Samaria Gorge lies in the west of Crete, close to Chania, and runs along the River Omalos, between the region known as the White Mountains (Lefka Ori) and Mount Volakias. It is Europe’s longest gorge, stretching out for 16 kilometres, and reaching altitudes of up to 1,200 metres. The widest section of the gorge measures 150 metres and the narrowest a mere 3 metres.
The National Park of Samaria or the White Mountains is the only one of the largest of the Greek islands. It is characterised by a steep rugged limestone terrain with deep valleys lined by sheer walls and is home to the island’s two most emblematic animal species: the bearded vulture, the most beautiful of the European vultures, and the agrimi or kri-kri, an endemic species of mountain goat, whose numbers have dwindled alarmingly and are now only to be found in this protected natural area and on the island of Dia, lying just off the coast opposite Heraklion, the capital of Crete.
The Samaria National Park boasts an immense wealth of flora and fauna. It is home to around 450 species of plants and animals (apart from the bearded vulture and the kri-kri), all protected by law in an attempt to conserve Samaria’s finely-balanced ecosystem. Visitors can admire the vast forests of pine and cypress trees, which have grown there since the days of ancient Crete, when the island was covered entirely by trees and the wood was widely-used in the construction of ships.
The gorge is 13 km long, to which we must add a further 3 kilometres as far as Agia Roumeli. As we make our way along the gorge, we will come across the Church of Saint Nicholas, built in the ruins of a former village. Halfway along the gorge lies the village of Samaria, whose name comes from a nearby 14th-century church called Osia Maria (Saint Mary). The inhabitants of Samaria abandoned the village in 1962, when it was declared a nature park. Today the houses are used as shelters by the park wardens, and also offer an interesting insight into traditional local architecture. The route will also take us past Venetian-style castles, the ruins of prehistoric settlements and other archaeological remains.
It takes between 4 and 7 hours to complete this route, depending on each person’s degree of fitness, but however long it takes, this is an experience that no hiking lover will want to miss.
For the less energetic there is an easier, shorter route from Agia Roumeli to the ‘Iron Gates’ (Sideroportes), the narrowest stretch of the gorge. At this point the gorge is so narrow that the 350 metres walls that rise up over our heads appear to be about to gobble us up!
So do you fancy hiking along Europe’s longest canyon?
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