Samaria Gorge
Hiking One of the Longest Gorges in Europe
One of the greatest experiences on Crete is to walk the Samaria Gorge, which is one of the longest gorges in Europe. In fact it is the second-best thing to do on Crete, if visitor numbers are a guide, as almost half a million people walk its length every year, a number exceeded only by visitors to Knossos.
You don't need to be a mathematician of the caliber of Pythagoras to work out that at the height of the summer this means that there are a few thousand people walking down the Gorge every day. If you can possibly make your visit in the late spring or early autumn, there is more chance that you will be able to appreciate the grandeur and solitude a little more, but even if you have to make the walk in the company of many other visitors, it is still a walk worth making.
The Samaria Gorge on Crete
The length of the walk is about 18km (11.25 miles) in total, and most people take about 5-7 hours to do it. It is a demanding walk over sometimes rough terrain, but as it is downhill most of the way it is perfectly achievable by the reasonably-fit plodding walker, provided you take it easy. You should also wear suitable tough walking shoes and take a plentiful supply of both food and water, but you can replenish your water supply at the fountains along the route.
The Samaria Gorge
Starting the Samaria Gorge Walk
The walk begins south of the village of Omalos, where there is accommodation available if you book ahead and want to beat the crowds by making an early start: the gorge, which was declared a National Park in 1962, opens at 6am. The walk begins along the road south out of Omalos, where there is a large car park. From here you head straight down the marked xyloskalon, which means a wooden stairway. It is in fact a steep zigzag path cut out of the rock but with wooden rails for support and protection. It is one of the most spectacular parts of the walk, dropping down by almost 1000m (3281ft) in just 2km (1.25 miles), and at the bottom is the tiny chapel of Agios Nikolaos. There are also benches if you wish to have a rest from the challenging descent.
The path from here widens and levels out for a time, and crosses back and forth over the stream that runs down the gorge. In winter and early spring when the snows melt this can turn into a torrent, which is why the gorge is only open from May onwards. During the summer months it turns into a pleasant and cooling trickle of water. A few kilometers further on, to the left of the track, you pass the abandoned village of Samaria, whose inhabitants were resettled on the creation of the National Park.
Approaching the Iron Gates
Photo by Mike Gerrard
The Iron Gates
Entering the most dramatic section of the Samaria Gorge walk, the walls of the gorge narrow till you reach the Iron Gates, a mere 3m (9.8ft) wide but with the walls towering 300m (984ft) above you. Then the walls widen out again and you enter a broader valley and another abandoned village, Agia Roumeli, where the safety procedures require you to hand in your ticket to show that you have left the gorge. Twenty minutes further on is the modern village of Agia Roumeli, and the cooling waters into which you may well be ready to plunge your tired feet. There are rooms here, and boats to take you to other coastal villages from where there are transport connections by road.
Be sure to watch our YouTube video of our own hike along the Samaria Gorge
Where to Stay on Crete
Some other Crete pages...
Chania is the main city in Western Crete with a lovely setting and a beautiful harbour as well as several museums.
Crete (Kriti) is the largest Greek island and its main attractions include the Minoan Palace of Knossos, the Samarian Gorge, Chania and Rethymnon.
Greece Travel Secrets visits the Crete Botanical Gardens near Chania and finds a wonderland of colourful plants, trees, and flowers filling a lovely valley.
Crete's capital and largest city is Irakleio, also called Iraklion or Heraklion, a large and busy place with good restaurants, museums and historical buildings.
Greece Travel Secrets’ potted guide to Eastern Crete and why you should consider it for a holiday, including seeing Agios Nikolaos, Sitia, Vai Beach and Zakros.
Driving on Crete is the best way to see Greece’s biggest island and here is our driving advice and some information about Greek driving regulations.
These shopping tips for Crete include advice on buying souvenirs like ceramics, icons, jewellery, leather, weavings, wood carvings, and food and drink.
How to see eastern Crete in five days, with its beaches, Minoan palaces, timeless villages, unique churches and mountain and coastal scenery.
Malia on the north coast of Crete is renowned for its nightlife and beaches but also has the Minoan Palace of Malia, one of Crete's many archaeological sites.
Greece Travel Secrets page on Phaistos or Faistos, the site of one of the finest Minoan palaces on Crete and is where the mysterious Phaistos Disc was found.
Sir Arthur Evans is the archaeologist famous for the excavations he made at the royal palace of Knossos on Crete.
Visiting Knossos near Iraklion is one of the best things to do on Crete, and this page has a history of the site with visitor information.
What was daily life as a Minoan like on Crete, living in palaces like the ones at Knossos, Malia, Phaistos, and Zakros, and what were their religious beliefs?
Is someone from Crete a Greek or a Cretan? They are both, of course, but most will tell you that they are Cretan first and Greek second.
Driving central Crete in three days gives you time to see the highlights including the Minoan palaces at Knossos and Phaistos, the beaches and the Diktean Cave.
Matala Beach on Crete is a guest blog for Greece Travel Secrets from the We Love Crete website, inviting you to Awaken Your Inner Hippy in Matala, Crete.
Agios Nikolaos is a pretty and popular town on the north coast of Crete and this page on Greece Travel Secrets covers its history, museums and beaches.
Elounda on Crete's north coast is a popular holiday town with a pretty harbour, from where you can take day trips by boat to see the island of Spinalonga.
Cretan music is part of the island’s soul and visitors will hear live music wherever they go, with several distinctive Cretan musical instruments and songs.
Western Crete in five days allows time to visit Chania and Rethymnon, enjoy the beaches, hike the Samaria Gorge and see the monasteries at Arkadi and Preveli.
Crete’s wildlife and landscape are two of the island’s attractions, including gorges for hiking, rare raptors like the lammergeier, wildcats and ancient trees.
Western Crete has some wonderful golden sand beaches as well as mountain villages, monasteries, caves, and archaeological sites to discover.
This drive along the west coast of Crete and inland from there will take a whole day and starts and ends in Kastélli Kissámou, west of Chania.
Greece Travel Secrets suggests where to stay in Eastern Crete with our favourite hotels in Zakros, Elounds, Sitia, Agios Nikolaos, Istron Bay, Myrtos, Neapolis.
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in western Crete, including both luxury and inexpensive hotels in Chania, Rethymnon, and Paleochora.
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