Aradena Gorge - Marmara Creta Greece
- over 3 years ago
- 67 VŪZ
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- Report
The gorge of Aradena is located in the region of Sfakia. It runs from the southern slopes of the White Mountains and forms a deep cut to the small beach of Marmara (a little to the West of Loutro). It is one of the more popular gorge walks in western Crete so you won't be entirely on your own but it is much quieter than Samaria, Imbros or Agia Irini. Even though the walk is not that long (2½ to 3 hours of walking time for the Aradena village to Marmara section or vice versa) it is a little more difficult than some of the better known gorges and it is not recommended for people without any walking experience: many passages require a good deal of sure-footedness (especially if you are walking downwards) and a head for heights. The village of Aradena which was abandoned in the 1950s is also well worth a visit and will give you a good idea of traditional Cretan architecture. You can see photos of the houses here. Since 1986 the village has been connected by road to Anopolis and the rest of the road network via a spectacular Bailey bridge that spans the deep gorge. Note the platform in the middle of the bridge: it is used for bungee jumping (generally at weekends during the summer months). The old stone path crossing the gorge at Aradena (one of several ancient paths crossing the gorge) is a spectacular example of traditional kalderimia (cobbled mule tracks). This is what you will follow to get yourself into (or out) of the gorge. The gorge of Aradena is very rich in chasmophyte (cliff dwelling) flowers, many of them endemic to Crete and some quite rare. Trekking of the gorge was organized by the Mountaineering Association of Rethymnon and we would like to thank them publicly.