Walking through the famous18 km long gorge, visited by thousands of tourists every year. The gorge is considered the longest in Europe and for the Cretans, not only the longest, but also the most beautiful on the island.
Leaving early in the morning, we will head towards the majestic White Mountains spreading in the west of Crete and the Omalos Plateau at an altitude of 1,100 meters, from where we will descend to the Gorge.
In the first part of your hike, you will cross Ksiloskalo, stone steps carved into the slope. On the way, you will pass the first of several charming churches on the route – Agios Nikolaos.
You will be amazed by the beauty of nature, and unique plants that cannot be found anywhere else, e.g. Cretan endemic orchids; you will feel the unique scent of the island, which is a mixture of various plants and herbs growing around. Only here the water from the softly roaring streams is so pure that you can drink it without any fear.
When you reach the bottom of the gorge, you will see an abandoned village, Samaria. With some luck, you can meet wild goats called agrimi or kri-kri by the Cretans.
The further journey into the gorge will delight you even more. After passing the next kilometers, the rock walls come so close that they are only 3 meters apart! This place is called Sideroportes, which in free translation from Greek means Iron Gates. This is the most photographed part of the Samaria Gorge.
After leaving the gorge, you will reach the charming village of Agia Roumeli, a unique place cut off from the world, accessible only by sea or… for hikers who have overcome the entire Samaria Gorge. There will be an opportunity to swim in the crystal waters of the Libyan Sea or to eat in one of the taverns. From Agia Roumeli we will go by boat to Chora Sfakion, where our bus will take us back.
