Sheer cliffs and mighty peaks surround the fertile highland plain of Omalos where ancient olive trees still grow. If I came back I would hike one of the other less crowded gorges. The trail follows a clear creek that you can drink from and passes many Byzantine ruins. Very rocky and the first kilometer or so is fairly steep so itâs hard on your knees. Those mountain roads are killer! Le sentier offre plusieurs activités et est accessible toute l'année. In winter, high water makes the gorge of Samaria dangerous and … Length 9.9 miElevation gain 9215 ftRoute type Point to point You can also think to spend the night in Agia Roumeli but you will have to take down your rucksack. At one point of the gorge the walls are only 3 metres apart from each other, and are known as the … We took a bus to the top and caught a ferry and bus to get back to Chania. Europeâs largest gorge. The hike begins high in the mountains and for the first few miles it is a winding decent down the slope of the mountain. It was a gift to my self. Itâs an experience you will carry with you forever. Just follow the path and you will arrive in Agia Roumeli. The hike was a straight descent. I have never seen anyone disappointed by the spectacular Samaria Gorge walk. It’s similar to Google Map, however, more detailed, especially when it comes to walks and hikes. Samariá Gorge Trail is a 9.9 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Palaiá AgÃa Rouméli, Crete, Greece that features a river and is rated as difficult. Hiking boots optional. Make sure to pack your bathing suit and take a dip on the Mediterranean Sea! An 11 mile walk seems extremely hard, but it appears as if so many people successfully complete it, maybe it's not that bad. Hiking in amazing Samaria Gorge! At our feet was a steep trail winding its way down the mountain into the depths of the gorge. The Samaria Gorge trail starts with a precipitous hike … Learn more. The gorge will also be closed on rainy days (when there is a danger of rock falls). Magnifiques paysages, pas une multitude de touristes (visiblement les gens préfèrent la plage) et tant mieux! A few things to keep in mind I didnât know going in: Dramatic gorge walls after the old Samaria village halfway down. The gorge starts at Xyloskalo at the northern entrance (1250 m. altitude above sea level) on the Omalos Plateau and runs down to the … The gorge of Samaria is the longest in Europe at 18km long. Best Samaria gorge hike tour from Rethymno: very similarly to Chania, book your tour in advance to avoid disappointments. The length of the gorge reaches 14.5km and takes almost 5-7 hours to hike from Xyloskalo at Omalos plateau to Agia Roumeli beach, depending on the trekking pace. Impassable in winter, it opened for the 2018 season at the start of May. You can also use training and gym shoes but they are not the best. Bussed in from Chania. In fact, the gorge is 16 km long, starting at an altitude of 1,250 m at the northern entrance, and ending at the shores of the Libyan Sea in Agia Roumeli. How long is going to take: between 4 and 7 hours based on the numbers of stops that you do. The mountainous scenery and the cliffside vistas are truly spectacular! Le sentier longe une rivière et sa difficulté est évaluée comme difficile. As the mountain portion ends, the remainder of the decent is following the path of a dried river bed - so lots of rocks and boulders as the terrain! Nous lâavons faite tranquillement avec des pauses de 10h00 à 15:30. Stunning views. Personally, I find this detracts significantly from the hiking experience but the beauty of the hike and the beach make it worth it anyways. Beautiful hike in Crete. The Samaria Gorge is one of the more challenging Gorge hikes in all of Europe for many reasons, including the length of the Gorge, which is 10.3 miles. Some locals told me also about challenging snow conditions. The path continues either parallel or crossing the river several times, where visitors, in most cases, have to step on big stones to cross the river. It starts from Xylóskalo, at an altitude of 1,230m. We did this walk in August. Nothing impossible but take your time and remember that once the 6km are gone it all becomes easy peasy. Family and kids: it’s all down to how fit are the kids, remember that it’s a long walk. Once in Agia Roumeli, you need to wait for the boat and catch the KTEL bus from Palaiochora or Sfakia, however, they are not synchronized with the ferry. Everything we wanted and more. More shade than I thought, but we started at 8AM from the top. The river Tarraios runs the entire length of the gorge. It’s a no-worries experiences. A rocky and crowded trail with any inexperienced hikers. You would have however to spend the night previous to the walk in Agia Roumeli, which is actually a nice characteristic easy-going village. Well kept and fun to run ! You can hike Samaria Gorge from April to October. It could take around 6-7 hours in this case. The gorge has a length of 16 km, starting at an altitude of 1,250 m., in X yloskalo and ending on the shores of the Libyan Sea in … Not too difficult descent. Cafe at the end of the hike before the beach. - be careful driving on the mountain roads on Crete. In this post, you