• Samaria Gorge : This is the longest gorge in Europe, measuring some 18 kilometres and renowned for its awesome beauty. It is located in the south of the regional unit of Chania, and the park’s core covers an area of 51 square kilometers. At some points the passage is just 3 meters wide and at times the steep sidesrise to a height of 600 meters. One will find rare types of Cretan flora from the cypress and the pine tree to the dittany and wildflowers, while it is also the natural habitat of the wild goat or the kri-kri. The gorge ends in the picturesque village of Agia Roumeli.  In 1962 the area of the Samaria Gorge was declared a National Park, while in 1980 the gorge was decorated as an extremely well protected nature reserve of highest importance.
• Aradena Gorge : This impressive 7-kilometres-long gorge starts from the southern slopes of theWhite Mountains, north of the abandoned village of Aradena and ends at the Libyan Sea near to the beautiful beach of Marmara. To reach the village of Aradena, you will have to cross the gorge over the wooden-planked bridge which was built as late as 1986. The village itself was abandoned in the 1940s due to a vendetta and one can still imagine how beautiful it must have been.
• Imbros gorge : This small but full of wildness gorge was the escape route for thousands of Allied troops retreating from the north of the island following the Battle of Crete in 1941 and heading for Chora Sfakion to be taken off by ships. Imbros gorge originates from the last houses of the Imbros village and ends after 8 kilometres in the village of Komitades.
• Kallikratis gorge : This is a relatively small gorge in the southeast region of White Mountains. The trail in the gorge is part of the E4 European long distance path. The gorge connects the mountainous pasture lands with the lowland villages. It is a very pleasant walk, offering great views and rare flowers, but is not very popular to tourists compared to the neighbouring gorges of Imbros and Samaria.
  Theriso gorge : This gorge is the nearest gorge to the city of Chania and the only one which can be crossed by car or other transportation means. The main portion of the gorge is 6 kilometres long.
• Agia Eirini gorge : The valley starts above the village of Agia Eirini (at the water dividing line between north and south Crete), narrows to a gorge a little south of the village and ends in Sougia. The gorge has a length of 7,5 kilometres and it has been classified as a wildlife sanctuary by the Ministry of Agriculture
• Vrissi gorge : One of the nicest gorges of Crete is that of Vrissi on the north side of the White Mountains, crossed by the river Vrissiotis. In the gorge there is the cave – underground river with water springs, while many waterfalls of exquisite beauty are met in several places.
• Sarakina gorge : Near village Meskla at the root of the White Mountains, we meet the small, but really impressive, gorge of Sarakina. The name comes from the faith of the locals that Saracenes used to hide in there. Locating the gorge is not very easy, therefore it remains quite unknown to locals. It is a short (in length) gorge but is a real natural sculpture. It is literally hidden in a ravine with some huge cypress and plane trees.
• Topolia gorge : The gorge of Topolia is located at West Crete and it runs along the road leading to Elafonissi. The narrowest and most impressive part of the gorge is located between Katsomatados and Topolia where the side rocks are very high and vertical. The canyon is crossed by the River Tyflos. The canyon and the wider area hosts rare and endemic plants of Crete, while the Cave of Agia Sophia houses a species of cave spider that lives only there (Pholcus creticus).
• Sirikari gorge : Sirikari is located 55 kilometres west of Chania city, in a lush green area with canyons and water streams. The road to Sirikari is paved and runs through the dense vegetation, indicating the beauty of the area at the very first moment. From here begins the beautiful canyon of Sirikari leading to the settlement of Polirinia, where the ancient town of Polirinia was built. Near Sirikari is formed an amazing forest with tall chestnut trees, waterfalls and gurgling streams. It is not the only chestnut wood in Chania prefecture, as there are several ones around to the slopes of the White Mountains. However, it is one of the most beautiful and covers quite a large area. Next to Sirikari, in Sineniana, there are two old watermills in very good condition.
• Avlaki gorge : It is located near the monastery Gouverneto, 16 kilometres east of Chania city. It is one of the most important gorges in Crete with a particular religious value, as many monks and hermits found shelter in its caves. Inside the small canyon there is the deserted Katholiko monastery, perhaps the oldest monastery in Crete. Thus, the gorge is also called Katholiko Gorge. The gorge is not accessible in all its length, but there is a paved path that starts from the Monastery of Our Lady of Angels Gouverneto and heads to Katholiko monastery. At the exit of the gorge, a narrow and rocky fjord is shaped with deep blue waters. There is a small Venetian well, a small harbor where the monks parked and repaired their boats and the quarry for the materials of the monastery. Also, here is a boat-shaped rock, which is said to be a pirate ship that was petrified by the curses of the abbot of the monastery.Diktamos gorge : This gorge starts 21 kilometres east of Chania, next to the village Katochori at an altitude of 300 metres, and ends 8 kilometres eastern, at the village Faragi, at an altitude of 40 metres, next to the village of Stylos. The canyon is beautiful and lush with huge trees and has many steep slopes where the endemic herb of Crete, dittany or diktamos, grows.
• Eligia gorge : The gorge of Eligia is wild, long and impressive. The trail to reach the gorge’s bed starts in Agios Ioannis village in Sfakia, at a 780 metres’ altitude. The canyon is full of pine trees, while in some places the descent is so steep that ropes have been placed. Also, near the starting point of the gorge we meet the debris of one Belgian aircraft crashed here during NATO exercises in 1976. Two aircrafts had crashed back then, and there were no survivors.
