Samaria gorge

Isle of Crete, Greece

The gorge of Samaria is located in the south-west of Lefka Ori(the White Mountains) in the province of Sfakia.

Is one of a dozen national parks in Greece.
The Samaria gorge is the longest gorge in Europe.
Each day, from spring to autumn, you can hike and you will never be alone because is really the best destination to

hike in Greece on an island, in the peak season more than 3000 people per day tackle the gorge.
To enter in the park you have to pay 5 € for the ticket.
The pathway is 16 km long, through which you walk next Terraios the river that runs in the entire gorge and

in the middle of rocky walls that get closer and closer until 3 metres in the narrowest point and 150 in the larger one;

These narrow passages are called ‘Portes’ from the locals. The vertical walls soar up to 500 m high from your feet.
The pathway starts at an altitude of 1250 metres in Xyloskalo(Omalos) and finishes in Agia Roumeli, a village on the coast.
In the gorge lives a special animal, the Kri-kri, is a goat that is going to become extinct, so to avoid it, many years ago(1962)

the gorge has became a national park in order to save the Kri-kri; the national park has a surface of 4848 hectares of ground.
Along the pathway there are many springs so you don’t have to bring with you much water and if you need some help there are

many warders in the park.
The walk will take you minimum of 4 hours of walking-time plus stops, photographs and maybe a pic-nic you can count 6-7 hours.
It’s advised to go without children if they are not use to walk many hours.
Do you like hiking? If the answer is yes this is a perfect place for you!
P.s. remember to have with you good shoes because you are going to walk for 16 kilometres !!