The Ε4 is the European long distance Path. It starts from the Pyrenees Mountains, crosses the entire Alps mountain range and through Yugoslavia reaches Florina, where the Greek part of the path begins. It traverses throughout continental Greece up to Gytheio and from there virtually reaches Kasteli Kissamou in Crete. From this point the Cretan part of the E4 path begins, reaching Zakros in the east, where it ends.
In Sougia, the path forks in Northern and southern parts. The Northern part is purely alpine and requires alpine experience from the hikers. The southern part, on the south coast of the island, is very rough at many points, due to the rocks.
At some locations, between Sougia and Chora Sfakion, the path is abandoned. (Neither branch of the path passes through the Samaria gorge.)
The length of each branch is approximately 320 km and one needs three weeks to traverse it. The Ε4 path gives the chance to hikers to get acquainted with the unexplored Cretan nature, as it passes through old paths, settlements, monasteries and from the high mountains of Crete. The marking out and the signaling were realized under the initiative of the District of Crete, in collaboration with the communities of the regions that the Ε4 path crosses and all the mountaineering associations of Crete.
Before each attempt to follow the path, it is advised to contact the Mountaineering Association of Heraklion.