There are some washrooms along the way, and natural springs where you can fill your water bottle. The various terrain that you go through and the scenery is magical. It's pretty rocky and stony. The Samaria Gorge on Crete is one of the most beautiful places in Greece, weaving legends and guarding secrets throughout the centuries. Watch Queue Queue A hike to Samaria Gorge National Park isn't an easy one. The 300,000 visitors that visit annually the 18 km long gorge are usually not aware of its historical and mythical significance. Drive your own car to Samaria gorge hike One thing that struck us at the time was the speed at which people walked. The most famous part of the gorge is the stretch known as the Gates (or, albeit incorrectly, as "Iron Gates"), where the sides of the gorge close in to a width of only four meters and soar up to a height of almost 300 meters (980 feet). It is breathtakingly beautiful and offers various views of Cretan nature – high, rocky mountains, exotic plants, and a rewarding swim in a see at the end. Ruta Samaria Gorge de senderismo en Samariá, Crete (Greece). It’s been years that I wanted to hike in Samaria Gorge but I couldn’t find a friend to join me. Samaria Gorge, Europe’s deepest and longest gorge, is a great gash in the White Mountains of Crete. Hiking Samaria Gorge is one of the best things that you can do in Crete. After 7km of a hike through the gorge of Samaria, will arrive at the settlement of Ano Samaria (means upper Samaria). Samaria Gorge is available for hiking just during a warm season. Samaria Gorge Crete Guide: Samaria gorge is the most famous gorge in Crete. The Samaria Gorge hike is a favorite among walkers and a must-do for adventurers in Crete. Difficulties encountered on the hike include figuring out transportation to and from the canyon, hiking down a very steep beginning portion at the top of the gorge, and enduring the long distance in potential high heat. Samaria Gorge is the most famous and longest gorge hike on Crete and contains extensive towering slot narrows and beautiful White Mountains forest scenery. Check opening times and try to get there early. The gorge of Samaria is the gem of the White Mountains! He just kept talking and talking and we couldn’t sleep even though it was so early! Check opening times and try to get there early. If you get injured while hiking, there will be rescue men walking with mules at your service. The highest mountain over the gorge is Mount Gingilos (2080 m). More than a quarter-million tourists choose hiking the Samaria gorge every year from May to October. Walk down the Samaria Gorge. There are some washrooms along the way, and natural springs where you can fill your water bottle. Samaria Gorge in Crete, Hiking in Samaria gorge. Samaria Gorge Hike in Fast Motion The gorge of Samaria is 16 km long (this refers to the distance between the settlement of Omalos and the village of Agia Roumeli), starting at an altitude of 1250m and taking you all the way down to the shores of the Libyan sea in Agia Roumeli. Every tourist who visits Crete will have heard of this beautiful gorge or soon will. Samaria Gorge is one of many beautiful gorges in Crete and one of the places you should visit on your Crete holidays.. I want to tell you about how you can visit Samaria Gorge with a rental car. The gorge has a length of 16 km, starting at an altitude of 1,250 m., in Xyloskalo and ending on the shores of the Libyan Sea in Agia Roumeli.It is quite long (4 to 6 hours hiking), so you should be prepared for a quite rough route. Samaria National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the White Mountains of Crete, draws tens of thousands of visitors per year to hike the spectacular gorge at its center. We started very early in the day and took most of the day, stopping for a picnic, many photos and relaxing by the water. Thomas had a whole speech about the hike and the three main checkpoints that we needed to leave by a certain time. Samaria Gorge is the longest gorge in Greece and one of the biggest in Europe. It is a fairly strenuous hike but so worth it. It was created by a small river running between the White Mountains and Mountain Volikas. While ridiculously congested in the height of summer, the 10-mile hike through the Gorge of Samaria can be a … The walk through Samaria National Park is 13 km long, but one has to walk another three kilometers to Agia Roumeli from the park exit, making the hike 16 km long. It is highly recommended you get there early in the morning. The Samaria is the largest gorge in Europe, and 16km long (a little under 10 miles). Being the largest gorge in Europe and arguably the most spectacular, the Samaria Gorge offers a spectacular 18km walk with a starting point on the plain of Omalos at 1,000 m above sea level.. It is no secret either that I am not a very experienced hiker, and that I learned something from this trip. If I came back I would hike one of the other less crowded gorges. Discover Samaria Gorge. The town didn’t really have any roads out, so you’ll have to get ferry tickets to Chora Sfakia for the departure at 17:30 / half-past five (€12,00). The locals call it the “Farangas” or “Great Gorge”, both in admiration at its beauty and to differentiate it from the many other, smaller gorges of Crete. The 16km walk through the gorge of Samaria can be broken down into four sections of roughly similar length (if you want to be very accurate Part 1 is 3.8 km / 580 of descent, Part 2 is 3.7 km / 310m of descent, Part 3 is 3.6 km /170m of descent and Part 4 is 4.8 km / 170m of