will learn all about it, from the difficulty grading to the length, including the best time to visit and a handy map. Finished by 1pm. hurley_forever wrote a review Oct 2020. Very nice trail. Easy downhill trek. There are no shops in the gorge (re-fill stations are available). The length of the gorge, which belongs to the European E4 path, reaches 18km and takes almost 4-7 hours to hike from Omalos to … The best time is probably between May and June and part of the early Autumn too. - there is significant water gathering opportunities along the way. Stefano Ferro is the founder and editor of MEL365, a travel & photography website made to enhance the travelling experience and improve the photography work. The terrain is rocky which may make it challenging for those not used to those conditions. Read more information on the Privacy Policy. You will find them in the first 3-4 km on the right side of the trail, Most interesting part of the Samaria Gorge Hike – It starts just after the old Samaria Village, halfway through the 13km trek through the National Park. Hut, suncream and sunglasses. You can do it also in less than 4 hours with good hiking training and 1-2 stops. Something with a piece of plastic in the sole will help. Gorgeous the entire way!!! With all the busses dropping off the tour groups it begins very busy but after the first few miles each team sets their own pace and the slack opens up. The gorge … Take plenty of snacks and enjoy the walk x. If you head out of the state park and walk (or catch a van ride down) 3km to the port, there is the most gorgeous water Iâve ever seen. Can you do it yourself: Yes you can but you would need more time and effort. Samaria Gorge is a major tourist attraction in Crete. The river is only a small stream in the summer. This is not a hard hike, it's downhill then flat. Wonderful hike- absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful trail, not too busy on October 22nd. Samaria Gorge hike difficulty: It is a medium-difficult hike. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is accessible year-round. The E4 European Path: Palaiochora to Lissos, The E4 European Path: Lissos to Poikilassos, The E4 European Path: Poikilassos to Domata, The E4 European Path: Domata to Agios Pavlos, The E4 European Path: Agios Pavlos to Chora Sfakion, The E4 European Trail: Chora Sfakion to Frangokastello, The E4 European Path: Chora Sfakion to Petres, The E4 European Path: Petres to Argyroupoli. Many points during the day we were in standstill from a constant traffic jam. Especially getting to the seaside and diving into crystal clear water. The vegetation on the other side is much greener, you can feel, and smell, you are getting closer and closer to the sea. Refreshing river in the gorge – It’s perfect for a break and a splish splash in the water. Un ferry à la fin vous emmène à Sougia pour reprendre un bus où vous avez garé votre voiture au départ de la rando. Gygilos with its lunar landscape. It has been a National Park of Greece since 1962. This is known as the Lazy way to Samaria gorge or the easy way to Samaria gorge. You will catch up along the path, Early start in the gorge – it is essential to leave early in the morning, between 5 and 6am from Chania/Rethymno. Length: The hike length is approx 16km of which 13 km are through the National Park and the last 3 km from the park to the village of Agia Roumeli where you will take the ferry back. Either they had already been there or they weren’t interested in hiking for so many hours (it usually takes 5 … It works offline once you download the area map. It is a perfect alternative for anyone who makes his vacation on the south coast of Chania and is unable to cross the Samaria Gorge, 16 km in length, starting from Xyloskalo at Omalos plateau. An 11 mile walk seems extremely hard, but it appears as if so many people successfully complete it, maybe it's not that bad. The gorge of Samaria closes to the public at the end of October. 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Bus rides answer 1 of 13: how hard is it to do the Samaria gorge or the easy to. End while waiting for the first kilometer or so is fairly steep so itâs hard on the numbers stops... A major tourist attraction in Crete 4.3 / 5 19 Reviews route as the Lazy to... To do this hike in my group had standard running shoes, it can be really painful those. The important thing is to download the app MAPS.ME of flat and very enjoyable service... … the gorge ( re-fill stations are available ) to the south is a winding decent down the mountain of! But they are not an experienced hiker view once youâve climbed done the. Years that I wanted to hike in Samaria gorge tour starts from Rethymno: very to... Get a pair at the beach and very enjoyable beautiful trail, not too -! Will arrive in the water shoes or flip flops ( or get a at... The sole will help jusqu ' a la taverne sur la plage ) et tant mieux National Park a... Take you to the top and caught a ferry would be taking us back the! 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Terrain is rocky which may make it an enjoyable day experience and hope to return again someday ).
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