The Gorge of Samaria
To the south of Chania, in the heart of the prefecture, is the
Omalos plateau which is a circular plain surrounded by verdant
mountains. It is a wild and tranquil place and in springtime the
fertile soil is carpeted with wild grasses and flowers.
The plateau, for centuries, served as a strategic base for
Cretan revolutionaries fighting enemy invasions. The road from
Lakki that leads to the plateau and onwards to the Gorge of
Samaria needs careful manoeuvring. It rises very steeply and
there are many hairpin bends and, in the tourist season from May
to October, many tourist buses travelling to and from the gorge.
The road crosses the plateau passing through the small village
of Omalos and after a few kilometres comes to the Xyloskalo
pass, where the entrance to the Samaria gorge is at a height of
1227 metres above sea level. Xyloskalo means wooden stairs and
relates to the wooden staircase that was built by local people
to ascend the steep entrance into the gorge.
This access has now been replaced by a stone path with a
handrail. In Xyloskalo there is an information centre, parking
and two tourist lodges with viewing posts and refreshments
available to purchase. If you are intending to walk the gorge it
will take an estimated time of around 5 hours and there is
nowhere to purchase food or drink until you come out the other
side at Agia Roumeli. There is a charge to enter the gorge of
around 5 Euros (no concessions).
The gorge of Samaria was declared a National Park in 1962 to
protect its rare flora and fauna, such as the wild ibex, the
Cretan polecat, the rare Harrier Eagle and the Golden Eagle. It
has received a Council of Europe prize for being one of the most
virgin and beautiful natural regions on the continent of Europe.
The park covers an area of 5100 hectares and the gorge has a
total length of 16 km. Visitors may walk the gorge from the
beginning of May until the end of October. However, to really
enjoy the tranquillity of nature, it is advisable to do this
either early or late in the season as the months of July and
August find the gorge teeming with visitors. Approximately 1.5
km. from the gorge s exit is the beautiful little coastal
village of Agia Roumeli, sheltering between the imposing, rugged
mountains and its superb long beach of smooth pebbles and the
deep blue, clear Libyan sea.
This remote village is cut off from the mainland and can only be
reached by boat or on foot through the mountain paths or gorge.
This is a beautifully relaxing place to restore yourself after
walking through the gorge, before taking the small ferry to
Chora Sfakion to the east or Paleo Chora to the west. For those
not able to walk the gorge, it is possible to do this trip in
reverse order by taking a ferry from Chora Sfakion to Ayia
Roumeli and then walk into the gorge from there, returning to
the village when ready to catch the ferry back.