Samaria Gorge National Park

A national park since 1962, a part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO, the longest gorge of Crete and one of the longest in Europe, the gorge of Samaria is the adventure everyone has to take upon when visiting Crete.

The pick up starts very early in the morning and you will be greeted by our friendly driver. The drive may be long but your exceptional tour guide will make this time worthwhile, explaining all there is to know about the island and the places you will pass by.

The bus takes us to Omalos Plateau. There you can buy supplies from the local market like water and small snacks to carry with you before our big adventure.

The walk begins from Xiloskalo that is the entrance of this magnificent 18km long gorge.

On the way we will admire the indigenous plants, flowers and bird species and the unique view of the landscape left untouched by human intervention. The rock formations will leave you speechless.

The gorge is nowadays a natural habitat for the protected wild goats of Crete commonly known as Kri-kri, giving you the chance to spot them as well.

Halfway through the gorge, we arrive at the abandoned village of Santa Maria that takes its name from the old church that is located there.

Last but not least, a few km before the exit, we come across the “Iron gates” or Sideroportes in Greek, where the gorge closes in to a width of no more than four meters, making it the narrowest point of the walk!

After we exit the canyon, we arrive at the small village of Agia Roumeli where you have time to have lunch in one of the traditional taverns or relax and have a swim at the beach.

The boat then takes us to the village of Sfakia where our bus driver will be waiting for us to drive us safely back to your hotels.