How to get to Agia Roumeli?
Agia Roumeli is not connected to the road network so the only way to
get there is on foot or by boat
Orientation
You can have a look at the map of West Crete to see where Agia Roumeli is located.
For more maps of Crete go to Maps of Crete
Getting to Agia Roumeli by boat
The company ANENDYK runs a regular boat and ferryboat service between the villages of Hora Sfakion, Loutro, Agia Roumeli, Sougia and Paleohora on the South coast of Crete, as well as to the island of Gavdos.
The service
is very limited in the winter months but becomes a daily service at
the beginning of April.
Once the gorge of Samaria opens to the public (generally at the beginning
of May) the boats run far more frequently: about 4 -5 times a day from
Hora Sfakion to Loutro and Agia Roumeli, 4 - 5 times a day from Agia
Roumeli to Loutro and Hora Sfakion.
Boats from Paleohora and Sougia and back run only once a day: in the morning from Paleohora and Sougia to Agia Roumeli and returning in the afternoon.
The journey time between Agia Roumeli and Hora Sfakion is about one hour and is slightly longer between Paleohora and Agia Roumeli.
The exact times depend on the time of the year and can be checked either here or by phoning the company in Hora Sfakion +30-2825091101
The journey offers suberb views of the wild Lefka Ori mountains and the coast.
Ticket prices: Euro 4,40 one way between Hora Sfakion and Agia Roumeli, Euro 6,10 between Paleohora and Agia Roumeli.
Please bear in mind that the service may be cancelled if there are adverse weather conditions.
Getting to Hora Sfakion or Paleohora
As you will
not need a car in Agia Roumeli there is little point in renting one
to get to the ferry departure point. Why not simply take the bus from
the North coast to Hora Sfakion? The buses are reliable and safe. You
will find the timetable information for the district of Hania here.
If however you have a car that you want to bring to the village and
park there during your stay it is possible to take it by ferryboat from
Hora Sfakion and Paleohora.
If you prefer to take a taxi, the cost from Hania to Hora Sfakion is around Euro 44 and around Euro 73 from Heraklion.
You can also go to Paleohora or Sougia by car, bus or taxi but bear in mind that there is only one boat a day - early morning - going to Agia Roumeli.
Getting to Agia Roumeli on foot
Because of
the past significance of Agia Roumeli the village is the village is
accessible by numerous footpaths and trails.
The best known one is through the gorge
of Samaria and is easy enough if you if you are properly prepared
for the 16 km hike.
Another easy way is the very ancient path which links the plateau of Anopolis to Agia Roumeli. You can reach Agia Roumeli in about three hours from the hamlet of Agios Ioannis and this is without doubt the most beautiful coastal walk in the whole of Crete.
Another easy path is the coastal path from Hora Sfakion, via Loutro and and Agios Pavlos - this delightful walk takes about seven hours.
There are other ways to reach Agia Roumeli on foot, from Sougia and across the mountains from Omalos via Katsaromoura but these are best left to very experienced fit hikers with good local knowledge.
