Loutro Photo Album

Enjoy photos of Loutro, Chora Sfakion, Anopolis, the Agia Aikaterini church, the gorge of Aradaina, the beach of Glyka Nera and Marmara.

Pictures from Loutro, Crete

There is a small Venetian fort next to the church of Agia Aikaterini. The location is ideal for guarding the Bay of Loutro, as the view of the ocean is unobstructed in all directions

If you continue past Anopolis, you will reach the Aradaina Gorge. The holes on the road sign are made of bullets, and you will often see road signs in a similar condition in the Sfakia region in Crete

The metal bridge over the gorge of Aradaina was donated by the Vardinogiannis family, which originates from the nearby village of Agios Ioannis. Photo by Chris Harrison.

Bungee jumping from the Aradaina Bridge. The height is 138 metres!

Bungee jumping from the Aradaina Bridge. If you like the sport, join them every weekend in the summer months.

The trip to Loutro starts from Chora Sfakion, where you will take the ferry to Loutro. There are no roads to Loutro, so your only option is the ferry or walking.

The ferry from Loutro and Agia Roumeli arrives in Chora Sfakion. There are several ferries every day in the summer but far fewer in the winter.

It only takes 10 minutes to reach Loutro by ferry. After a short stop there, the ferry continues to Agia Roumeli, to pick up the tired tourists who have spent their day hiking down the Samaria Gorge

This is the first image of Loutro you will see, as the ferry enters the bay

An artistic photograph of Loutro with the white houses and the always calm sea in the bay

A close-up of the rooms for rent and tavernas in Loutro, all on the seafront. Boats are used like cars: the inhabitants use them to visit Sfakia, pick up their shopping and throw away their rubbish at a special spot on the other side of the bay

A view of Loutro from above. You can see the mountains that rise almost vertically above the village.

Loutro in the early morning. Everything looks relaxed and serene

The ferry is getting ready to depart from Loutro to Chora Sfakion

A panoramic view of the bay of Loutro with the little island with the lighthouse at its entrance. You can also see the location of the Turkish fort and the Venetian fort of Loutro.

The rock at the entrance of the bay of Loutro with the lighthouse on it.

View from the ruins of the Venetian fort of Loutro

The Turkish fort of Loutro is newer than the Venetian fort and in a much better state of preservation

Another view of the Turkish Fort of Loutro

The walls of the Turkish fort of Loutro. You can walk here on a path that starts from the west part of Loutro.

Outside the Turkish fort of Loutro is an old threshing circle containing a spiral of stones. The threshing circle is certainly much older than the spiral, and the artist who patiently placed one stone after another remains unknown

Weight - lifting inside the turkish fort in Loutro

Weight-lifting inside the Turkish fort of Loutro. Someone had the brilliant idea of using one of the rooms for exercising and made his weights out of cement and a couple of iron bars

The path from Loutro to the Glyka Nera beach. It is an easy hike of 1,5 hours, but there are a couple of spots that may prove difficult for those who suffer from vertigo. An alternative way to visit the beautiful Glyka Nera beach is by boat from Loutro.

Glyka Nera Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Crete, is a naturists’ friendly beach

Glyka Nera beach, view of the beach and the cantina. You can buy a refreshment, have lunch or rent a beach umbrella here.

A beautiful photo of the cantina on the Glyka Nera beach. The owner and his son serve tourists every day in the summer months.

The path from Glyka Nera beach to Chora Sfakion. The route is easy but don’t look down at this point if you suffer from vertigo

Cretan traditional house in Anopolis, Crete

A traditional village house in Anopolis. Anopolis is a village high up on the mountains in the Sfakia region in Crete. Loutro was originally the harbour of Anopolis.

View of Anopolis village and the dirt road that climbs up to Agia Aikaterini (Saint Catherine) church, where the path down to Loutro begins

The church of Agia Aikaterini in Anopolis. The path down to Loutro begins here. It is an easy 1-2 hours hike, but you should be careful because there are many slippery loose stones on the path. Photo by Rosemary.

Inside the church of Agia Aikaterini in Anopolis. Photo by Rosemary.

View to the Libyan Sea and the bay of Loutro

Moments of relaxation and enjoyment before descending to Loutro. From Agia Aikaterini there is a fantastic view over the blue Libyan Sea, embracing the islands of Gavdos and Gavdopoula and the whole Bay of Loutro. Photo by Rosemary

While descending to Loutro, you can clearly see its white houses and the ferry that has just arrived from Agia Roumeli. To the west (right) you can also see the bay of Foinix and Likos. Photo by Julie Friedeberger

Hikers on the path to Loutro. Good hiking boots are essential because of the many slippery loose stones on the path

The entrance to the gorge of Aradaina. The gorge is 4.5 km long and it exits near the beach of Marmara, where there is a taverna. From Marmara you can take the boat back to Loutro or continue on foot.

The path inside Aradaina Gorge has been improved recently

A few years ago, those who wanted to cross the gorge of Aradaina, had to use this 40-foot metal ladder. Today a new path has been constructed and it has made things easier

Hiking in Aradaina gorge can be dangerous if it is raining or has rained recently, because rocks may fall from the steep walls of the gorge. This is the reason why the gorge of Samaria will always stay closed for 1-2 days after heavy rainfall.