25 Kallikratis Plateau – Patsianos

25 Kallikratis Plateau – Patsianos

Also available in English German French Italian Dutch Polish

Kallikratis Plateau - Patsianos

Kallikratis is a small Cretan village that belongs to the municipality of Sfakia and is part of the Chania regional unit on the southern side of the island. A part of the E4 European path starts in Kallikratis plateau and travels south towards the village of Patsianos. In this route, you will cross through the gorge and be awarded beautiful views of the South Cretan Sea and the charming coastal town of Frangokastello. You can reach Kallikratis on the E4 trail from Argiroupoli to the north and Asi Gonia or you can simply drive. The distance from Argiroupoli is only 14 km.

The E4 route from Kallikratis Plateau to Patsianos

Departing from the church at Kallikratis, we come to a left turn (that signals towards Asi Gonia to the north), at the exit of the village (1). We ignore it and continue straight on, passing through a small plateau and a few scattered clusters of deserted houses. After about 1.200 m, we see a low hill on our right, on top of which there is a chapel (2). Immediately after the hill, the road goes along the eastern bank of a dry watercourse, for 1.500 m.

At the point where the road moves away from the bank and turns left (3), the old yet distinct path begins, and crosses the stream bed many times, for approximately the next 30 minutes. The gorge, then, begins to narrow and the path follows a steep descent. Having walked for more than an hour from Kallikratis, the view of the area of Frangokastello appears in the distance. The last part of the gorge and of the stream bank is full of oleanders. A little after the exit from the narrow section of the gorge, we climb onto the left (eastern) bank of the stream and follow the path parallel to it. After about 500 m, we pass by a cemetery and reach the main road between the villages Kapsodasos and Patsianos (4). At this point, we encounter the coastal branch of E4, which goes to the east, following the asphalt road.

Alternatively, for the last section, instead of climbing onto the left bank, we can follow the stream bed until the main road.

 

Path Length 7 km
Hiking Duration 2.5 hour
When to hike Spring, Autumn, Summer
Path Region Chania
en_GBEN