If you want to avoid the crowds of organized trips, and yet you want to visit one of the many gorges in Crete, a trip to the Imbros gorge ( Φαράγγι Ίμπρου ) may be a good alternative to go to Samaria. The total length of the trail leading through this place is about 8 kilometers, during which the difference in altitude is about 600 m. Organizing a trip to the ravine is not too difficult or requires too complicated planning. If you have a rental car, you can definitely opt out of buying a trip sold by local travel agencies.
The entrance to the ravine is located near the town of Imbros. A large wooden sign clearly indicates the direction in which you must go. The beginning of the trail is a steep path that reaches a small stone building, where tickets entitling to enter are sold (cost 2 € - condition for 2014). The valid ticket system is solved in a similar way as in the Samaria Gorge. The ticket's ticket consists of three parts. The first one is torn off at the entrance to the ravine, the second at the exit, and the rest is your souvenir from the trip.
The rest of the route leading through the Imbros gorge is relatively easy. Although the route is not demanding, remember to take the right amount of water and wear suitable footwear. The trail is covered with sharp stones in many places, so trekking sandals are really a minimum. Of course, on the trail you can meet people who will go to this place in flip-flops or light sandals, but such cases are examples of extreme disregard for their own safety. Personally, we recommend footwear with covered fingers, sports shoes with a strong sole or even better approach shoes.
By defeating the following kilometers, it is clearly visible that the walls of the ravine are approaching each other. In two climatic places, they form narrow transitions, the width of which oscillates around 2 meters. The narrowest isthmus, which is marked with a wooden plaque, has a width slightly exceeding one and a half meters. These are the most spectacular places where tourists are willing to take pictures of themselves.
Even on hot days, a hike through this gorge should not be too tiring, because most of the trail leads shady places. The last stage, which is definitely a more extensive part of the ravine that gives no protection against the sun's rays, can be troublesome.
Some people take a trip through the Imbros gorge as a return trip. This is obviously much more tiring, but in this case the problem of returning to the car left at the entrance is eliminated.
Another method is to leave the car in the parking lot next to the tavern at the beginning of the route, and then the gorge to the point where there is a pickup waiting for a taxi next to a small tavern to take the taxi that takes people to the top of the Imbros gorge.
We have chosen another method. We left our car by the tavern at the end of the ravine, just outside the Komitades village. Then we got on a taxi-pickup and after a several-minute drive, which is a real attraction in itself, we went to the top of the ravine. We got off here and started descending down the Imbros gorge.
In both cases, the cost of a taxi-pickup is around € 20 per trip. This amount is divided by the number of people taken, so if you wait for someone who also wants to go the route, the unit cost of travel will be smaller.
We have already written about the establishment of the appropriate footwear. It is also necessary to take the right amount of water, which is enough for you to pass the entire ravine. In our opinion, if you beat Imbros down, 1-1.5 liters of fluid per person should be enough. It is also worth taking with you the appropriate headgear and sunglasses.
Afterby following the route leading along the bottom of the Imbros Gorge, you will surely notice the remains of the "girdle" of the road, which in the old days was one of the main routes connecting Sfaka to other parts of Crete. Fragments of this stone route give an idea of how much the isolated area was in the past. After the trip through the Imbros gorge, it should not come as a surprise that even at the time when Crete was under the rule of successive occupants, Sfakia enjoyed much greater freedom and independence than the area of the northern coast. The lack of convenient roads meant that the region was the perfect refuge for insurgents and people living outside the law.
The Imbros Gorge also appeared on the pages of the history of the Second World War. At the end of May 1941, after losing the battle for Crete, the trail through this gorge was one of the main escape routes for the Allied troops. About 20,000 soldiers defeated him, and more than half of them were embarked on ships that came to the port of Chora Sfakion. Today in this village there is a monument commemorating these events.
The vast majority of tourists going to the Imbros gorge arrives from the northern coast of Crete. The most convenient access is via the road that connects to the New National Road at the height of the town of Vryses located roughly halfway between Chania and Rethymnon.
The road itself through the Imbros gorge is also noteworthy. In several places, new sections of the route were led through short tunnels carved in the mountain slope. The last section of the road are picturesque streamers, which are slowly descending towards the Libyan Sea.
↤ click the appropriate part of the island to change the bottom map
W 2002 roku Falasarna zdobyła tytuł najlepszej plaży w Grecji. Wyróżnienie to nie jest bynajmniej przypadkowe, gdyż miejsce to jak na standardy Krety jest naprawdę unikalne.
Elafonisi is a small island located at the end of the southwestern edge of Crete. A characteristic feature of Elafonisi is the shallow lagoon connecting it with Crete.
