The Samaria Gorge

The Samaria Gorge

One of the most famous places to visit on the island of Crete is this National Park; 18km long and exceptionally rich in animal and plant beauty. Inside the gorge you will find unique species protected under international law and you may even meet its famous inhabitants, the wild goats of Crete, which the locals call “agrimia” and tourists call “kri-kri”. Τhe Samaria footpath is very well signposted all along its length and is thought to be the most-walked footpath in the whole of Greece. More than a quarter million people walk through the gorge every year from beginning of May to the end of October. The walk takes 4-8 hours depending on your pace. Six hours is the normal time, especially if you stop to take pictures and enjoy the amazing natural landscape. Agia Roumeli village is where the walk ends and you can enjoy a swim in the Libyan Sea or have lunch one of the many tavernas.

However, if you don’t feel up to the whole route, there is also the “lazy way” as the tour agents call it. This is a much shorter route from Agia Roumeli up to the “Iron Gates” Sideroportes), the narrowest point of the gorge. At the Iron Gates, the gorge is so narrow that you can almost touch both sides as they rise up sheer 500 m above your head. The short route is certainly an easy way to experience some, though not all, of the magic of the Samaria Gorge.