some challenges as there are sections that are quite difficult to access. The gorge is adorned with a variety of plants, including mint, oleander, chaste tree, and more. For the descent, there is at some point, the choice of metal stairs and rope while in case of altitude or acrophobia, there are stone steps on the right side of a path. At 2/3 of the gorge there is a fork that leads to Livaniana, another abandoned village, which needs attention so that you don't get confused and follow it. It should also be pointed out that just before the end, it is necessary to descend from rocks where you use bracing on hands and feet (scrambling). 

Throughout the Turkish occupation, the gorge witnessed various significant events. In 1867, there was a big battle between 4000 Greeks who had rebelled and 25,000 Turks, which resulted in the retreat of the Greeks and the burning of the village of the same name by the Turks.

In the gorge, there is a metal bridge that links the village of Aradena with the surrounding areas. Standing at a height of approximately 150 metres, this bridge offers an ideal location for bungee jumping.

To get to the gorge, there is a bus connection from Sfakia to Ai Giannis, where you will need 10-15 minutes of walking to the gorge, while many times there is also a direct bus from Sfakia to Aradaina. At the finish line, at Marmara beach, there are taxi boats that can take you to Loutro and Sfakia with specific routes.

Main photo: wikipedia

Photos 1-17 and information: Crete on the rocks