Trekking from Paleochora to Sougia is a Greek adventure I’ll never forget. But not for good reasons.

The day was an absolute disaster. So much so that I never did quite make it to Sougia – by foot at least. All the result of a culmination of basic hiking mistakes.

“The Paleochora to Sougia hike is a lovely walk along the coast!”

“A spectacular hike across varied landscape. I highly recommend it!”

These were the type of reviews that kept appearing in my trip research. Naturally, I was sold. The walk soon landed on my Crete trip itinerary. I couldn’t wait to get started.

Day 1: Walk from Paleochora to Sougia village. Overnight in Sougia

Day 2: (Recovery Day) Take the ferry from Sougia to Agia Roumeli village. Relax in beach.

Day 3: go on the Samaria Gorge hike

Unfortunately, the Day 1 enthusiasm would later collapse to utter misery. More on this shortly…

Travel tip: how to get to Paleochora from Chania by bus

Go to the central KTEL bus station in Chania and take a bus on the Chania – Paleochora bus route. It will be the final stop.

About the Paleochora to Sougia Hike in Crete, Greece

The Paleochora to Sougia hike is part of the E4 European long distance path in Crete.

The trail starts off on a really long road which hugs the coast. From the gravel path, chances of spotting Cretan “Kri-Kri” mountain goats are high.

Signs point to the popular Gialiskari Beach which some consider to be one of Crete’s best beaches. You’ll instantly know it by the collection of sun loungers lining the beach. Don’t be shocked if you are greeted by a casual flash of nudity. That’s one of the main reasons it’s gained special fame.

As the trail edges away from the sea, get ready – a couple strenuous ascents and descents are up next. A bit of scrambling is required.

The route is mostly exposed. There’s no tree cover. No shepherd’s hut. It’s you, the Greek sun and accompanying views of the deep blue Libyan Sea.

The route eventually takes you to the Lissos valley where you’ll find two unexpected bonuses: Lissos Tal archaeological site and a tiny secluded beach. The shade of water here is so dreamy you may be inclined to pinch yourself to see if it’s real or a mirage.

It’s not the exhaustion…you aren’t hallucinating – it’s real. 

Like several neighbouring settlements and beaches on the southwestern Cretan coast, Lissos is only accessible by foot or by boat. Meaning there’s a good chance this spot might be all yours while there. Cool place to spend a lazy afternoon if not for, you know… pesky walking plans.

The path then leads you through Lissos gorge and soon afterwards you arrive at the harbour of Sougia. 

In reality, I never made it to the gorge – I’ve read it’s stunning though. My walk ended at Lissos Beach where the day’s saviour eventually appeared. His name was Yannis and he’s the captain of the boat you’ll want to call if you complete the hike in Lissos and need a ride to Sougia. 

Mistakes to avoid when hiking in Crete

Here’s what can and did go wrong on my Paleochora to Sougia hike in Crete, and how you can avoid making the same mistakes.

Heat exhaustion

I did this hike in Crete in early June and weather conditions were already too warm for walking. I’d wrongly assumed that it being a coastal trail and all, sea breezes would keep me cool. Maybe gently blow me to the finish even…

Instead, extreme heat exhaustion set in midway. I was genuinely worried about how I would make it back to civilization. Thankfully, I soldiered on and it’s become a good story.

What should you do differently?

Do not underestimate high temperatures in Greece in the months of June, July and August. With so much of the landscape laid bare, often with little to no shade, it’s always going to be brutal if you’re doing a long distance walk in the summer.

Exhausted and running out of water

We’d set out on the trek from Paleochora with a massive bottles of water (1.5 litres) and a standard-sized stainless steel bottles each. Within 1.5 hours most of the water had disappeared – mostly mine – and we needed to start rationing as we were only at the halfway point. The problem was – I was suffering from heat exhaustion and massive dehydration. 

This is where sheer mental willpower kicks in and you get it done but I vividly remember thinking “No way. I can’t climb any further in this heat”

What should you do differently?

When hiking in Greece in general, carry a massive supply of water. 2 litres of water per person would be suitable for this hike.

Hauling a heavy pack in tow

Going on a long-distance walk with my overnight backpack is not new to me. But schlepping around with it across dry land under the blazing sun is.

Normally, I’d have a light daypack but having checked out from one hotel and getting ready to check into the new one on the Cretan coast meant I walked with it. 

What should you do differently?

Source a locker facility and leave the majority of your gear behind on hiking days. My itinerary took me back to Chania in 2 days. It would have made sense to rent one of the lockers at the EFTL bus station in Chania and deposit my stuff there. Or, at my previous accommodation if they’d even allow it.

No mobile signal, no Plan B

Lissos Beach would undoubtly be my new finishing point. Problem was, as the plan was to go to Sougia, I hadn’t done any research on Lisso. After 45 minutes of soaking our tired feet at the small pier, I began to find the quiet, well…disquieting.

“How are we getting out of here?” No humans or boats were in sight. I had no mobile service.

An hour later a French lady calmly strolled on to the beach. She looked quite the opposite of what I was feeling inside. She whipped out a card with the contact for a water taxi back to Sougia and a mobile with a working signal.

Hallelujah, Yannis was on his way!

Gosh…what a save. Wouldn’t be sleeping on the beach that night after all.

What should you do differently?

Be familiar with all of your emergency exit points. Yep, just like they tell you on the airplane. If you have to divert on the trail, what are the options? Be ready vs. clueless as I was.

And always download an offline version of your trail map!