Samaria is a famous gorge in the White Mountains in the south-western part of the island of Crete. Since 1962, the Samaria Gorge has had the status of a National Park in Greece and is also a biosphere reserve of world importance. It is one of the most interesting sights of the island, as well as one of the longest gorges in Europe.
One of the entrances-exits to the park is near the settlement of Omalos (about 42 km from Chania) at an altitude of 1230 metres above sea level, while the other is a few kilometres from Agia Roumelia, a resort town on the Libyan Sea. The width of the gorge varies from 3.5 to 300 metres, but there is confusion about the length of the gorge, as it is often reported that the gorge is 18 kilometres long, while in reality it is the distance between Omalos and Agia Roumelia, and the length of the gorge is 13 kilometres. However, the route to be travelled by those wishing to admire the fantastic natural landscapes and scenery is 16 km and will take an average of 5-6 hours.
On your way you will come across the small abandoned village of Samaria, as well as the old Byzantine church of St Mary or Osias Marias, for which the village and then the gorge got its name. The village was finally deserted 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 wonderful opportunity to admire a 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 18th century frescoes 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 huge steep rocks (height of about 300 m) in the narrowest place is less than 4 metres. The most famous local inhabitants, which you will certainly meet while walking through the gorge, are the Cretan ibex Cri-cri (endemic, today found on Crete and several nearby islands).
Officially, the National Park is open to the public from 1 May to 15 October (however, due to bad weather conditions for the safety of tourists, the schedule of the park may be adjusted). It is strictly forbidden to make a fire in the park and to stay here overnight.
