Samaria Gorge a Trip Into the History of Earth

Samaria Gorge a Trip Into the History of Earth

Samaria gorge is a National Park with unique flora and fauna, in the heart of the Lefka Ori mountains. It is by far the best hike in Crete, and probably one of the best in Europe. It is listed as a protected UNESCO Biosphere reserve. Samaria gorge is a 16km downhill hike between mountains and a forest, with a river flowing and organized resting places.
For an average hiker it takes 6 hours to cross it and there is no food or any other shop available inside. The tour starts early in the morning to take advantage of the shadow in the gorge until noon, but by which time most visitors have already reached the sea.
At the end of the hike we rest at Agia Roumeli, a village with few restaurants and beach, before returning by boat to Sougia, and then by bus and car to Chania. It's necessary to wear at least good sports shoes, take a hat and sunscreen. There is plenty of drinkable water inside. The hike is breathtaking, ideal for nature lovers and wildlife watchers.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Samaria Gorge National Park, Old National Road Chanion-Kissamou Lefka Ori, Sfakia, Crete 730 05 Greece

The gorge is officially 18km long, this distance actually refers to the hiking distance between the settlement of Omalos on the northern side of the plateau and the village of Agia Roumeli. In fact, the gorge is 16 km long, starting at an altitude of 1,250m at the northern entrance, and ending at the shores of the Libyan Sea in Agia Roumeli. The most famous part of the gorge is the stretch known as the Iron Gates, where the sides of the gorge close in to a width of only four meters and soar up to a height of 500 m. The gorge became a national park in 1962 particularly as a refuge for the rare kri-kri (Cretan wildgoat). There are several endemic species in the gorge, as well as many other species of flowers and birds. The village of Samaria lies inside the gorge, in the middle of nowhere. It was finally abandoned by the last remaining inhabitants in 1962 to make way for the park. The village and the gorge take their names from the village's ancient church, Osia Maria ("Saint Mary").

Duration: 7 hours