Descent through the Agia Irini Gorge

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Set within Samaria National Park, this hike takes you through the Agia Irini Gorge. The site is off the beaten track, offers spectacular scenery and is a lovely alternative to the Samaria Gorge.
The Agia Irini Gorge runs through the western part of the White Mountains, taking you north of Sougia and to the shores of the Libyan Sea.
Please note: there is an entry fee (€2 per person in 2019).

Details

n°2337590
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.41 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 869 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,411 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,962 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 367 ft
  • ⚐ Country: Greece
  • ⚑
    Start: N 35.327832° / E 23.837834°
  • ⚑
    End: N 35.285679° / E 23.822648°
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Photos

Panorama
Ladder
Cliffs
Log staircase

Description of the walk

Head to the free car park and the entrance to the gorges. See the ‘Practical Information’ section for access details.

(S) Set off along the path from the road. Walk to the snack bar.

(1) Follow the path to the ticket office.

(2) Pay the entrance fee here, then follow the red and blue markings along the riverbed. You’ll reach the picnic area.

(3) Continue along the path, still following the red and blue markings. Reach the end of the gorges.

(E) Here you have two options:
- either return to the starting car park via the same route (this is not shown on the map),
- or call a taxi to take you back to the starting car park (S) – the option selected on the route.

Waypoints

  1. S : mi 0 - alt. 1,913 ft - Access to the path from the road
  2. 1 : mi 0.17 - alt. 1,913 ft - Snack
  3. 2 : mi 0.57 - alt. 1,768 ft - Ticket office to pay the entrance fee
  4. 3 : mi 1.3 - alt. 1,647 ft - Picnic area
  5. E : mi 4.41 - alt. 367 ft - Arrival at the snack bar

Notes

Access is via the Epar. Od. Chanion–Sougias road. Enter the name of the village, Agia Irini, into your sat-nav and, if you’re coming from the north of the island, once you reach the village – which isn’t very well signposted – after a petrol station on your left, carry on for 500 metres until you find a car park on your right, just next to a snack bar. Parking is free and the entrance to the gorges is 50 metres further on, on the left; you can see it from the road.
There is a snack bar at the start and another at the finish where you can get something to eat (so you can set off light).
There are water points along the route, allowing you to cool off and top up your water supplies. There are even tables and benches along the route, as well as toilets.
(2) There is an entrance fee for the gorges (€2 per person in 2019).
The route is mostly in the shade (70 per cent) and is fairly well signposted: follow the blue or red markings.
If you don’t want to or can’t walk back up the gorges, you can call a taxi to take you back to the starting car park.
If you’re exploring the Samaria Gorge, I’d recommend visiting this one first to build up to the spectacular views.

Worth a visit

Notes: The river is dry in summer (don’t expect a refreshing swim) and some sections are flanked by cliffs rising to over 200m.
You’ll be amazed by the vegetation’s ability to grow on these cliffs, and you’ll enjoy the scents of thyme and fig trees, as well as the beauty of the oleanders that accompany you all the way down.
It is possible to do the round trip; the view is different on the way up and down, and you’ll find yourself discovering rock faces that you hadn’t necessarily noticed on the way down.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
User 26048660

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Did it both ways, much less attractive than Samaria (dry gorge, less colour, arrival far from the sea (4 km by road).
However, there were no particular difficulties and very few people.

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valentin33
valentin33

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did this walk starting from the Oasis taverna (in the opposite direction), a 10km round trip.
We set off at 10 am; it was already very hot, but the first few kilometres were in the shade. The views of the gorges are superb and vary depending on whether you’re going up or down.
I think we made the right choice – there’s water available at the 5 km mark. We returned to the taverna and collected our car. No need to wait for a bus.

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gcout38
gcout38

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A family hike. A very pretty route with few other walkers. We set off at around 10am from the upper car park, which was already a bit late for the season (ideally 8am), as the heat made the last 2 kilometres quite challenging. The route ends at the Taverna Oasis, but if you want to reach the sea, it’s another hour’s walk along the road. We opted to return to the car in a shared taxi with other walkers (€10 per person), which the tavern owner was kind enough to call for us.

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tralalilalou
tralalilalou

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, easy walk in October, starting from the upper car park next to the tavern. No difficulties.
We came across two small wild goats.
The final stretch along the road towards Sougia is a bit monotonous, but there’s a section of path running alongside the riverbed.
The official taxi back was a bit pricey – 30 euros.
The bus only runs at 6 pm.

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