Samaria Gorge essentials

Samaria National Park Essentials

Stretching through the White Mountains of western Crete, Samaria National Park features one of Europe's longest canyons. The 16-kilometer trail begins at the Xyloskalo trailhead at 1,230 meters and descends to the coastal village of Agia Roumeli on the Libyan Sea. Key landmarks include the 'Iron Gates,' where the gorge narrows to just four meters between 300-meter cliffs, and the abandoned 14th-century village of Samaria. The park serves as a vital sanctuary for the endangered Cretan wild goat, the kri-kri.

Samaria National Park Essentials — Map

Lukáš Nevosád / CC-BY-SA

A

Samaria Gorge

A beautiful national park. Its top attraction is a point where two massive rocks form a passage just few meters narrow.

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Samaria Gorge entrance

Known as Xyloskalo, this steep wooden staircase at the Omalos plateau marks the northern trailhead and the primary descent into the gorge.

Public domain

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Agia Roumeli Beach

Agia Roumeli is a small village in southwest Crete, Greece. It consists of two parallel streets along the water, with several restaurants…

Rockhopper2 / CC BY-SA 3.0

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The White Mountains

Lefka Ori or Madares is a mountain range located in Western Crete, in the Chania prefecture.

AWI / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Pachnes

The highest peak of the Lefka Ori mountain range and the second highest in Crete, standing at 2,452 meters above sea level.

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Gingilos

A prominent 1,980-meter peak overlooking the Xyloskalo entrance, characterized by its rugged limestone formations and views across the gorge.

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Agios Nikolaos

A small, stone-built Greek Orthodox chapel situated within a grove of ancient cypress trees along the main hiking route.

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Osia Maria

A 14th-century Byzantine chapel dedicated to Saint Mary of Egypt, located within the abandoned village of Samaria.

Deneb / Public domain

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Samaria gorge

The Samariá Gorge is a

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Upper West Fort Agia Roumeli

Ruins of an Ottoman-era fortification situated on a ridge overlooking the village of Agia Roumeli and the Libyan Sea.

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