Late Oct Trip

[Vince]

Can anyone help please with a few questions.

I am looking for an up to date book or leaflet on walking in an around Plakias.
Does anyone know where i can buy, borrow or rent  
Is the Samarian Gorge open at this time.
How do you get there and back from Plakias

We would be very grateful for anyones help.

many thanks

Regards

Vince and Carolyn

PS our e.mail address is   vince.earley@fiat.com

[Graham_and_Karen]

Dear Vince and Carolyn,
A good map is available at the supermarket next to the greengrocers. It shows all the paths you might hope to take.
Explore the Peter Thompson site - it has details of many walks - some quite challenging, others gentle. Peter Thompson website

Happy walking.  

[beachcombers]

Can anyone help please with a few questions.

I am looking for an up to date book or leaflet on walking in an around Plakias.
Does anyone know where i can buy, borrow or rent  
Is the Samarian Gorge open at this time.
How do you get there and back from Plakias

We would be very grateful for anyones help.

many thanks

Regards

Vince and Carolyn

PS our e.mail address is   vince.earley@fiat.com
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=4672\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hi Vince & Carolyn,
Welcome to the forum.

There is al lot of information in the various posts. You can use the search engine to trace it down.

At the local supermarket (near the bridge) several booklets with walking maps are available of the Plakias area.

Samaria gorge is officially open 10 april - 31 october 0600 AM - 1600 PM. However always depending on the weather! Especially in spring and autumn!


How to get there:
Depends also on your budget: Taxi, bus/car
See some ideas in the posts as well.
 
In the low season would make the following plan:
Take the bus/car to Chora Sfakion then the Ferry to Lissos, bus to Xiloskalo (entrance Samaria gorge) Stay there overnight and start next day early morning.  Walk the Samaria gorge and take the ferry from Agia Roumeli back to Chora Sfakion then bus/car back to  Plakias again. Drink a large cool Mythos draft!
 
Always make some enquiries at the local travel agency, view opening times in late october!

Enjoy your stay and give some feedback.

Beachcombers

[harribobs]

 welcome to the forum

the guides accompanying the maps are written by Lance Chiltern, who has written two walking guides for the Plakias area

chilten web site

these are available from Stanfords, if you have one near you (and in Plakias supermarket)

[Greecemad]

In the low season would make the following plan:
Take the bus/car to Chora Sfakion then the Ferry to Lissos, bus to Xiloskalo (entrance Samaria gorge) Stay there overnight and start next day early morning.  Walk the Samaria gorge and take the ferry from Agia Roumeli back to Chora Sfakion then bus/car back to  Plakias again. Drink a large cool Mythos draft!
 
Always make some enquiries at the local travel agency, view opening times in late october!

Enjoy your stay and give some feedback.

Beachcombers

The ferry does not stop at Lissos. I think Beachcombers meant to say 'Sougia'. At least that's where I would stay overnight.

The trouble with this suggestion is that everything you need for the overnight stay would have to be carried down the whole of the Gorge!

Greecemad

[Vince]

Thank you for replying to our SOS....we had hoped to do the Samarian Gorge in a day...  i.e travel from Plakias by bus and ferry,  walk and similar return... Taxi would be the easy option  :-) less of an adventure .

Our time is limited by the school break. My wife Carolyn is a school teacher  :-)


I am amazed by the speed of your responses and thankful, you have a love of the country as do we.

I will let you know how we got on. I will post a note on the site


regards

Vince and Carolyn

[beachcombers]

In the low season would make the following plan:
Take the bus/car to Chora Sfakion then the Ferry to Lissos, bus to Xiloskalo (entrance Samaria gorge) Stay there overnight and start next day early morning.  Walk the Samaria gorge and take the ferry from Agia Roumeli back to Chora Sfakion then bus/car back to  Plakias again. Drink a large cool Mythos draft!
 
Always make some enquiries at the local travel agency, view opening times in late october!

Enjoy your stay and give some feedback.

Beachcombers

The ferry does not stop at Lissos. I think Beachcombers meant to say 'Sougia'. At least that's where I would stay overnight.

The trouble with this suggestion is that everything you need for the overnight stay would have to be carried down the whole of the Gorge!

Greecemad
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=4676\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Indeed Lissos should read Sougia.
Further one does not need that much to stay one night over.
Beachcombers

[beachcombers]

Thank you for replying to our SOS....we had hoped to do the Samarian Gorge in a day...  i.e travel from Plakias by bus and ferry,  walk and similar return... Taxi would be the easy option  :-) less of an adventure .

Our time is limited by the school break. My wife Carolyn is a school teacher  :-)


I am amazed by the speed of your responses and thankful, you have a love of the country as do we.

I will let you know how we got on. I will post a note on the site


regards

Vince and Carolyn
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=4677\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Taxi less an adventure??   ! Taxidrivers of Crete can be very adventurous!  :'(

Look at the map before you decide to take a taxi from Plakias to Xyloskalo.
Alternative walks might be a good solution. See the various suggested sites.
regards
Beachcombers

[Vince]

Thanks Beachcomber for adding in your humour....I did mean that using a Taxi was the simple solution. An adventure would be to navigate the public transport options..ferries.....

It sounds as though it might be easier to go for an organised coach jolly....because of the time available to us...thank you for you input...very helpful

rgds Vince and Carolyn

[Allan Barham]

Of course you could always abandon the idea and walk the Imbros Gorge instead!

Admittedly it is not as long but still very spectacular and much easier to get to from Plakias.

Allan

[harribobs]

Of course you could always abandon the idea and walk the Imbros Gorge instead!

Allan
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=4681\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

good idea

and if you choose the option of a taxi/pickup truck to the top of the Imbros,  
you can really have fun   :'(

back in May we left the car at one of the tavernas on the road and went up in the back of a pickup truck...what a great laugh, it was a real white knuckle ride  

[Rodger]

 
In the low season would make the following plan:
Take the bus/car to Chora Sfakion

Sadly there is no bus from Plakias to Chora Sfakion - I don't think it has ever run in the low season, but this year they didn't run it in the summer either blaming insufficient demand.

This has cropped up on a number of threads this year.  See

http://www.bus-service-crete-ktel.com/timetables.html

for current bus info.

Having said that, October would be a great time to walk the gorge (weather permitting) as it will be relatively cool and you won't be troubled by the tourist hordes.

[Rodger]

welcome to the forum

the guides accompanying the maps are written by Lance Chiltern, who has written two walking guides for the Plakias area

chilten web site

these are available from Stanfords, if you have one near you (and in Plakias supermarket)
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=4675\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

You can't always rely on the Plakias supermarkets to carry the latest editions - better to stock up before you go.

[Vince]

Dear Vince and Carolyn,
A good map is available at the supermarket next to the greengrocers. It shows all the paths you might hope to take.
Explore the Peter Thompson site - it has details of many walks - some quite challenging, others gentle. Peter Thompson website

Happy walking. 
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=4673\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thank you ....much appreciated

[Vince]

 
In the low season would make the following plan:
Take the bus/car to Chora Sfakion

Sadly there is no bus from Plakias to Chora Sfakion - I don't think it has ever run in the low season, but this year they didn't run it in the summer either blaming insufficient demand.

This has cropped up on a number of threads this year.  See

http://www.bus-service-crete-ktel.com/timetables.html

for current bus info.

Having said that, October would be a great time to walk the gorge (weather permitting) as it will be relatively cool and you won't be troubled by the tourist hordes.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=4683\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]






Thanks....you know your buses  :-)

rgds

Vince & Carolyn