Elafonisi is a small island located at the end of the southwestern edge of Crete. A characteristic feature of Elafonisi is the shallow lagoon connecting it with Crete.
This is the second largest airport (IATA code: CHQ) in Crete. In 2010, the airport in Chania served a total of over 1.65 million passengers.
Chania (Χανιά) is the second largest (after Heraklion) city of Crete. The biggest advantage of Chania is the area of the Old Town and the beautiful Venetian Harbor.
Aptera is a city whose history dates back to at least a thousand years before our era. In the peak period, about 20,000 lived in it. people, of which only 1/5 were free people.
Chania (Χανιά) is the second largest (after Heraklion) city of Crete. The biggest advantage of Chania is the area of the Old Town and the beautiful Venetian Harbor.
The genesis of the name of this poviat will not surprise anybody who will break the road from the Imbros gorge to Hora Sfakion.
Frangokastello is a small fortress that was built by the Venetians over four years from 1371. Initially, the castle was named after Saint Nikitas.
(Χρυσοσκαλίτισσα) The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Golden Step from the 17th century is the westernmost church building of this type.
(Χρυσοσκαλίτισσα) The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Golden Step from the 17th century is the westernmost church building of this type.
Omalos is a perfect starting point for exploring the Samaria Gorge. Located over 1,100 m above sea level extends over an area of 25 km2. Its size corresponds more or less to the size of the Lasithi Plateau.
Located 47 km from the city of Chania, it is the only freshwater lake in Crete. Its area is about 580 thousand. sqm. and the maximum depth is about 45 meters
Omalos is a perfect starting point for exploring the Samaria Gorge. Located over 1,100 m above sea level extends over an area of 25 km2. Its size corresponds more or less to the size of the Lasithi Plateau.
The steel crossing, which in the central part is separated from the ground by nearly 150 m, is at the leading position of the places where the longest bungee jumps are made.
Chania (Χανιά) is the second largest (after Heraklion) city of Crete. The biggest advantage of Chania is the area of the Old Town and the beautiful Venetian Harbor.
The genesis of the name of this poviat will not surprise anybody who will break the road from the Imbros gorge to Hora Sfakion. Word
This is the second largest airport (IATA code: CHQ) in Crete. In 2010, the airport in Chania served a total of over 1.65 million passengers.
Chora Sfakion is an extremely picturesque mountain village of the mountainous and wild Sfakia region
Loutro is famous for the fact that you can get to it only from the sea or walk on the mountain trail, because there is no other road here.
Stavros used to be a small fishing village. Today, it is primarily a tourist destination, but in a positive sense.
The cave is less than 1 km from Moni Gouvernetou Monastery. You will reach it using the pedestrian trail that has been marked out along the slope of the Avlaki Gorge.
Balos is one of Crete's flagship beaches if not all of Greece. We can assure you that the landscapes you see during your trip to Balos will remain with you for a very long time.
Moni Katholiko is probably the oldest and most spectacular monastery in Crete. It is located 20 km north-east of Chania.
The Orthodox monastery of Agia Triada, located on the northern part of the Akrotiri peninsula, is one of the most beautiful and richest monasteries in Crete.
The Orthodox monastery of Agia Triada, located on the northern part of the Akrotiri peninsula, is one of the most beautiful and richest monasteries in Crete.
Gouverneto Monastery is probably the oldest active Greek Catholic monastery located on the Akrotiri peninsula near Chania.
The length of the trail leading through this place is about 8 kilometers and the difference in altitude is about 600m.
Agia Roumeli znajduje się na południowym wybrzeżu Prefektury Chania, pomiędzy miejscowościami Chora Sfakion i Paleochora.
Until the early nineties, this place was known only to few tourists and local residents.
Paleochora is a quite well-organized tourist town, with a beautiful large sandy beach
Ruiny starożytnego miasta Lissos znajdują się około 3,5 km od miejscowości Sougia na południowym wybrzeżu Krety.
Samaria is one of the most important tourist attractions located in the western part of Crete.
On the north-western coast of Crete, at the foot of the Gramovous peninsula, there are ruins of the ancient port of Korikos, later known as Falassarna.
Krios Beach is located about 9 km west of Paleochora and it is also the last beach on this stretch of the southern coast
Between the villages of Topolia and Koutsamatados there is an interesting cave known as Agia Sofia
Milia is an authentic mountain settlement, which most probably dates from about the seventeenth century.
On the edge of the village of Potamida grows a complex of clay mounds called Komolithi (Komolithoi)
Grammeno (Γραμμένο) is a beach that can be counted among one of the best and most beautiful beaches in this part of Crete.
Platanias is a popular tourist destination. It is here that there are very interesting tunnels from World War II.
