Welcome to
Imbros Gorge
All the information you need for your hiking and your transfer in one place.
How to get to Imbros Gorge
Imbros Gorge is quite easy to find and access, with a variety of possibilities depending on where you are located and how you prefer to travel. Imbros Gorge is located in Southern Crete and is close to the village of Imbros. It is situated on one of the primary routes between North and South Crete.
If you are visiting Imbros Gorge from Chania, the standard route would be to travel along the Chania–Hora Sfakion road, the most well-known path through the mountainous area of Sfakia.
If you are traveling from Chania by car, it is quite straightforward to just drive to Imbros village. Another option would be to drive to Komitades village at the end of the gorge and hike up the route.
You can also travel by public bus (KTEL) starting from Chania to Imbros village, although bus schedules can be infrequent, so checking the times prior would be a better option to avoid wasting time.
Imbros Gorge by taxi is a more flexible solution, especially if you are a group that can share the expense and want a more direct and comfortable trip. You can hire a taxi to Imbros Gorge from Chania, Rethymno, Kissamos, Georgioupoli, Platanias, or any other location to take you directly to Imbros Gorge.
Thinking of getting a taxi or a minivan? Give us a call for a ride to Imbros Gorge.
If you are doing the hike with your own car, you will have to book a taxi from Komitades to return to your car in Imbros or hike back through the gorge.
Thinking of planning your hike to Imbros Gorge? Book your taxi for Imbros Gorge with us.
Imbros Gorge General Information
Imbros Gorge is a very popular, and extremely accessible, gorge located in the Sfakia region of southern Crete. It is the second most visited gorge in Crete after Samaria Gorge and has a beautiful natural landscape characterized by high rock walls, narrow corridors, and interesting geological features.
Imbros Gorge Hike Duration
The gorge is approximately 8 kilometers long and has approximately 600 meters of total descent, making it a fairly easy hike that will take about 2.5 hours to complete. Unlike Samaria, it can be walked all year round, aside from heavy rains or snowy weather. The hike begins in Imbros village, which is at an altitude of 780 meters, and terminates in Komitades village, which is near the Libyan Sea.
Gorge Difficulty Level
Like other gorges, such as Samaria, Imbros does not have a river, so long as it hasn’t rained recently, the water level shouldn’t be a concern. Overall this hike is not too difficult, and with a little preparation for the right footwear, weather, and clothing it will be an enjoyable hike for all abilities.
The route of the Imbros Gorge is mostly downhill along the bed of the dry riverbed, with a total descent of around 600 meters! The route is easy to track and defined well enough. There are no steep ascents and no highly technical sections of the route. Therefore, this gorge is accessible for most hikers, including new hikers and families with children.
Historical Value
The gorge has some historical significance as it served as a rambling escape route for Allied troops during World War II after the Battle of Crete in 1941.
Thousands of soldiers traveled through the gorge and made it to Hora Sfakion where ships evacuated them to Egypt. Today, Imbros is popular with nature lovers and visitors of all ages and is an excellent hike for families. Imbros Gorge scenery includes stunning rock formations and it has the narrowest section of gorge that is less than 2 meters wide with 300 meters of cliffs above on either side. In the spring the flora on the surrounding terrain is exceptional, with small wildflowers along the rocky terrain. When finished the hike a visitor could enjoy relax in Komitades village or even go to Hora Sfakion for a swim in the beautiful waters of the Libyan Sea.
Imbros Weather & Opening Times
The gorge at Imbros is open to visitors all year round unless there is heavy rain or snow, which can cause a risk of falling rocks or water accumulation on the path. Unlike the much larger gorge at Samaria, which is closed in winter, Imbros remains open year round which is ideal for someone coming to Crete outside of the peak summer season. The best times for hiking are during spring and autumn, when the temperatures are mild and the gorge is filled with wildflowers. Summer is also fine because many parts of the hike are shaded by trees, making the sun bearable.
Location
The gorge is located about 55 km (34 miles) from Chania, which is about a 1-hour drive on the Chania–Hora Sfakion road. When starting from Rethymno, Imbros is located about 60 km (37 miles) away which takes about an hour and a half to drive there. For those without their own transportation, the buses from Chania go to Hora Sfakion and then on to Imbros village, however, the bus schedules may not be frequent. We can transfer you to Imbros Gorge from Chania, Rethymno or any other location.
Leaving from Imbros Gorge
When you finish hking through Imbros Gorge, you end up in Komitades village. In case you have a car you must find a taxi to transfer you back to your cars location. You can either try to find a taxi on the spot or prebook your taxi for Imbros gorge and have your driver wait for you.
Transfer to Imbros and pick up at the end of it
Of course you can always arrange a daytrip to Imbros Gorge and let us arrange everything. Let us plan your transfer from Chania to Imbros Gorge and you just enjoy the hike.
Booking Information
How to book your transfer
Let us take care of your transfer to
IMBROS Gorge
We specialise on your safe transfer on Imbros Gorge or any other Gorge of West Crete.
Reliability
Comfort
Experience
Why Choose Samaria Taxi
Reliable and Punctual
At Samaria taxi, we understand the importance of reliability and punctuality for making your trip stress free. It is very important for us to arrive on schedule every time, with our team of excperienced drivers through their detailed knowledge of the roads, allowing you to relax and enjoy the route.
Comfortable Rides
With our extended fleet of Minivans, minibus and taxi we cater to every need of our customers. We provide transfers for bigger or smaller groups or even suggest a shared route if it pleases you for better pricing plans. All of the cars in our fleet provide a comfortable and easy ride.
