The Samaria Gorge

The Samaria Gorge - Crete

At about 9 AM dozens of buses unload the thoughtless excursionists ready for facing the walk through the canyon, knowing that at the end of the long path a boat is waiting for taking them back to their hotels.
The starting point is Omalos, that you can reach by bus from Chania.
Here you can buy a ticket for 5 euro: be careful to keep it with you because they will check it at the end of the path to verify that everyone has arrived! In Omalos a path descends steeply with lots of hairpin bends to the valley. We arrive to the riverbed passing continuously from one shore to the other: in summer the water is shallow and the big stones are visibly arranged to make the journey easier, but in spring you will definitely get your feet wet. After entering a pine forest, you will finally arrive to the ruins of the old village of Samaria, abandoned when the area became a park. From here there is the entrance to the gorges, with high walls overhanging on a narrow passage. Finally we arrive (exhausted) at the port of Agia Roumeli, the village with the highest concentration of refrigerators full of drinks for the exhausted hikers.
You will come back to Chania with a ferry boat and then a bus.

The walk is quite difficult and requires approximately 6 hours. If you are not in the mood for the entire path you can get by ferry to Agia Roumeli and go up the canyon as far as you wish.

Samaria Gorge - Crete