Polyrinia was one of the most important city-states of western Crete during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. It was built amphitheater on a steep hill, rising to a height of 481 meters above sea level
The Agia Irini gorge, just a short distance from the village of Sougia, is one of the most popular hiking destinations.
The island of Gramvousa, or in fact Imeri Gramvousa (Ήμερη Γραμβούσα), is an inseparable point of a trip that combines a stay in the Balos Lagoon with visiting the remains of a fortress located on the top of the island of Imeri Gramovousa.
Agia Roumeli is located on the south coast of Chania Prefecture, between Chora Sfakion and Paleochora.
The Byzantine church of Agios Pavlos was erected on the remote Selouda Beach in the south of Crete.
There is a beach in Crete that literally makes some people shiver. This place is Seitan Limania which can be translated as Satan's Ports or Cursed Ports.
Aspri Limni means White Lake, although the lake is just a conventional name. Under this term there is a small bay.
Going deep into the Richtis Gorge near Exo Mouliana, it's hard not to resist the impression that you enter a land completely different from the rest of Crete. The abundance of water and shade mean that even at the peak of the tourist season, this place is full of lush vegetation. So obvious rust colors dominate in other places of Crete, here they are completely absent, because their place replaces juicy greenery.
Samaria is one of the places we often devote a place to on our site. This gorge is not without exaggeration is considered one of the biggest attractions of the western part of Crete. Every year in high season it is visited by even over a thousand people a day. Its popularity was influenced not only by the natural beauty of this place, but also by the name of the longest gorge in Europe. Although there is already a guide on our site, in which we described in detail the trip from Paleochora to the Samaria Gorge, we decided to supplement it with an additional article. Below you will find detailed information on how to organize this trip yourself from some of the more important towns of central and western Crete.
The Agia Irini gorge, located a short distance from the village of Sougia, is one of the most popular hiking destinations organized in this area of Crete. The approximately 10 km long trail is a great alternative for all of these. who do not want to or cannot afford to cross the Samaria Gorge.
Komentarze
Wąwóz jak z bajki
Faktycznie wąwóz Imbros wywarł na nas ogromne wrażenia, które na długo zostaną w naszej pamięci! Kojarzył mi się z wąwozem Wadi Rum z Jordanii, tylko kolorystyka inna. Bardzo dziękujemy za rady z taxi pickupem, były nie ocenione. Wąwóz wydawał się jedynie nasz i okolicznych kóz (mimo iż była to połowa lipca), gdyż po drodze minęliśmy bodaj tylko 3 osoby i chyba z 10 niezwykle sympatycznych pozujących do zdjęć kóz!
Sam przejazd z Komitades na pace pickupa również jest fajnym przeżyciem. Ceny transportu są chyba jednak ruchome, gdyż koszt przejazdu niby faktycznie wynoszący 20E nagle wzrósł, kiedy zebrało się więcej chętnych i cena już wyniosła 5E od osoby a było nas (wraz z rodziną z Belgii) siedmioro. Kierowca powiedział nam, że rusza w drogę z minimum 4 osobami i wtedy przejazd kosztuje faktycznie 20E, czyli i tak 5E/os. Maksymalnie zabiera do chyba 11 osób i wtedy również każdy płaci po 5E.
Sama droga nie jest męcząca i wiedzie często w zacienionych miejscach, jednak również przestrzegam przed zbyt lekkim obuwiem, bo droga jest bardzo kamienista i łatwo skręcić kostkę. Ponadto miękka podeszwa to nie jest dobry pomysł w żadne góry.
droga
Ile czasu zajmie droga z Retimno do wąwozu Imbros?
Z góry dzięki za pomoc
odp. droga
Licząc z centrum miasta do górnego wejścia do wąwozu to około 50 km, na dojazd trzeba liczyć około godzinę.
droga
Dzięki za info
Ale czy w godzinę przejedzie się przez te serpentyny - przynajmniej na mapie tak to wygląda?
Czy to jest droga przez góry?
droga 2
A czy jest to droga przez góry?
Jest bardzo pokrecona czy to serpentyny?
droga odp
Samochód zostawiasz we wsi Imbros przy górnej części wąwozu więc jeszcze przed tymi serpentynami. Dzięki temu schodzisz wąwozem w dół. Jeśli chciałabyś wejść do wąwozu od drugiej strony to trzeba dojechać mniej więcej do wsi Komitades, gdzie jest wyjście. Wtedy też czas dojazdu będzie dłuższy właśnie przez te serpentyny. Przy czym w tej opcji idziesz wąwozem pod górę.
Góry są ale niewysokie. :)
droga3
Gosia, pięknie dziękuję za informacje
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