Samaria Gorge

The Samaria Gorge is the largest of Greece and its crossing is the main purpose of the trip for many tourists arriving to Crete.

The descent, with a length of 18 kilometers, takes around 4 to 7 hours, depending on the experience and stamina of the hikers.The descent starts from the plateau Omalos in the White Mountains and ends in the seaside village of Agia Roumeli on the south of Chania. The entrance is from the “Xiloskalo” at an altitude of 1,200 meters.You will buy a ticket at the outpost of the National Park. The price is symbolic, but your ticket will be validated upon exiting the Samaria Gorge and it is a way to count those who entered in relation to those who come out of the gThe Samaria Gorge got its name from a small Byzantine church located in its  middle, which was built in 1379 and named Saint Mary. This chapel gave its name to the village ‘Samaria’, which was built nearby, and was abandoned by its residents in 1962, with the proclamation of the National Park of Samaria.It is estimated that the formations of the gorge (the main gorge “meets” other, smaller ones, along its length) were created about 14 million years ago, when the geological changes in the region broke the stone blocks.The greatest width of the gorge of Samaria reaches 150 meters, while the narrowest point is the “Doors” – just before the exit – which are 3 meters wide. The rocks there reach a height of 600 meters and the landscape is breathtaking!The gorge is lush and verdant. The meadows alternate with forests of pines, cypresses, oaks, etc.orge.