descent to sea level). Impassable in winter, it opened for the 2018 season at the start of May. View Samaria Settlement in a larger Google map Up to this point, you will have covered almost half of the route. Did the Samaria Gorge hike with Io Tours, and it was definitely the highlight of my 3+ week trip throughout Greece. The walk through Samaria National Park is 13 km long, but one has to walk another two kilometers to Agia Roumeli from the park exit, making the hike 15 km long. Really cool terrain hiking down a famous gorge in Crete. The Samaria Gorge hike starts at the Xyloskalo trailhead at an altitude of 1250 meters in the midst of the White Mountains. This video is unavailable. Samaria or the Samaria Gorge is one of the main sights of Crete. The scenery is spectacular, and the walk also provides a good opportunity to catch a glimpse of the rare kri-kri, a species of goat that lives only in this part of the island. See how the trail descends from the plateau of Omalos, deep into the gorge. Crete, Greece 5 tips for your hike in Samaria Gorge. The various terrain that you go through and the scenery is magical. Samaria Gorge Virtual Tour. It's normally open from May until October. It is no secret that the highlight of my visit to Crete was the amazing hike through the Samaria Gorge. Dramatic gorge walls after the old Samaria village halfway down. It is highly recommended you get there early in the morning. Hike the UNESCO protected gorge of Crete with an expert mountain guide. The National Park was declared a nature reserve in 1962 and in 1980 it was proclaimed to be one of the greatest areas of nature, full of wild species, rich in flora & fauna. Hiking in Samaria Gorge National Park. “The Samaria Gorge is in southwest Crete in the regional unit of Chania. A steep stone pathway with wooden rails leads down to the trailhead on the gorge floor; from there, the path continues between sheer limestone canyon walls, known as the Iron Gates at their narrowest point. Samaria Gorge National Park, Sfakia: Address, Phone Number, Samaria Gorge National Park Reviews: 4.5/5 Because of popularity it is a very busy trail (at least when I hiked mid-August). The most famous part of the gorge is the stretch known as the Gates (or, albeit incorrectly, as "Iron Gates"), where the sides of the gorge close in to a width of only four meters and soar up to a height of almost 300 meters (980 feet). In this complete guide to hike the Samaria Gorge in Crete, you will find all the information needed to walk Samaria as easily as possible. Either they had already been there or they weren’t interested in hiking for so many hours (it usually takes 5-7 hours). No GPS is needed, the path is clear at all times. Get an idea of where you are going to find rest areas with water springs and WC, along the route. Hike through the rugged interior instead and find a remote corner of the south coast. The rim of the gorge, where you begin your hike, is 4,000 feet above the village of Ayia Roumeli on the Libyan Sea, where you end your hike. It is a fairly strenuous hike but so worth it. The Samaria Gorge is the most famous gorge for hiking on the island of Crete. The gorge is locarted at the South of Chania Prefecture in the larger uninhabited area of Europe, where no roads even exist. Descarga el track GPS y sigue el recorrido del itinerario del sendero desde un mapa. The width of the gorge is 150m at its widest point and 3m at its narrowest. In the prefecture of Chania (also written “Hania”), the Samaria gorge is the longest in Europe (total length 16km), and one of the most impressive gorges in Greece. That said, scenery is spectacular and I don’t regret walking down. It starts from Xylóskalo, at an altitude of 1,230m. Watch Queue Queue. It’s the longest gorge in Europe and is located in west Crete, in the White Mountains. The ferry ticket office is down a little alleyway in between two restaurants near the ferry port. No GPS is needed, the path is clear at all times. View more photos of various points in the gorge of Samaria. Hidden in the south part of the Chania district, it is the biggest gorge in Europe, covering an area of 18 kilometres in length. A hike through the Samariá Gorge has become de rigueur for just about anyone traveling in Crete, and for good reason. With your expert guide, you will escape the crow Tour yourself virtually to Samaria Gorge. Samaria Gorge Hiking trail in Samariá, Crete (Greece). Did the Samaria Gorge hike with Io Tours, and it was definitely the highlight of my 3+ week trip throughout Greece. The gorge is protected by Samaria National Park, which was set aside by the Greek government in 1962. For what it's worth, we hiked Samaria Gorge many years ago. Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. While it's not the only gorge in the area, Samaria Gorge is by far the biggest—in fact, it's Europe's second-largest canyon overall. Some raced down, almost running, seemingly in pursuit of the quickest completion time. In case of emergency, they are always ready to help you. Samaria Gorge is the longest gorge in Europe and one of the most important natural sights in Greece. Walk down the Samaria Gorge. Book a full-day Samaria gorge hiking tour or the 'Samaria lazy way'; either way, this private hiking tour in Chania will be one of the best things to do on your holidays in Crete. The Samaria Gorge hike ends at a town called Aglia Roumeli. Gem of the quickest completion time half of the quickest completion time or the Samaria Gorge is most... 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