Samaria Gorge
National Park Of Samaria (1962) In The White Mountains, A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: A 16 Km Gorge Walk From Xyloskalo To The Sea At Agia Roumeli · Omalos, Crete
The Samaria Gorge in the White Mountains of western Crete is one of Europe's classic day hikes: about 16 km downhill through the National Park of Samaria, from Xyloskalo on the Omalos plateau at about 1,230 m to the sea, plus about 3 km more to the village of Agia Roumeli on the Libyan Sea. The path drops steeply through pine and cypress forest, follows a stony riverbed past the abandoned village of Samaria and squeezes through the Iron Gates, where the walls stand hundreds of metres high and only a few metres apart. The park, created in 1962 and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, protects the kri-kri wild goat. There is no road out: you leave by ferry from Agia Roumeli, then a bus, which is why most people come on an organised day tour from Chania or Rethymno or on the first bus. The honest caveats: it is long and hard on knees and ankles, very busy in summer, and it opens only from about May to October, closing on days of heavy rain or high wind.
Upper entrance at Xyloskalo on the Omalos plateau, about 42 km south of Chania; exit at Agia Roumeli on the Libyan Sea (boat only), Omalos, Crete, Greece
Seasonal: in 2026 the gorge opened in May and usually runs to about the end of October; dates change each year with snow and rockfall. Entry from Xyloskalo roughly from 07:00; late starters are stopped or turned back, and everyone must be out by late afternoon - confirm current hours. It closes on days of heavy rain or high wind. Buy dated e-tickets on the official national park (NECCA) system or at the gate, roughly EUR 10 (confirm). Early KTEL buses run from Chania to Omalos (about 1 hour); the exit is by ferry from Agia Roumeli to Sougia or Chora Sfakion, then a bus back.