• Kavis gorge : The gorge of Kavi is located a few kilometers west of Chora Sfakion. It is considered to be one of the longest and wildest of Sfakia area and despite located next to Chora Sfakion, it remains unknown to many people. Apart from the main stream, in Kavis fall other 5 sub-gorges, extremely wild. Access to its bed is better to be achieved through the ruined village of Mouri or above Anopolis where the road leads to Ahlada position, from where you can follow the trail that leads easily to the bed at the point where there is an 700 years old chapel dedicated to the Holy Cross. The chapel is full of frescoes, completely neglected and forgotten by all.
• Pelkaniotis gorge : At a forgotten area of the region Selino in South Chania, you will meet the well hidden gorge of Pelekaniotis River. It is the river with the most water flow in Selino and it is so important that the whole municipality of Paleochora is named Pelekanos. It has water all year round and forms a lush green valley at its exit, at Maherota location. The steep canyon cliffs are home to dozens of birds of prey that accompany the hiker throughout the course. At the western shore, one can meet the chapel of Agios Mamas with frescoes in excellent condition. The existence of Agios Mamas, despite its importance, is completely unknown even to locals. Opposite Agios Mamas, there is also the old whitewashed chapel of Agios Georgios.
• Tromarissa gorge : The Gorge of Tromarissa is located near the village Zourva and it is said that it gets its name after the myths about fairies and goblins that scared passersby at the position where we meet the spring of Tromarissa (tromazo means get scared in Greek). Along the way of the gorge, there are about 37 waterfalls of small and medium height, with the highest being 17metres.
• Roka gorge : The gorge is located 32 kilometres west of Chania, in the area of Kolymbari, and has a length of 2 kilometres. In the settlement of Roka, there is Trouli hill, where you can still see the ruins of a Byzantine fortress.
• Klados gorge : Gorge Klados is one of the most dangerous and inaccessible gorges of Crete. The top (starting point) of the canyon is located at position Kokkinovari in a steep slope, 90-100 meters high. The very loose and steep terrain makes access impossible even with technical equipment. So, the only way to know this natural sculpture is to walk upside down from the beautiful beach Domata or meet the riverbed 3 hours before reaching the exit of Klados.
• Kandanos gorge : The Gorge of Kandanos is a place of exquisite naturalistic and historical importance, which is today endangered by the operation of a large quarry. This gorge hosted the first battle between armed residents against governmental troops in the history of the Second World War. Apart from its historical significance, the canyon is full with cypress trees and dense vegetation. Moreover the canyon is still crossed by the wonderful stone road that headed to Chania, built by the local people (end of 1920s). The road is an excellent sample of preindustrial construction.
• Sfakiano gorge or Vartholoma or Lago : It is located 2 kilometres east of Chora Sfakion. Starting at an altitude of 1200 meters its ends at the Libyan Sea. The canyon has a length of 6.5 kilometres and walking along its riverbank is very easy. This canyon is one of the greenest gorges in Crete, with incredibly interesting flora. Oaks, cypresses and pines are the main trees in Sfakiano Gorge. Half There is a church (of Agios Pavlos) in the gorge, which was built by the locals in 1407.
• Asfentou gorge : Shortly before reaching the deserted village Kolokasia, within the gorge it is worth visiting the wall painted cavernous church of Agios Antonios. Kolokasia is one of the finest examples of authentic traditional Cretan architecture, with arches dividing the houses into 4 parts. There are also two chapels still surviving, dedicated to Agios Georgios Virgin Mary.
• Gosti gorge : The canyon of Chosti is formed by the small settlement of Hosti in Chania, amid one of the most beautiful and lush green place of Crete. Away from the known tourist routes, it remains completely unknown and yet untouched. You will not find in any tourist guide referring to it, though it is a jewel of western Crete and is one of the most beautiful small canyons small, which can be easily crossed without any canyoning equipment. During winter, its bed is covered by water and, near the end of the canyon, small but amazing waterfalls get formed. Due to the high rainfalls in the area, the trees in the canyon exceed 20 meters in height and the forest is reminiscent of northern Europe.

• Lissos gorge : Through the gorge of Lissos passes the trail that connects Sougia to Ancient Lissos. It’s a long canyon with imposing towering walls, but the path that leads to ancient Lissos covers only a small part of the route, taking only about 1 hour. At the exit of the path from the side of Lissos we meet ancient Lissos with the temple of Asclepius with floor mosaic, scattered ruins of the ancient city, tombs, a Roman theater and the church of Agios Kirikos that was built on the site of an early Christian church.
• Boriana gorge : The lush canyon of Boriana (mainly known as Karanou Gorge) starts from the village Boriana and joins the River Mavropiliotis after 1800 metres in a nicely landscaped trail. Along the trail we meet a ruined watermill, caves, entrances of the old iron ore quarries (known locally as quarries of Averof), a charcoal furnace and galleries.
• Diplohahalo gorge : At the furthest tip of Akrotiri Cape there is the gorge of Diplochachalo. This is a small, stunning and purely technical canyon with 6 descents, 2 of which are quite high. It starts just below the quarry that dominates the area. Its short course, except for the descents, forms impressive rock shelters and formations in with imposing slopes. In the middle of the biggest waterfall there is a beautiful cave with stalactites and stalagmites which goes about 20 metres deep. The exit of the gorge is right on the sandy beach of Stefanou.
• Anydri gorge : The small but impressive gorge of Anydri is located east of Paleochora. It starts from the village Anidri and after a course of about 3km long, it concludes at the beach Gialiskari. Hiking in the canyon is easy and is done along the stream, which in summer has no water.

There are quite a few small rivers that can be found within the Prefecture of Chania, such as River Platanias, Cladissos River, Elfinas River, River Kavros, River Tyflos, Mavropiliotis River, River Vryssanos or Vrissiotis or Mpoutakas, River Xidias and number of Rivers Kiliaris.