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Martin_S. Says: Take the time to leave the beaten track and drop down the side to the waters edge. Spent a few peaceful moments with only the rippling of the water over the rocks to keep me company and it was wonderful.As you can see in the photos here you can find all sorts of things that...
Martin_S. Says: One of the most fantastic spots on the hike is a spot where the canyon narrows to a mere slit and you walk between towering rock cliffs. The "narrows" must be made of strong stuff to control the flow of water that will speed through here during torrential rain...it would be...
Martin_S. Says: Without doubt for me the hike in Samaria Gorge was one of the highlights of our visit to Crete, that and of course visiting the centers of Minoan civilization, but we will talk about that on another page.Samaria Gorge and the difficulty in reaching it presents a problem for...
sieffron Says: This is the Iron Gate, the narrowest part of Samaria Gorge. It comes at the conclusion of the trail, or at the beginning if you choose to walk the final section of the gorge in reverse and turn around and come back out. That's cheating though.
sieffron Says: Samaria Gorge, at 16 km is one of Europe's longest. It begins at an altitude of 1,250 meters (about 4,150 feet) and finishes at the shores of the Libyan Sea. The best part is, you don't ever have to walk uphill!
jelw Says: Please if you can identify this building let mwe know.I thought it was a small church, but I'm not positive. It was however an interesting building on the beach at Souia.
jelw Says: a good view of a pelican, the beach, the town or the mountains.
jelw Says: The beach at Souia has at least 1 pelican that has made it home. He wanders happily. Doesn't seem to mind the folks milling around or above, see the next photo. My Freinds son Stephen was sitting in the tree directly above the pelican.
Ferry Ride from Agia Roumeli to Hora Skafion
sieffron Says: No matter what time you finish walking Samaria Gorge, you may as well spend the rest of the afternoon at the beach at Agia Roumeli and then catch the last ferry (6 pm) to Hora Skafion, where buses wait to take you back to Hania. It's a beautiful ride in the very late...
Cooling off After Walking Samaria Gorge
sieffron Says: The best way to finish off a day of exertion in the gorge is to take a dip in the ocean. There's a scorching black sand beach (with beach chairs) to lay out on and a clear ocean to swim in after you've finished your long walk.
Reflecting Back on the Walk Through Samaria Gorge
sieffron Says: You should walk down to the beach at Agia Roumeli after finishing the gorge. There are some more decent sights and views along the way and it's nice to cool off in the ocean after a lot of walking.
sieffron Says: The last 2 or 3 km of the gorge has very high and steep cliffs and is definitely the highlight of the walk.
sieffron Says: Walking through the Samaria Gorge helps kill a lot of time.
sieffron Says: Keep an eye out for these green-eyed goats, which are indigenous to the Samaria Gorge.
Samaria: Samaria Restaurant, don't miss the menu
Martin_S. Says: Take a look at the menu...^O^Yes it does say LAMP in Oven, the most interesting dish on the menu. Okay, kidding aside, we chose this restaurant at random as we came out of our visit to the Samaria Gorge and it turned out that all the items we enjoyed, rolled in big flat...
Restaurant/Taverna on the beach: Good breakfast selection
jelw Says: This restaurant is directly in front of the beach. We had our choice of baked goods, musli and fresh fruit with a nice cup of coffee for breakfast. In the afternoon we could get a refreshing drink to have in the shade of the terrace or on the beach.Above is a small hotel.
sieffron Says: There's a couple of decent restaurants at the Agia Roumeli beach, after you finish walking Samaria Gorge. They've got pretty standard Greek Isle fare, but it's great to be able to fill up on food and beer after doing something useful with your day. It also means you don't...
sieffron Says: If you're coming from Hania, and want to end up in Hania at the end of the same day, it's a good idea to catch as early of a bus as possible. I believe the first one leaves Hania at 6:15 am and arrives at the gorge trail head at about 7:30. We caught the second bus at 7:30...
No Need to Roll a 5 Gallon Water Jug Along the Way
sieffron Says: small daypack lightweight shirt and bathing suit / water shorts, sunglasses, hiking shoes, or supportive sneakers with a decent tread a polarized filter for your camera helps - it's freakin' bright there towel for Agia Roumeli beach you only need to bring a small water...
Martin_S. Says: As you approach the ferry landing of Aghios Nikolaos, which lies at the entrance to the Samaria Gorge, you are presented with a view that does not seem to promise much...a small (tiny is a better word) port with a few shops and restaurants greets you. From there you proceed...
Plan a Samaria vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Samaria locals
Hiking the Samaria Gorge is highly recommended while on Crete. Get there early to catch as much of it as possible in the morning light.
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This is the first vista offered up before even entering the gorge. Quite enticing, yes?
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We travel from Chania over the mountain in a tiny van. Beautiful yet frightening trip. Heading for the Libyan Sea. A small town called Souia, Souija or Soudia depending on which map you are looking......
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Samaria Gorge, southwest Crete
Just getting to the entrance to the gorge is a project in itself. It is NOT a round trip hike unless you do the hike there and back. The usual way to do this hike is take a bus to the entrance of the...
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Samaria is the longest gorge in Europe and is said to be the most beautiful on the island of Crete, it is also a national park. It is 16 km long, starts on Omalos plateau in place called Xyloskalo...
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