Description of the attraction
Samaria, or Samaria, is a famous gorge in the White Mountains in the southwestern part of Crete. Since 1962, the Samaria Gorge has the status of a National Park of Greece, and is also a biosphere reserve of world importance. It is one of the island's most interesting sights and also one of the longest gorges in Europe.
One of the entrances to the park is located near the settlement of Omalos (about 42 km from the city of Chania) at an altitude of 1230 meters above sea level, the second is a few kilometers from Agia Roumelia, a resort town on the coast of the Libyan Sea. The width of the gorge ranges from 3.5 to 300 m, but confusion arises about the length of the gorge, since information is quite common that the length of the gorge is 18 km, in reality, this is the distance between Omalos and Agia Roumeli, and the length of the gorge - 13 km. However, the route that will have to be overcome for those wishing to admire the fantastic natural landscapes and landscapes is 16 km and it will take an average of 5-6 hours.
On your way, you will come across a small abandoned village of Samaria, as well as the old Byzantine church of St. Mary or Osias-Maryas, from which the village itself, and then the gorge, got its name. The village was finally abandoned in 1962, when the gorge was turned into a national park in order to preserve the unique flora and fauna of the White Mountains. Over time, the old houses were restored and today it is a great opportunity to admire the traditional Cretan settlement. Of particular interest are also the Church of St. Nicholas (built on the ruins of an ancient temple), the Church of St. Mary of Egypt with well-preserved frescoes of the 18th century and the Church of Christ.
The most impressive place in the gorge is the so-called "Iron Gate", where the width of the passage between the huge sheer cliffs (about 300 m high) at the narrowest point is less than 4 meters. But the most famous local inhabitants with whom you will certainly meet while walking along the gorge are the Cretan mountain goats kri-kri (endemic, today it is found in Crete and several nearby islands).
Officially, the National Park is open for visits from May 1 to October 15 (however, due to bad weather conditions, for the safety of tourists, adjustments may be made to the park's opening hours). Making a fire in the park, as well as staying here overnight, is strictly prohibited.
