Samaria Gorge
- Hours:Open May - Oct, 6am - 3pm
- Admission:€ 5 for adults
Samaria Gorge is legendary amongst hikers, with more than 1,000 walkers hitting the rugged river valley trail daily in summer. Europe’s longest gorge offers a wildflower-bedecked river trail with cliff-top views of Crete’s endangered wild goat, the kri-kri. The walk begins at Xyloskalo, where a steep stone pathway with wooden rails enters the gorge. It finishes 16km (10 miles) later on the coast at Agia Roumeli.
Along the way, the stone walls of the gorge close over the trail, at some points reduced to only a couple of feet wide. At their most impressively narrow, the craggy canyon walls are known as the Iron Gates. Water fills the stream in spring, while in summer the riverbed rocks become stepping stones. And at the end of the trail, in Agia Roumeli, the beach offers hikers a chance to revive with a refreshing dip in the sea.
Samaria Gorge and its rare wild kri-kri goats are protected by national park on Crete’s southwest coast, between the towns of Agia Roumeli and Sougia. Many walkers hike the gorge as part of an organized tour, though it’s possible to get there independently via the towns of Omalos or Agia Roumeli. Buses run to the head of the gorge at Xyloskalo from Omalos, and Agia Roumeli connects to Hora Sfakon by ferry.
As you’re unable to spend the night in the gorge, this is a day walk only, taking 4.5 to six hours. Bring your sturdy boots, sunhat, sunscreen, sunglasses, water and food – and stick to the trail! If the going gets too tough, there are park wardens on donkeys to rescue you.
Latest Reviews All Samaria Gorge Reviews »
Extremely well organised. Scenery breathtaking. Exceeded all expectations. Continue Reading »
Excelent tour but is self-guided, solo effort on your part! This is a strenuous hike down a mountain range that is 17 - 19 KM long. Must have hiking shoes with no feet or ankle problems. Continue Reading »
The hike through the gorge is absolutely amazing! I would recommend it to anyone traveling to Crete as a must! however- there are several things I was disappointed in which is why it is receiving a 3 star instead of 5, I do not think that Viator made these things clear until it was too late to change the reservation. I was picked up in "Malia Area"-well my hotel was the furthest out which meant that I was the first pickup and also the last drop off- this meant that I needed to be picked up at 5 am- not 6am as the original booking said and I was not dropped off until after 11pm- this was quite exhausting and I spent as much time on a bus as I did hiking. If you plan to do this hike I would suggest staying in a town closer to the Gorge. Also I was very disappointed to find out that the 5 euro fee for the park entrance and the 9 euro boat ride fee were not included in my 74 euro Viator voucher! i was not told this until the day before the trip- 74 euros already seemed expensive and then to learn that i needed to pay more seemed ridiculous. in Malia I saw the same tour offered for only 44 euros in total- a much more reasonable price so consider booking your ticket once in Crete. Additionally the "boat ride" to a town and island is just a ferry stop on a very crowded ferry- do not assume it is an extra visit to a town as I did. I highly recommend the hike but I would not recommend using Viator to purchase your ticket.
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