I'm Katherine, and my husband Romeo and I are part-time travelers. It also means you’ll get there earlier than hikers coming from other cities and will therefore have a less crowded hiking trail and more time to hike. Quick Overview. Get ready to be wowed by the gorge, as high limestone cliffs and quaint village create the background for a great hike. It takes a long time to hike Samaria Gorge. Chania is the closest city to the Samaria Gorge trailhead which means your drive before and after the hike will be the shortest, as opposed to starting from Rethimno or Iraklion. I said to Rome that if the shops in Agia Roumeli were smart they would sell flip flops and bathing suits. There are remnants of Byzantine churches and Venetian castles. The gorge is in southwest Crete in the regional unit of Chania. Hiking Samaria gorge (Φαράγγι Σαμαριάς) in western Crete, south of Chania, is a great activity if you want to experience the island’s raw nature. Make sure you have good quality walking shoes and be sure to bring along your bathers and towel as your met by the Libian Sea at Agia Roumeli. There is an early morning bus from Chania bus station to Xsiloskalo, the enterance of the Samaria Gorge. In six hours you have the opportunity to see it at your convenience. Samaria Gorge Tour from Chania - The Longest Gorge in Europe. Dramatic gorge walls after the old Samaria village halfway down. There are some washrooms along the way, and natural springs where you can fill your water bottle. Chania is the closest city to the Samaria Gorge trailhead which means your drive before and after the hike will be the shortest, as opposed to starting from Rethimno or Iraklion. Duration 2h 11m Estimated price 80€ - 100€ Taxi Limo Chania Phone +30 697 797 9061 Website taxilimochania.gr Radio Taxi Hermes Phone +30 698 673 1880 Website chaniataxi.gr Crete Taxi Transfers Phone +30 693 724 9486 Website cretetaxitransfers.gr. Hiking Samaria gorge (Φαράγγι Σαμαριάς) in western Crete, south of Chania, is a great activity if you want to experience the island’s raw nature. It is mostly downhill (particularly steep in the beginning). A travel blog for the everyday working stiff. More info. Popular: Booked by 360 travelers! Hiking Samaria Gorge is a must-do experience if you are fit and can walk 16+ km. Review: What It’s Like to Cruise with Viking River Cruises, What to Drink in Greece: 5 Greek Alcoholic Beverages, Georgian Cuisine: 30 Traditional Foods to Try in Georgia, Photographing Ghost Towns of the Salton Sea, The Cinque Terre on the Beautiful Italian Riviera, Exploring the Scottish Highlands on a Barge Cruise, Must See Attractions for a California Highway 395 Road Trip, The Ultimate 3-Day Death Valley Road Trip Itinerary. We highly recommend staying in Chania if hiking Samaria Gorge. When you’re hiking Samaria gorge, you cross the river 20-30 times, mostly via stepping stones, as you descend. It will be cool and shady and you will have the gorge more or less to yourself for the first few hours. It is sure to be a highlight of your world travels and is without a doubt an epic hike. Just enter your email address below. Samaria Gorge Chania, Crete. If there is one thing that people really should do when visiting Crete, it is hiking the Samaria Gorge. After refueling, there are two more kilometers to the coast and the town of Agia Roumeli. Hike the UNESCO protected gorge of Crete with an expert mountain guide. The gorge of Samaria is the longest in Europe. While it costs a little more money, we preferred joining a Samaria Gorge tour. When have you ever done an activity that wasn’t formal exercise that worked your core? Share. With your expert guide, you will escape the crow Soaking your feet in the water is the best feeling after a long hike, though beware the pebbly shore gets hot and the rocks can hurt your feet as you walk into the water. At this spot, in the late 1700s, there was an uprising against the Turks who were pursuing thousands of women and children hiding in the gorge. You may choose among tree different ways to get to Samaria Gorge National Park: 1) The most common way to reach there is to book an guided Samaria Gorge tour. Finish in Agia Roumeli then board a boat to Sfakia, where the bus will return you home. You can still find traces of previous life here as some of the old houses have been restored to house modern facilities such as the doctors office and guard point. Samariá Gorge is a National Park and a World Biosphere Reserve, as well as a major tourist attraction on the island of Crete. ge to your travel itinerary. Catch the earliest bus from Hania to Xyloskalo to beat the heat and midday crowds. Samaria Village — this is the main stopping point of your hike, situated in the middle of the gorge. Between the jaw-droppingly beautiful, sun-splashed villages and the healthy Mediterranean cuisine, Crete is a feast for the senses. The only drawback is having to rush through the falling rock zone as it is hsrd going. Quick View. Sure enough, when we got into town, we found a shop selling those very things. Check the Tour from Chania. Aug 24, 2018 - Samariá Gorge is a National Park and a World Biosphere Reserve, as well as a major tourist attraction on the island of Crete. The length of the gorge reaches 14.5km and takes almost 5-7 hours to hike from Xyloskalo at Omalos plateau to Agia Roumeli beach, depending on the trekking pace. Joining a Samaria Gorge tour means all the logistics are taken care of by someone else and all you have to do is enjoy the hike. The length of the gorge reaches 14.5km and takes almost 5-7 hours to hike from Xyloskalo at Omalos plateau to Agia Roumeli beach, depending on the trekking pace. The entrance fee price for adults is 5 euros per person and for children under 15 years old is free of charge. It also means you’ll get there earlier than hikers coming from other cities and will therefore have a less crowded hiking trail and more time to hike. The gorge of Samaria is the gem of the White Mountains! On this full-day excursion you’ll be picked up in Chania and travel by comfortable bus to the park. Want more travel stories and inspiration delivered straight to your inbox?Get an email when we publish our next one! This Samaria Gorge Tour starts from Rethymno very early in the morning, with a very similar route as the one from Chania. The deepest gorge in Chania is the gorge of Aradaina. Reward yourself with an icey cold beer, frape and a later than usual lunch at the tavernas while waiting for the ferry to Sougia to connect with your bus. Bonus to this hike is that it ends at a beach so you can jump in the water to cool down. you are visiting Crete and like hiking even a little bit, you must add Samaria Gor. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is accessible year-round. Get our latest travel stories, travel destination information, and more straight into your INBOX for free. Tennis shoes or walking boots are recommended. Approximately at 13:30 they will end the hike at the village of Agia Roumeli. Hotels. On this full-day excursion you’ll be picked up in Chania and travel by comfortable bus to the park. Katherine Belarmino and Romeo Belarmino are the authors of Travel the World, a travel blog for the everyday working stiff. Nearby is a plateau covered in perennial flowers, which wasn’t always so peaceful. In 1962, Samaria Gorge had been declared a National Park for the survival of the endangered species kri-kri, the rare Cretan wild goat that lives only in Samaria. Trek over rocks and stones, through a forest of thousand-year-old trees, along a river and by freshwater springs. Samaria Gorge from Chania with tour guide and transfer. The hike begins at an elevation of 1230m just south of Omalos at Xyloskalo and ends in the coastal village of Agia Roumeli. This small-group tour to Samaria Gorge, from Chania, is running from May 2nd till October 15th. The various terrain that you go through and the scenery is magical. From the top, we saw sheer mountain slopes still covered with patches of snow. Gygilos with its lunar landscape. As with any long hike, you need to be prepared. This is one of the biggest and most formidable gorges in Europe. The 16 km trail descends beside cliffs and through dense forests with rare flora and fauna. If I came back I would hike one of the other less crowded gorges. A must for the visitors of Crete is to complete the walk down the gorge from the Omalos plateau to Agia Roumeli on the Libyan Sea, from where tourists either sail to the nearby village of Sougia or Hora Sfakion (where they can spend a night) or catch a bus back to Chania. The 138 meter deep gorge is ideal not only for sightseeing or hiking but for bunjee jumping as well. The Azamara Quest was recently in Chania, Crete - home to the beautiful Samaria Gorge National Park. The Samaria Gorge from Chania hike is quite long, so we recommend packing some snacks. It took us seven hours to hike the 16 kilometers from the Xyloskalo trailhead to Agia Roumeli. Gradually we go down to the sea level. The hike through the largest gorge in Greece is very popular so you will be enjoying some of the most stunning Greek landscapes in the company of many, but you will remember it as a highlight of your holiday. Spectacular views assured, with the knowledge that you have manned support stations along the tracks +WCs. Sometimes crossings are made by hopping from stone to stone and other times by traversing wood bridges. Even though it was 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the afternoon, we barely broke a sweat since most of the hike is shaded and the running water of the river cools the air. At 16 kilometers, Samaria Gorge is one of the longest gorges in Europe (some sources say the longest, others the second longest), is located in Crete’s only national park, and provides stunning views all day long. View Samaria Gorge in a larger Google map. A bit hard on the legs but definitely a must in Crete! The hike through the gorge is 16km, 13km for the hike in the gorge itself and a further 3km from the exit of the park to Agia Roumeli on the southern coast of Crete. There are a number of open-air restaurants along the beach that provide sea views and cold beers, the perfect end to a perfect day of hiking one of the most beautiful hikes in the world. Just Enter your email address, Verify and join the Travel the World family! You’ll reach the end of the gorge at Agia Roumeli, and stop for a break and a bite to eat (the price of the food is not included). By signing up, you agree to receive promotional emails. It is the longest gorge in Greece and forms part of the E4 hiking trail that traverses Europe. Get ready to be wowed by the gorge, as high limestone cliffs and quaint village create the background for a great hike. Make sure to cover your head and bring sunscreen – the sun is very bright here. The tour group is organised and helpful, they picked us up in Chania really early so … Read more. It's worth it! Samaria Gorge "The Lazy Way" View The Lazy Way to Samaria Gorge in a larger Google map If you find yourself on the region of Sfakia, or on the south coast of the prefecture of Chania, don't miss the chance to get the ferry to Agia Roumeli and from there to walk the opposite direction within the Samaria gorge, up to the famous Gates 1 , which is the narrowest point in the gorge. 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. The tour guide purchases your park entrance and your ferry ticket, plus he starts the hike an hour later to make sure everyone is doing okay along the trail. $46.86 per adult. You do need to have some sense of balance as you will be rock hopping across the river innumerable times. The Samaria Gorge has taken its name from the village of Samaria (abandoned today). 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