Hiking and Swimming the Kourtaliotiko Gorge

The island of Crete is one of the most magical islands in Greece for outdoor lovers.  The largest of the Greek islands offers plenty of hiking and beaches to choose from.  For those looking for an ultimate hiking experience on the island, the Samarian Gorge should be on your itinerary.  However, if you are looking for a much shorter hike with an incredible waterfall, the Kourtaliotiko Gorge is a must-do experience.

This hike is especially a great option for those short on time on Crete or if you aren't physically able to complete the 10-mile-long Samarian Gorge.  The Kourtaliotiko Gorge is only a short hike that takes about 20 minutes from the large parking area down about 400 steps from the top to the bottom.  If you would like to include a longer hike on your journey, you can follow along the river for about 5 miles to Preveli Beach.  We did not do this part of the hike, but instead decided to drive from Kourtaliotiko Gorge to Preveli Beach.

How to Get to Kourtaliotiko Gorge

Kourtaliotiko Gorge is in the middle of Crete.  The closest larger city is Rethymno, which is about 30 minutes by car.  We stayed at a resort near Rethymno and found it to be an excellent central location to explore the island.  Otherwise, if you are staying in Chania it is about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or from Heraklion it is about 1 hour and 30 to get to Kourtaliotiko Gorge.

The drive itself is pretty easy; you'll get off the main road (A90) just past Rethymno and take a windy road until you see signs for the Kourtaliotiko Gorge.  Once you see the sign for the gorge there are some parking lots along the side of the road.  These are very small and I wouldn't recommend parking at them.  Especially the first two are a long walk from the waterfall.  If you drive far enough there is a large parking lot on the right up a little hill.  It is signed well and was not very full when we were there on a nice October afternoon.

From the parking lot you'll cross the main road and walk along a wide dirt path.  Stay on the upper part of the path until you reach a sign and a set of stairs that will lead you down to the waterfall and swimming area.  If you don't want to swim and prefer to see the waterfall from above, continue straight and go up the stairs at the sign.  From the sign, there are about 400 stairs that will bring you down into the gorge where you can swim to the waterfall.  When we did this the entire hike was extremely windy.  I had to hold onto my hat the whole time, it was difficult to walk at times and a fair amount of sand was blowing around.  It reminded me of the wind I experienced along the Atlantic coast of Ireland or in Iceland.  It was not something I expected.

Swimming in the Kourtaliotiko Gorge

To the the full experience of the Kourtaliotiko Gorge and waterfall you have to swim.  This swim isn't for the faint of heart as the water is a frigid 57 degrees Fahrenheit.  On a hot day it might feel good.  And while the sun was out while we were there, the breeze made it feel not so warm outside.  But this is a unique experience and I highly recommend getting in the water.  Honestly, this was some of the coldest water I've swam in, and I've gone swimming in Lake Superior.  It was so cold that it was difficult to breathe when I first got in.  I had to go in and out a few times to get my body used to the temperature to where I felt I could breathe normally.

The water in Kourtaliotiko Gorge isn't too deep near the waterfall.  In much of the area I could stand.  There was only one part that I had to swim to get across.  The bottom of the stream is a mix of sand and rock.  I didn't have any swimming shoes and was just in bare feet and had no concerns with sharp rocks.  While it is a river, the pull of the stream isn't very strong which made swimming, even upstream, pretty easy.

While I don't think swimming shoes are necessary, there are some things I would recommend bringing with you.  Be sure to bring warm towels with you.  You will want them to warm up with once you get out of the water. However, after getting out of the icy cold water, the air actually felt nice.  Another thing I would recommend is a waterproof phone case to take photos.  Unfortunately, I had left mine behind so I had to hold my phone up while I swam.  Luckily most phones nowdays are waterproof to a degree so even though it got pretty wet from the water raining down from the falls, it didn't get damaged at all.  It just would have been nice to not have to worry about it at all.

As I previously mentioned, water shoes aren't necessary, but you should bring decent shoes or hiking sandals for the hike down into the gorge.  The path itself is rocky at points, but only for a small portion at the end.  I do think you could get away with hiking sandals but I wouldn't recommend flip flops.

When to Go

We hiked the Kourtaliotiko Gorge in October, which was a wonderful time to go.  There were quite a few people there, but it wasn't so crowded we felt overwhelmed.  We definitely found some spots in the gorge where we were all by ourselves.  The weather in October was still nice enough to be outside and swim, although not nearly as warm as it is in the summer.  You wouldn't want to go any later in the year than October.  But if you want to avoid crowds this is one of the best times to go.

If you want it to be warmer out before you take a dip in the chilly water, you should go in July or August.  Although you will find lots of crowds of other people there with you.  You could also go in the spring to avoid the crowds, however, the water will be very cold and the weather will just be starting to warm up.  If you don't plan to swim in the water this may be your best time to go.

Final Thoughts

If you are traveling to Greece and Crete is on your itinerary, getting to the Kourtaliotiko Gorge is a must.  It's easy to get to and provides a unique experience you won't get anywhere else.  After visiting the Kourtaliotiko Gorge you can then spend the rest of your day at the nearby Preveli Beach.  This beach provides crystal-clear water and soft sand, making for a perfect relaxing afternoon.

If you have questions about the Kourtaliotiko Gorge or Crete, let me know in the comments.