Samariá Gorge

Samariá Gorge, located near the Cretan city of Chania, is recognized as the largest gorge in Europe. A nature reserve has been established on the territory of the Samaria Gorge, which is open to the public from late spring to mid-autumn, while there is still snow in the mountains. The 16 km long tourist route runs along stony forest paths, stairs, boulders, under the rays of the southern sun, and requires travelers to be in good physical shape. It starts in the southwest of the island, in the center of the Lefka-Ori mountain range, and descends almost to the very shore of the Libyan Sea, with an altitude difference of 1,300 meters.

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Video: Samaria Gorge

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History of the reserve

Despite the complex topography, people settled in the gorge as far back as antiquity. Data from archaeological excavations indicate the existence of the ancient city of Tara with temples of Apollo and Artemis at the southern edge of the Samaria Gorge. Founded no later than VI century BC and named after the mountain river flowing through the bottom of the gorge, the free city flourished in the Roman era. In the Middle Ages a modest village remained of Tara; another, Samaria, named after the nearest Christian temple, was built closer to the entrance of the gorge. With the arrival of the Turks, the inhabitants of Western Crete used the Samaria Gorge as a safe haven from the invaders. The tradition of hiding in the inaccessible mountains survived until the twentieth century, when Crete was involved in the World Wars and the Greek Civil War.

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Partisans and rebels were the unwitting reason for the founding of the reserve. Their main source of sustenance were the almost tame Kri-Kri goats, a species endemic to Crete. In antiquity, they were revered by the inhabitants of Tara, and images of goat heads were placed on coins minted in the city. By the 1960s, no more than 2 hundred animals were left of the entire population, and the Samaria Gorge became a reserve. Under the threat of destruction were also plant endemics – Cretan oregano with pink inflorescences similar to hop cones, and a local species of cypress, as well as thickets of pines, ebony, sycamore and stone oak. In 1962, the decision to establish the reserve was made, and the villagers of Samaria left their homes, relocating to their new surroundings.

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Geographical characterization

The Samaria Gorge is a narrow passage between sheer cliffs, whose ledges are covered with trees and sun-bleached grass. Cri-cri goats, unafraid of humans, gallop across the mountains, knocking rocks onto the hiking trail with their hooves. To protect the visitors of the reserve, a net is stretched over the path in especially dangerous places. The descent into the gorge begins at an altitude of 1227 meters, 42 km from Chania, near the village of Omalos, which is exclusively occupied with the service of tourists who venture into this sparsely populated corner of Crete. At the entrance to the Samaria Gorge swarm hordes of bees, another symbol of ancient Tara, so you should be careful with sudden movements here.

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The narrowest part of the path is the Iron Gate, which is actually not metal at all, but stone. This is the name of the rocks, which in this place approach each other at a distance of 3-4 meters, and their height is 300 meters. In 2 km from the exit of the Samaria Gorge, on the seashore, there is a tiny resort village of Ayia Roumeli, where about 60 people live permanently. There were once more residents, but a flood that occurred shortly before the reserve was founded swept away the old, upper part of the village, and many Rumeli residents chose to move away from harm’s way.

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Samaria Gorge hiking route

Along the whole route along the Samaria Gorge, about half a kilometer away, there are toilets and benches for rest, and springs with drinking water. The journey begins with a descent on a wide, not too steep stairs, which lasts about 3 km. Then the forest road passes among the mountain slopes to a rest stop in Samaria, where you can sit on benches and eat the supplies you brought with you. Tame cri-cri wander around the ruins of the village begging for food, although tourists are explicitly forbidden to feed the animals so as not to disturb their normal diet.

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After Samaria, the road leads through almost no sun protection with sparse shade from rocks and trees over boulders – this is the most physically challenging part of the journey, where the risk of slipping and twisting your foot is high. If an accident occurs, a mule will be offered to an injured person in an organized group with a guide, while solo hikers will have to make their own way. The stony path after climbing along the precipice is replaced by a more comfortable path through the forest. At the exit, tourists are met by minibuses, ready to take them to the village of Ayia Roumeli and the beach for 2 euros. This way, if you still have strength, you can overcome and on foot – the road is straight and flat.

