The Samaria Gorge, in Crete, has rightly become one of the iconic hiking destinations of Europe. The 16km canyon runs from a plateau beneath the White Mountains all the way to the Libyan Sea. It is the longest gorge in Greece and forms part of the E4 hiking trail that traverses Europe. But that’s just the start of an experience that has become a rite of passage for anyone wanting to explore the extraordinarily diverse region of Chania on foot.
Containing 450 species of plant and animal life (70 endemic to Crete), the Samaria Gorge is a UNESCO-protected Biosphere Reserve. You will pass through forests of pine, cypress and holly trees, and by no fewer than 22 freshwater springs, as well as abandoned villages and churches you can pop into. The gorge itself is 150m at its widest but narrows to just 3m, with sheer walls of rock soaring skyward.
If tackled from Xyloskalo to the sea, it is downhill all the way. And although you crisscross a river multiple times – sometimes over wooden bridges, sometimes hopping from rock to rock – it’s not a difficult or technical hike. Just don’t expect to pass as effortlessly as the gorge’s real residents – the Cretan ‘kri-kri’ mountain goats.
There’s no better build-up to hiking Crete’s most famous gorge than the view from the taverna at Xyloskalo, at an altitude of 1,200m. The path starts from here, with quite a steep descent over stone steps through a forest of pine and cypress trees.
Almost 3km into your walk is the first rest point of the Samaria Gorge trail, at Riza Sykias. Alternatively, you could choose to push on a further 1km to Agios Nikolaos. Both have natural sources you can drink from and centuries-old cypress trees. The chapel of Agios Nikolaos is where, in the late 1700s, thousands of women and children hid during an uprising against the Turks.
When you reach the abandoned village of Samaria, you will find it astonishing to think that people lived this remotely until 1962, when the gorge was made a part of the White Mountains National Park and the residents were resettled. Samaria takes its name from the village’s church, Osia Maria (Saint Mary). From here, the canyon begins to narrow and the landscape becomes more wild.
Perhaps the most impressive (certainly the most photographed) part of the Samaria Gorge is here, where the canyon narrows to just 3m and the walls soar more than 100m above you. As you cross over bridges, the gorge begins to widen again and you know that you’ve nearly arrived.
What better way to celebrate the end of your hike than a swim? About 3.2km from the end of the gorge is the beach of Agia Roumeli, next to a village with the same name. Enjoy every minute of it.
