Kayak and Hike the Coast of Crete

I had an incredible week in Crete on this trip. Manu & Miltos were excellent guides and we always felt in really safe hands. It’s a well thought-out itinerary as the distances we kayaked and hiked got progressively longer over the week, which gave us the chance to adjust (particularly for the kayaking, as I didn’t have much experience here!). Highlights for me were kayaking through the clear blue waters at Elafonissi, snorkelling from the remote beaches we landed at, and trekking the Samaria Gorge early in the morning before all the other tourists arrived. It was also great trying tasty Cretan food for the first time. Lots of choice for a veggie too. Highly recommend!

Fiona, Manu, and Miltos put together the most amazing kayaking and hiking adventure. All of the accommodations were clean and comfortable and there are not enough great things to say about the restaurants and food chosen. It was truly a once in a lifetime adventure. I loved everything about this trip, especially our guides and the new friends.

What an incredible week in Crete organized to perfection by Fiona & Manu. A great progression of activities in duration and difficulty before the peak fun on the last two days. Manu & Miltos led us through the best kayak and hike adventures. Crete is beautiful and the family-style food feasts at the late lunches are chef’s kiss. Highly recommend! Book now.

The local hosts are an Italian/British couple, Manu and Fiona who have lived in Crete for quite a while. They are ably assisted by Miltos. Communication before and during the trip was good. We enjoyed excellent weather, lovely swimming, snorkelling and kayaking, scenic and at times dramatic walks and some really delicious food. Our itinerary had to be changed a bit due to factors beyond the control of our hosts. We had a couple of windy days which made kayaking difficult in the area in which we were based so we had a much longer drive down to the south coast to find calmer waters. For me, the highlight was the final walk: going up Samaria Gorge (while 95 % of walkers were coming down).

Crete is beautiful! This tour is a great way to explore the land and the sea. A lot of the tour is self-guided though, and are not full days of activities. Nice accommodation and the tour leaders were lovely!

Fantastic trip. Nice mix of kayaking and hiking. A more relaxed trip than others I've done with Much Better Adventures, but moderate difficulty sums it up and I was looking for something less challenging this time, so fitted the bill perfectly. Highlight of the trip is the journey on the last 2 days. Kayaking to Agia Roumeli and then hiking up the gorge. If you have any energy left after the gorge it's worth continuing up to the spring partway up Mount Gingilos for stunning views and rock formations.

This was an awesome trip that totally exceeded by expectations. I am used to travelling on my own, so was a bit apprehensive of a group holiday, but we had so much fun and I learnt so much from the guides about Crete, food and the local plants and wildlife.

There was a good variety of activities throughout the trip, balancing kayaking, hiking, swimming and socialising. There was also a gradual build up to a 15km kayak in one day, followed by the epic Samaria gorge - as every bit as lovely (and challenging!) as expected.

The start of October was the perfect time to go, both in terms of the weather (mid to high 20s) and hardly anybody else there, as out of season.

My girlfriend and I really enjoyed our trip to Crete. All locations were different: we explored some famous places, as well as some hidden gems. Travelling in October was perfect: the water was warm, not too hot for hiking and not busy with tourists.

The guides (Manu, Miltos, Fiona) and the group were exceptional! We learned new skills for kayaking and snorkelling. I'm not a confident swimmer, so the guides made sure I could explore at my own pace and improve my swimming skills while the rest of the group could swim further.

We used everything from the kit list. Since we were lucky with the weather, wetsuits were not a must.

This was a truly amazing trip with a wonderful trio of guides and a group of fantastic like-minded people. Each excursion was expertly arranged with lots of exploration whilst in the kayaks, snorkelling and hiking. The guides were knowledgeable about the landscape, wildlife and culture which made for such an authentic experience and I very much enjoyed the cheeky samples of a variety of fruits from the trees and plants. We were provided with snacks during the day and then usually a late lunch in which there was so much food, communally shared, that you were full until breakfast the next day. The local dishes were delicious and for someone who is vegetarian and struggles with dairy and eggs, the team made no issue with this and made sure I had enough food to eat, which was highly appreciated. However, I think I could have lived off the bread and oil alone as it was amazingly tasty.

I had only tried sea kayaking once before so I was a bit apprehensive on how I would fare, but the team were so patient, kind and helpful, especially when I struggled at times. I was initially in a single kayak, as I travelled solo, but it was no issue when I asked to be in a double. I would say that the fitness rating is accurate as a good level of endurance is required for the longer days of kayaking and hiking although there are adequate stops throughout the days to refuel.

This was such a fantastic trip, and well worth the money spent. I will be recommending this to others. I loved every minute of it and I can't thank the team enough for such wonderful memories made!

We kayaked to hidden beaches and caves, snorkelled and swam in crystal blue waters, hiked impressive gorges, and dined together at authentic Cretan tavernas. The week's activities unfolded in a way that each day was more impressive than the last. Manu, Fiona and Miltos are outstanding hosts, each with their own unique perspective on Crete and expertise across the various activities. They worked seamlessly to ensure we had the most amazing experiences. I loved the variety of activities and how much of Crete we were able to explore!

This was a very enjoyable trip with a good balance of time on/in the water and hiking the spectacular scenery. As a novice kayaker/snorkeller it was great to experience such warm clear water and build my skills during the week. Prior kayak experience probably not necessary as those first couple of days are used to gain confidence. I think June was a good time of year to visit as the weather was warm (30C most days) without being oppressively hot. Plenty of sun protection still required though! Our hosts Manu, Fiona and Miltos were very welcoming and very knowledgeable on Cretan culture and Flora & Fauna. They were also able to adjust the itinerary to make best use of the weather. The week starts very relaxed and ramps up to some long days paddling, finishing with the hike up Samaria Gorge. All were fantastic but it does require a degree of fitness to fully appreciate (as it says in the trip notes). The late lunches in local tavernas was an unexpected bonus and ice-cold beers at the end of a long day were very welcome too. Thoroughly recommended.