Location : Dans l’ouest de la Crète, sur le plateau d’Omalos et dans le Parc National de Samaria. Site protégé en tant que réserve de biosphère par l’Unesco et le Réseau Natura 2000.
Path marking: no need, just follow the riverbed. LengthTotal distance: 16km. 13km of gorges + 3km after the exit of the gorges, on flat ground, to the sea, in Agia Roumeli. GPS coordinates Latitude : 35.30807 Longitude : 23.91836
Elevation gain: 1 227m DurationFrom 4 to 8 hours, depending on the pace chosen and the stops.
Map of the Samaria Gorge, Crete
Difficulty: aucune, mais demande, bien sûr, une bonne condition physique et le pied sûr, car, à des endroits, on marche sur de gros galets du lit de la rivière, asséchée en été. Et c’est quand même 16km ! Au départ, c’est la descente dans les gorges, avec ses 600 marches, bien que larges, c’est quand même sportif. Les enfants, à éviter avant 8-9 ans, sinon, vous risquez de les avoir sur les épaules …
Ticket price : 5€ (individual), free for EU citizens under 18, students (EU) and over 65 (EU). Family price 3€/person. Purchase at the entrance or on the website: https://samaria-tickets.necca.gov.gr/checkout
Equipment.: You will need: good hiking boots or trainers in good condition, a bottle of water, provisions for a small picnic, bandages in case of blisters, sun cream and a swimming costume for a well-deserved swim at the exit of the gorges, at the beach of Agia Roumeli. The route is rather shady except for the last 3 km after the exit of the gorges. However, there is a shuttle service for the last few kilometers on the flat terrain.
Start point Omalos: Hamlet of Omalos (see map) on the homonymous plateau, 40km from Chania which is the main town of the county. The entrance to the gorge is called xyloskalo (wooden steps, in Greek, but in reality it is the wooden risers). The exit of the gorge leads to the village of Agia Roumeli (hiking downstream). You can also hike the other way, upstream. It is less exciting...
Samaria gorge, Crete
Opening date : Normaly, opening on May 1st mai et fermeture le 31 octobre. A confirmer, suivant météo. Tel +30 2821067179 (Office des Forêts) ou 030 2821092943 (Office de Tourisme de Chania). Sinon appelez l’hôtel à l’entrée des gorges « Neos Omalos »
Horaires d’ouverture : 7h-16h. Il faut quitter les gorges avant 18h
Best season : May, June, September, October
Instructions : Ne rien prélever (plantes), ne pas fumer sauf dans les aires aménagées, quitter les gorges avant 18h, et garder le ticket pour le montrer au contrôle de sortie. Somme figures: In 2022, an estimated 160,000 visitors passed through the Samaria Gorge for a revenue of €900,000.
Tip : Pour éviter de vous réveiller trop tôt pour prendre le bus de 6 :00 de Chania, et surtout éviter la foule en été, une solution consiste à prendre le bus de 14 :00 la veille, passer la nuit à l’hôtel sur place, et le lendemain matin démarrer la randonnée parmi les premiers à 7 :00 et apprécier le silence ou plutôt les bruits d’une nature généreuse. Une autre variante est de démarrer la randonnée vers midi, après le passage de la foule, sortir avant la fermeture de 18 :00, et passer la nuit à Agia Roumeli.
STEPS OF THE HIKE
How to get there: To get there, different options are available: bus, taxi or excursion organised by a Tourist Agency.
The bus. To get to the Bus Station of Chania town, called " KTEL Sation», take the busChania=>Omalos, and an hour later, it drops you off at Xyloskalo, at the entrance to the Samaria Gorge. First bus at about 6am.Samaria gorgeand an hour later, it drops you off at Xyloskalo, at the entrance to the Samaria Gorge. The first bus is at about 6am. A variant, already mentioned, is to arrive the day before and spend the night there, at the Neos Omalos hotel. Price of the bus ticket: 7,50€. It is advisable to book your tickets in advance on the KTEL website. " KTEL, bus tickets online«
Take a taxi. Price about 80€. From Chania, it will take you to the entrance of the gorge, in Omalos, in front of Xyloskalo. For the return trip you order a taxi from Sougia or Chora Sfakion toSamaria excursion with Kyriakakis Travel
Whether by bus or taxi, at the exit of the gorge, in Agia Roumeli, the only solution for your return to the starting point, is the boat of the Company Anendyk which will take you to Chora Sfakion (1h30), Sougia (45min) or Paleochora (1h30). From there, you have to take the bus or the taxi. For the bus, check the KTEL timetable and book your ticket on their website.
A more practical alternative is to contact a Travel agency, and join a group with a guide. A comfortable bus will leave early in the morning and take you to the entrance of the gorge, in Xyloskalo. It will pick you up at the end of the trip, usually in Sougia and sometimes in Chora Sfakion around 18:00. Price of the excursion, around 35€ and half price for children. Of course, you have to add the 5€ for the entrance to the gorge and theAgia Roumeli. Exit from the Samaria GorgePrice of the excursion, around 35€ and half price for children. Of course, you have to add the 5€ for the entrance to the gorges and the 12-13€ for the boat.
A last solution, a little risky, is to go to the entrance of the gorge with your own car, cross the gorge, take the boat to Sougia, and from Sougia take either a taxi that you have previously booked, or the 18:00 bus to Chania that stops at the entrance of the gorge. And you have come full circle. You should, of course, check that this link is still available during your stay. (see our page Samaria in the Top 10 of Crete)
The article's editor: Nicolas Degeorges / Padadogeorgakis Nikos
