Sfakia Sky - time, place, how to get there, where to sleep, what to see
Sfakia Sky Marathon is a competition held on the last weekend of October, on Crete, Greece. The starting point is located on the southern coast of the island, about 70 km from the city of Chania. The most convenient way to get to Chania is by plane (many flights from various European cities) or by ferry from Pireus/Athens. The flight time depends on the distance, the ferry sails to Crete all night (it starts at 9:00 p.m. and in Chania it is at 6:00 a.m.).
There are no railway lines in Crete, public transport is mainly buses. However, the number of courses from Chania to the south of the island is very limited, so the most convenient way to travel and get to the start is to rent a car, especially since rental prices in October are very favorable.
There are countless hotels, guesthouses and private accommodation in Crete. Competitors can rent accommodation either in Chania (if you have a car, you can easily make it to the start) or in the area of Chora Sfakion. The start of the Sfakia Sky competition is a bit more complicated logistically. The starting point – Loutro – is a village to which no asphalt road leads. Competitors therefore gather in Chora Sfakion and from there a ferry takes us to Loutro. Therefore, the most convenient option is to rent accommodation in Chora Sfakion or in the surrounding villages. The finish line of the competition is in the village of Anopoli (10 km from Chora Sfakion), and the organizer provides a bus from Anopoli to Chora Sfakion after the competition.
It is worth coming to Crete for a week, not just for two days of competition. The Samaria Gorge will be very attractive for runners – it offers the best-maintained paths on the island and beautiful views. The path leading along the southwestern coast of Crete is also amazing (and completely different from the competition route). It is about 80 km long, from Chora Sakion to Elafoniosi beach. You can run any part of it, such as the section from Loutro west to Agia Roumeli (the place where the Samaria Gorge ends). For travelers with a more cultural mindset, the city of Chania is worth recommending – with a very distinct Venetian atmosphere, and above all the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion, where all the treasures of Minoan culture are located.
Click on the picture – you will find a larger description.
Hypsometric map of Crete. You can see how many mountains there are on the island, although the green color also represents hilly areas, only located lower. The map can be enlarged; in the western part Chania and in the south Chora Sfakion.
More information about the E-4 path from Chora Sfakion to Elafonisi on the RunninGreece website
The E-4 path mentioned above is just a part of an international trail that is many thousands of kilometers long, starts in Gibraltar, goes through Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria to Greece and ends in Crete. This Cretan section is about 500 km long (depending on the variant) and runs across the entire island from east to west. It is known as The Cretan Way, has its own guide book and an interesting profile on Facebook. It is mainly covered by hikers, but there are also known some running attempts.
Arkalos Team