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Handmade sights of the gorge

Tourists don’t come to the Samaria Gorge for the architectural monuments, but interesting buildings and ruins can be seen here as well – in the abandoned village of Samaria and the now thriving Ayia Rumeli. Although only 55 years have passed since the resettlement of Samaria, almost nothing remains of its buildings except stone foundations and miraculously surviving lonely barns. 200 meters from Ayia Rumeli, the ruins of a Turkish fortress stand on a cliff. The ruins of the old part of the village after the flood are better preserved than the peacefully abandoned Samaria: you can see fragments of walls, sometimes whole floors of houses. The river, having done much mischief, went into a new channel, but massive stone bridges remained standing over dry streams of silvery pebbles.

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Despite the tiny size of Ayia Roumeli, several historic temples are active here at once. At the top of the village, right in the rock, the Church of St. Anthony is built in a cave. The Church of St. Paul by the shore is characterized by rough masonry. The temple of Panagia Kera, preserved from the Byzantine era, reeks of antiquity – in contrast to the very modern, airy resort buildings of the new village.

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When to visit

Travelers visit Samaria Gorge from May 1 to October 15, when the reserve welcomes guests. The optimal time to visit is in spring, when the mountains are warm enough but not yet hot, and there is no summer swelter.

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Visit times and ticket prices

At least 200,000 people come to Samaria Gorge during the season, so it can get extremely crowded on the mountain trail. In order not to run into other tourists, it is better to go to the mountains in the morning. A ticket to the reserve costs 5 euros, children under 15 years old go free. The excursion, depending on the organizing company, will cost about 35 euros, and this amount does not include the cost of the ferry and bus. To follow the full route, you need to enter the reserve before 3 pm, later you can overcome only 2 km from Omalos or from Ayia Roumeli. At the border, all those who purchase tickets are rewritten so that they do not get lost or stay overnight in the area, guests are given maps of the Samaria Gorge.

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Rules of behavior in the reserve

The excursion takes at least 5 hours, as there are 13 km to be walked on stony paths and boulders, to this you should add 3 km of flat road to Ayia Rumeli. Shoes should be comfortable, on non-slip soles, walking in slates or sandals is fraught with injuries. At the beginning of the route in the mountains, before the descent, cool and windy, it is desirable to take a light jacket. Tourists need hats, because in the second half of the route it will not be possible to avoid open places. There are cafes only in Omalos and on the beach, on the way eat what you brought with you. It is strictly forbidden to spend the night, to make fires in the Samaria Gorge, as well as to swim in the mountain river. You can rest and refresh yourself on the pebble beach at the end of the walk, in Ayia Roumeli. If you buy something at a beachside cafe, beach chairs can be taken for free.

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Where to stay

The nearest villages are located at the entrance and exit of the Samaria Gorge. In Omalos, tourists are accommodated in cottages such as Omalos Village, Samaria Village. Rent them for a group of guests costs from 8000 rubles per day. In Ayia Roumeli at the service of tourists clean beaches, snow-white cottages drowning in greenery, paved roads. In the coastal village you can stay in family apartments Sweet Corner Maxcali with 1-2 bedrooms, restaurant and private beach. Unfortunately, due to limited supply, reservations have to be made months in advance. The choice of accommodation in Chora Sfakion, connected to Ayia Roumeli by a 16km ferry crossing, is much wider. Accommodation at the end of the season costs here from 3000 rubles per room, as in the apartments Khora Sfakion. Clean and bright apartments Scirocco Rooms cost one and a half times as much.

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How to get there

The village of Omalos, the start of the route, is reached from Chania via an intricate serpentine road. A round-trip bus ticket costs 17 euros. You can come to the Samaria Gorge outside of an organized group by car. You can leave your car in the parking lot right at the entrance to the gorge. After completing the route in Ayia Roumeli, travelers purchase tickets for 10.5 euros for the 17:30 ferry to Suia. Tickets can only be purchased on the spot, there is no pre-sale. Ferries are always full, experienced travelers recommend taking seats in advance to avoid the evening sun. The trip takes about 40 minutes and buses to Chania and Omalos are waiting at the pier. Those who arrive in their own cars can board the latter buses, which take them directly to the parking lot at the entrance to the Samaria Gorge. From Ayia Roumeli you can also take the ferry to the villages of Loutro and Chora Sfakion. There are no motorized roads to the village.

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