Samaria Gorge

Nature lovers from all over the world are coming to see and walk this impressive gorge that is one of the longest in the world. This gorge is primarily dry and walkable, so tourists and hikers come to admire the majestic nature, forest, and rocks throughout the hike.

The gorges entrance is next to Omalos, located 1227m above sea level. As you enter the so-called wooden stairs, it surprises you with the tremendous surrounding environment. Millions of years were needed for nature to create this magnificent place on earth, several critical changes in the climate, countless earthquakes, and other natural disasters that almost broke the island of Crete in half. Still, as it didn’t, this picturesque place was left to show and teach us about nature’s power above ours.

This place is not just breathtaking from its pureness and beauty; it is also one of the most critical places in Cretan history as it has always been one of the most potent defense points for the Cretan rebels that fought for the freedom of this island. A lot of bitter battles happened here during the Ottoman occupation.

This walk ends with a stunning village called Agia Roumeli; this village makes a fantastic impression. It is isolated from the world by the sea and mountains; the only way to reach this village is by crossing the gorge or by boat from Koro Sfakion. This area is challenging to get to, so you would think that few people live here. Still, Agia Roumeli is entirely inhabited, and even there is an abandoned village of Samaria located in the middle of the gorge. It’s uninhabited since 1962; the inhabitants were displaced during the national park creation. The only inhabitors in this gorge are the goats, the wild goats Kri Kri. If you are lucky, you might see them with their vast horns that can grow up to the one-meter in length.