Back By Popular Demand: Samaria Gorge Hike

The Azamara Quest was recently in Chania, Crete - home to the beautiful Samaria Gorge National Park. A few guests had an interest in doing a hike there, having heard about a previous hike from Hotel Director Ryszard. A few announcements later, enough guests and crew had signed up for another "AzAmazing" adventure! A big thanks to Ryszard (Hotel Director), Marion (Nurse), Wade (Azamara Shore Excursions) and Antonio (Photo Manager) for making it happen.

We hope you enjoy the below photos and story from Hotel Director Ryszard and Captain Carl.

Everybody enjoyed the scenic ride to the peak of the White Mountains, and the view from the top is breathtaking. The journey down is also breathtaking, but in a more literal sense! The path is around 15 miles down a dry river bed, and is uneven at best - but never boring. The views are outstanding. Wildlife and nature is at its absolute best here.

At the bottom of the gorge, the Libyan Sea laps the shore. We were able to partake in local foods and freshly squeezed orange juice, followed by a swim. The last part of the trek involved a ferry trip around the bottom of Crete to the nearest port with roads, around 15 miles away from the end of the hike. There we boarded a bus for Chania, and most of us slept all the way back to the ship!

The whole excursion lasted around 14 hours, and for the first time that I (Captain Carl) was the first person ashore and the last one back! It was an incredible day to remember, which guests are still talking about...especially when they have to stand up with sore legs!

- Captain Carl and Hotel Director Ryszard