Experienced Drivers
Our drivers at Samaria taxi are highly experienced with extensive local knowledge of the Samaria Gorge and the surrounding areas. With many years of experience of driving on the routes of West Crete, they ensure a safe and smooth journey, allowing them to provide tips and recommendations, giving you a better travel experience.
Affordable rates
With our very competitive pricing you can be sure that our quote will be the best on the market. We keep our prices low without compromising our quality or have any small letters in our services. If you get a better quote you can always ask us to match it.
What are your transfer options?
Private Taxi Transfers
At Samaria taxi, we can provide taxi transfer to Imbros Gorge, from any location of Crete. We can pick you up from your hotel or randevouz point and transfer you to the Gorge. We are located on most of the large cities around Crete, so we can give very competitive pricing.
We also provide taxi to Agia Irini Gorge, Samaria Gorge Taxi and Vasiliki Strata Gorge
Group Transfers
We can accomodate a small or larger group transfer with the wide selection of cars in our fleet. We can provide from taxis to minivans and mini bus.
Custom Transfers
If you have any special requests, you can contact us to talk it through and find the best solution for your transfer.
Besides Samaria Gorge, we provide transfer to other known gorges of West Crete as well. Some of these gorges are Agia Irini Gorge and Vasiliki Strata Gorge.
Discover more information for those smaller but beautiful gorges of West Crete.
Find out more information for your luxury transportation for a fun day full of hiking bellow.
F.A.Q.
Differences of Samaria Gorge vs Imbros gorge
Samaria gorge and Imbros gorge are two very different gorges.
To start with, Imbros is a lot shorter on the distance. A samaria gorge hike is a full day project but in Imbros gorge it is not the same thing. Its more like half a day hike.
Finishing Samaria gorge on Agia Roumeli beach is very rewarding because you can get a swim on the perfect blue waters of the area. Then again Samaria gorge is very hard and you shouldn’t make plans for the next day!
In terms of people, Imbros gorge is a lot less crowded and as beautiful as Samaria gorge. Plenty of time to stop regularly to enjoy the views and you will need a lot less recovery on the next days.
How to get to Imbros Gorge from Chania
If you are visiting Imbros Gorge from Chania, the standard route would be to travel along the Chania–Hora Sfakion road, the most well-known path through the mountainous area of Sfakia.
If you are traveling from Chania by car, it is quite straightforward to just drive to Imbros village. Another option would be to drive to Komitades village at the end of the gorge and hike up the route.
You can also travel by public bus (KTEL) starting from Chania to Imbros village, although bus schedules can be infrequent, so checking the times prior would be a better option to avoid wasting time.
Imbros Gorge by taxi is a more flexible solution, especially if you are a group that can share the expense and want a more direct and comfortable trip. You can hire a taxi to Imbros Gorge from Chania, Rethymno, Kissamos, Georgioupoli, Platanias, or any other location to take you directly to Imbros Gorge.
Thinking of getting a taxi or a minivan? Give us a call for a ride to Imbros Gorge.
Is there a bus to Imbros Gorge?
Yes you can take a public bus, either from Rethymno or Chania to hora Sfakion. Imbros gorge is somewhere in between.
Where to start Imbros Gorge?
Imbros gorge starts on the omonymous village Imbros village. It is located in the Chania region on your way towards hora Sfakion.
Is Imbros Gorge worth it?
Imbros gorge is definatelly worth it. Especially if you visit it on early spring with all the flowers blooming. It is a lot more forgiving than Samaria gorge on terms of difficulty and a lot less crowded.
How long is the Imbros Gorge walk?
Imbros gorge is about 8 km long with a 600 meters descent.
How long does it take to hike the Imbros Gorge?
The gorge can take about 2.5 hours to complete and its perfectly doable by younger children as well.
What is the history of the Imbros Gorge?
Imbros gorge serves as an escape route for the allied forces on world war II. They were taken to hora sfakion, where ships would transfer them to Egypt.
Preparation tips for your Imbros Gorge visit
What time does it open and what time i can enter?
Imbros gorge is open all day and you can start at any of the many entrances on the main road.
How far is Imbros Gorge from Chania
Imbros Gorge is 55 km away from Chania
What to pack for Imbros Gorge?
- Your water bottle, that you can refill on the way. It is very important to keep hydrated.
- Sun cream and a hat or a hoodie tshirt for protection from the sun especially for the end of the trail that has very little shade
- Some food as fruits and light snack as there is no food available inside the National Park.
- Good shoes nwith notched soles so you dont sleep on the steep path.
- Some plasters in case of blisters.
- an extra pair of socks
- some medicine for bees and wasps bites
- some extra pairs of comfy clothing
- Climbing canes can be usefull for the first 3 km of steep descend.
- Beach towel and swimwear in case you feel like swimming in Agia Roumelo beach at the end of the gorge.
- Charged cell phones in order to contact someone if needed. Be aware that there are only a couple of points that you get reception, so you should make any arrangements and prebook your Imbros gorge taxi in advance.
How to get to Imbros gorge from any place in Crete?
You can always get a public bus from Chania or Rethymno going to Hora Sfakion and find Imbros Gorge somewhere on your way. Truth being told, public buses are not the easiest and might even be a bit over crowded, delayed etc.
Rent a car and drive to Imbros village and on the way back book a transfer to the top of Imbros gorge.
Or book your transfer to Imbros Gorge from any city and have us pick you up from the door of your hotel!
Safety tips
Imbros Gorge is less challenging and smaller than Samaria, but still its considered to be a medium diffivulty gorge. You might feel your legs tired on the next few days if you are not used to hiking. Still this is the reason to leave it on the last days of your vacation, so you can get your rest on the plane back home.
Besides any health problems, you should follow precisely the instructions provided by the park rangers and the warning signs and you should not deviate from the main path for any reason.