FEEL ADVENTUROUS AT SAMARIA GORGE IN CRETE

The locals call it the ‘Farangas’ or ‘Great Gorge’, both in admiration at its beauty and to differentiate it from the many other, smaller gorges of the island.

Greatly inspiring and ruggedly beautiful, Samaria or the Samaria Gorge, Crete’s most stunning canyon offers those who traverse it an unforgettable experience.

The Samaria Gorge is in west Crete, in the White Mountains and it is the longest gorge in Europe, with a length of 18 kilometres. It starts at Xyloskalo, more than 1200 meters above sea level, on the Omalos Plateau and runs down to the seaside village of Agia Roumeli on the south coast of Crete. The number of people who do this trek is getting close to 200,000 a year which is even more amazing when you consider that it is closed from November to May to limit the number of people washed away by the torrent which rages through it during those months.

The gorge was formed by a small river which runs between the White Mountains and Mount Volakias. The village of Samaria used to be located inside of the gorge, but was finally abandoned by the last remaining inhabitants in 1962 to make way for the Samaria Gorge Park. The village and the gorge take their names from the village’s ancient church, Óssia María.

The Samaria National Park is exceptionally rich in plant and animal life. In the gorge you will find unique species protected under international law. It is said that there are 450 plant species in the gorge, and not a single flower may be removed from Samaria, by law. Don’t see this as a pointlessly strict rule, but as the only way to protect the delicate ecosystem of Samaria so that thousands of visitors can continue to enjoy it each year.

In Samaria you can admire the forests of huge pine and cypress trees, a picture from Crete’s past, when the island was covered by forests famous for their timber, ideal for building strong ships.

Inside the gorge you may even meet its famous inhabitants, the wild goats of Crete, which the locals call ‘agrimia’ and tourists call ‘kri-kri’. The Cretan wild goat is endemic to Crete and you will probably see some in the village of Samaria, as they often approach the houses at the edge of the village.

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