Samaria Gorge

The most famous and perhaps the most beautiful gorge on Crete lies about 50 south of the beautiful historic town of Chania, in the western part of Lefka Ori (the so-called White Mountains), which is the second highest mountain on the island. The confluence and the entire national park that surrounds it were named after the original small mountain village of Samaria. It is now abandoned and its remains are an interesting diversion for tourists passing through the canyon.

The passage through the gorge begins high in the mountains at the village of Xyloskalo (translated as "Wooden Steps"), near the Omalos Plateau. The start of the route is marked by a magnificent viewpoint from which the highest peak, Gingilos, can be seen. From an altitude of 1,230 m, it then descends to sea level, to the seaside village of Agia Roumeli. The whole route is 18 km long and it is still downhill (the descent is steeper at the beginning, then more gradual). The road is paved, but you will also encounter some rather rocky sections, and often you have to cross a small river. The canyon itself ends at the border of the national park, it is then about 2 km to the village of Agia Roumeli. All in all, you will have about 20 km in your legs.

Samaria is also known as one of the deepest gorges, as the rocks here can reach heights of 300m to a breathtaking 600m. A favourite spot for hikers is the so-called Iron Gate, with the surrounding walls about 500 m high and a passage only 3.5 m narrow.

Samaria National Park

The gorge itself forms part of the Samaria National Park, which extends roughly between the villages of Gingilos, Melinadoa and Agia Roumeli. The Samaria area was declared a national park in 1962 and when the state expropriated the area two years later, the original inhabitants abandoned the village of Samaria for good.

The entire national park dazzles with beautiful nature with unique fauna and flora. Samaria is one of the few places in Crete where the native species of goat (the Kri-Kri goat) lives freely, and there are also martens, badgers, weasels and rare bird species (such as the golden eagle and the griffon vulture). Lovers of rare plant species and strongly aromatic herbs will also be delighted.

Tourist tips and attractions

• Samaria Gorge is open to the public from the beginning of May to the end of October, but in case of bad weather (especially heavy rains, when landslides and rock falls are a risk) it can be closed immediately
• the Samaria Gorge is described as moderately difficult - the path is paved, descends down towards the coast, but is very long (from the viewpoint at Xyloskalo to the village of Agia Roumeli you walk about 20 km), the average time on the route is about 8 hours
• passage through the gorge is charged (approx. 5€) and the fee really makes sense in this case - the rangers also serve as lifeguards, who are available to visitors in case of need, and when passing through the canyon you will come across several resting places with benches, drinking water, rubbish bins and toilets
• the ticket serves you twice - first when you enter the gorge (they tear off one part) and then when you leave the gorge (here it also serves as a proof of payment, but mainly for the rangers to know how many people are still on the route)
• please bring good shoes, headgear, sunscreen and food (there is no snack stand on the route)
• refreshments at the end of the gorge and the possibility to buy a souvenir
• from the seaside village of Agia Roumeli tourists are then taken by boats - to the resorts of Sougia and Chora Sfakion
• the hiking expedition to the Samaria Gorge is organized as a full-day optional excursion - departs in the morning, the bus takes the hikers up into the mountains, to the beginning of the route (to the village of Xyloskalo), the return is then realized by boat from the village of Agia Roumeli in the evening
• if you don't want to visit the gorge as part of a group tour, but on your own, we recommend to go here early in the morning (before the first groups arrive, which is usually around 9 to 10 am) or later around noon (when the groups are gone; there is a risk that you will miss the boat from Agia Roumeli and have to spend the night here)

Comment from our reader Mr. Pavel:
Hello, I would like to make just a comment about the trip. I have been to Samaria 3 times. I mapped the length of the trip using GPS and two applications mapy.cz and Strava. In my long experience, the mapy.cz app is rather underrated by calibration, Strava is overrated. Maps measured the distance 22.5 km, Strava 29.4. I'd take that as an average of about 25 km. I mean mileage, not geographical distance. The road is more paved at the beginning when descending to the river about 2km and at the end of the road. Most of the road after the descent and before the end is definitely not paved, it follows the riverbed or goes around the river, crossing countless wooden footbridges and large boulders. Every mile or two there are resting places with flush Turkish toilets. There are also drinking water springs for the first 8 km, then resting places without springs. It is possible to drink from the river with risk. Have a nice day Pavel

More touristic destinations of Crete

Tips for trips on Crete: Cretaquarium (sea aquarium), Zeus Caves, Kournas Lake, Minoan Palaces, Zeus Island, Gramvousa Island, Samaria Gorge, Waterpark Water City

Resorts, beaches, sights or trips - clearly listed on the map of Crete.