Samaria Gorge

The gorge of Samaria is the gem of the White Mountains; Hidden in the south part of the Chania district, it is the biggest gorge in Europe, covering an area of 18 kilometres in length. The gorge’s trail starts at Ksyloskalo (Omalos plateau, 1.227 meters altitude) and after following the river bed, it ends up at the littoral village of Agia Roumeli. The trail of Samaria is the most visited trail in the whole of Greece, it is excellently equipped with signals and signs which eliminate the danger of getting lost, it is comfortable and very well cared for, mostly with stones and soil. It is not considered a very difficult hike, a vivid proof of which is the fact that hundreds of people cross it daily from the opening (in May) till the closing of its visiting season (in October). It is a very pleasant hike, not a strenuous one, with many landscape alternations and a versatile environment. One should always keep in mind, however, that though the trail as a whole is not tricky, one should be more careful during some parts of the trek.