Trekking through the Samaria Gorge

An abandoned village, "kri-kri" goats, and Crete's deepest canyon:

Are you really going to miss the hike through Samaria Gorge?

I don't think so… 😉

Technical details

Outline of the route inside Samaria Gorge

Difficulty: medium-low.
Distance: 16 km (one-way).
Elevation gain/loss: 1240 m (descent).
Hiking time: 4 – 6 hours.
Starting point: Xyloskalo, Omalos (entrance gate).
Ending point: Agia Roumeli (finish line – ferry).
Date completed (photographs): October, 2013.

How to get there

Mountain peaks at the start of Samaria Gorge, Crete

With your rental car + boat + bus

If you want to drive up to the entrance gate in your own vehicle, there is a parking lot just a few meters away where you can leave it (heads up, it's not very big).

And on the way back?

When you reach the end of the trail (Agia Roumeli), you need to catch the boat to Sougia and hop on one of the buses (or taxis) heading to Xyloskalo (Omalos) to get back to your car.

From Chania by bus + boat + bus

Many tour companies organize day trips from Chania to Samaria Gorge.

However, you can also take the public buses running the Chania-Omalos-Sougia route (the last bus back leaves Sougia after the ferry arrives) for 7.5-8€ each way.

You'll find some handy links with schedules and routes at the end of this post.

From Paleochora by bus + boat

View of the coast from the Ferry from Agia Roumeli to Paleochora

This was the option we went with:

We caught a bus at the Paleochora station (6.40€/ticket) that departed at 6.15 in the morning (theoretically…) and arrived at the entrance of Samaria National Park at 8.40 after stopping midway to pick up more people.

Once the hike along the gorge was over, we hopped on the 17.30 ferry heading back to Paleochora.

And just like that, we were back home. 😉

When to go

The ideal plan is to arrive nice and early (between 6 and 8 in the morning) so you can tackle the gorge at an easy pace, taking in the scenery.

Crossing the dry riverbed that runs down Samaria Gorge

Plus, this helps you beat the crowds, especially during peak season (July and August).

Fair warning: in early October 2013, it still felt like high season in Samaria Gorge.

Access to the national park is only open from May to mid-October, and staying overnight is strictly forbidden (except on May 1st, the feast day of Saint Mary, which gives the gorge its name).

Samaria Gorge, the walking route

1. Stone stairs

The first part of the trek consists of zigzagging stone stairs that are definitely not made for sensitive knees. 😉

And having to walk down them surrounded by people, with very little room to maneuver and stuck at a snail's pace forced by the crowd, makes it even more stressful.

2. Wide section

When you reach the bottom of the gorge, the path opens up and the walk turns much more pleasant, on a gentle downhill slope for most of the way.

A large part of it winds through shaded greenery and crosses the riverbed here and there. In October it was practically dry, though in spring you'll likely have to get your feet a little wet to cross.

We ran into wild "kri-kri" goats that, instead of running away, came right up to us hoping for a snack.

Feeding the Kri-Kri goats in Samaria Gorge

I can vouch that they devoured the nuts we brought along, but what's that small price compared to having a "kri-kri" goat eat out of your hand? 🙂

3. The village of Samaria and the Iron Gates

Once you leave behind the ruins of the old village of Samaria (which was evacuated when the area became a protected national park), the canyon gradually begins to narrow until you reach the Iron Gates, where the distance between the two stone walls is barely 3.5 meters.

Here, there are raised wooden walkways that make the final stretch of the route much easier.

4. Agia Roumeli

The Samaria National Park trail ends at the abandoned buildings of old Agia Roumeli.

To get to the new town, there are still 2 km left, which you can do by bus or on foot.

If you arrive with some spare time, I recommend taking a dip in the black sand and pebble beach of Agia Roumeli before catching the ferry back home (Paleochora, in our case).

What to bring

Food: pack whatever you feel like eating on the trail into your backpack. Need some inspiration?: sandwiches, fruit, nuts, cookies...
Water: inside the gorge there are several drinking fountains, so carrying a 0.5-liter canteen or reusable water bottle per person will be plenty if you refill it along the way.
Restrooms: you'll find several public toilets spread along the trail.
Sun protection: sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen... the usual stuff. 🙂
Clothing: lightweight clothes, hiking shoes, and a swimsuit. Remember that at the end of the hike, a refreshing swim awaits in Agia Roumeli, which will feel absolutely heavenly.
Cash: when we visited, cards weren't accepted, neither at the park entrance nor at the bar where we grabbed a cold drink before boarding the ferry.
Travel insurance: if you want to travel worry-free, book your IATI travel insurance through this link and get a 5% discount. They offer customizable coverage based on your needs and cover all medical expenses upfront if you notify them in advance. I don't travel without them anymore.

Where to sleep

Although there are a few places to stay in Omalos right next to the entrance of Samaria Gorge, most travelers visit it on a day trip from Chania, Paleochora, or Sougia.

In our case, we did the hike on the last day of our stay in Paleochora, where we spent 5 days in total.

Since we traveled in October, we didn't book ahead. However, the most popular places were fully booked (like Lito Apartments) or only had their worst rooms available (which happened to us at Corali Studios).

So we strolled around for a bit until we found Ton Mari Apartments, a relatively new apartment building that looked really nice from the outside.

We called the number on the sign and bingo!

We managed to get 5 nights, though we had to switch apartments once due to prior bookings.

That said, the value for money was fantastic: 135€ in total, which means 27€/night for 2 people.

The only minor complaint is that it was tricky to get hold of Mari (who welcomed us) after that first contact (nothing major if you're patient and keep trying).

And early one morning, the neighbors (fellow tourists) went out of their way to make sure we barely got any sleep. 😉

The rest, perfect.

Trip budget

Bus Paleochora-Samaria: €12.80 (€6.40/person).
Entrance tickets to Samaria National Park: €10 (€5/person).
Ferry Agia Roumeli-Paleochora: €28 (€14/person).
Food: €40.6 (€20.3/person).
Accommodation: 2 nights for 54€ (13.5€/person per night).

In total, taking this day trip to Samaria Gorge from Paleochora plus a 2-night stay cost €145.4 (€72.7/person).

And here you can check out the rest of my trip to Crete:

Map

Got any questions about Samaria Gorge? Leave them in the comments so I can try to help you out. 🙂