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The gorge of Samaria, whose fame has practically spread across
the world, is probably the best known natural monument in the
region of Chania. Thousands of nature lovers visit this unique
gorge every year, from May to October, when it’s open to the
public. Distance from Ksiloskalo, the gorge’s northern entrance,
to Aghia Roumeli, its exit, is 16 km.
Once every year, usually at the beginning of the season, the Greek
Mountaineering Club of Chania, after receiving a special license
by the Forests Department, carries out a two-day excursion
with an overnight stay in the middle of the route, at the historic
village of Samaria. This is an excellent opportunity for visitors to
approach the gorge from a different point of view.
The earlier we start walking, the better! The first three kilometers
is the most difficult part of the route, but it is a critical segment
in order to pass through the gorge in the most comfortable way
possible. Both natural and artificial staircases with significant
inclination lead us slowly and carefully to Neroutsiko, the first
well, some 45 minutes after the starting point. We stop here to
drink the cool fresh water and take photos of the magnificent
landscape: the cypress forest through which we can see the White
Mountains.
We keep up with the same slow pace, ignoring whether others might also choose to move uphill at some points in order to
run or not... We keep walking downhill, with the beautiful small avoid the wild river bed. We pass through two more wells and
river flows running on both sides, as there’s lots of fresh water we end up at the village of Samaria. It’s been 3 hours and 15
there in May. This doesn’t worry us however, since we remain on minutes since we started our route. Our longest stop will be
the central, specially shaped path. The next stop is at the chapel of in this settlement. Some houses have been renovated, since
Saint Nicholas, whose surrounding area includes resting spots, a until 1962 –when the gorge of Samaria was listed in the State
forest guard post, rest rooms and one more fresh water well (we Parks– there had only been very few habitants in the village.
have already left behind the well at Riza Sykias, close to Aghios The medical center, the forest guard post, the 2-3 guesthouses
Nikolaos). If we are lucky, here is where we will see the Kri Kri, the and some storehouses, are all made of stone and stand proud
famous Cretan goat of the gorge that often leaves the steep slopes and renovated next to the ruined buildings.
where it lives in order to eat the trekkers’ leftovers. Three historic chapels are found at the greater Samaria area:
From that point onwards, the route seems to become milder. Ai Ghiorghis (“Saint George”) at a higher level, the temple
The forest is still thick and the path is well preserved, whereas we of Christos (“Christ”) in the middle and Ossia Maria (“Holy
Mary”) a bit further down. In fact, many believe that the
gorge of Samaria owes its name to Ossia Maria. We shall not
take another stop from there on; we slowly walk through the
well of Perdika without stopping. Cypresses, pine trees and plane trees offer their cool shade
to us until we finally reach the Kefalovrissia well, the last to find in our route. After a short
stop for a few minutes we find Portes in front of us. The gorge’s most narrow point, only 3 m
wide and 100 m tall, is the route’s best known and most photographed point. We walk towards
the exit and the last guard post, some 20 minutes away from Portes. Trekking through this
unique gorge is completed as we slowly walk within a landscape of fewer trees, as the smell
of the sea becomes more and more intense. The gorge’s exit is followed by a 3 km asphalted/
cemented road, but the effort spent until that point makes this supposedly easy part feel a bit
WATCH THE VIDEO uncomfortable under the mid-summer heat. This beautiful experience is completed with a
refreshing dive in the Libyan sea and a stop at the taverns of Aghia Roumeli across the sea
shore, in order to regain the lost calories!
Το φαράγγι της Σαμαριάς, από τα πιο γνωστά στην Έλλάδα και όχι μόνο, είναι ένα ιδιαίτερο
φυσικό μνημείο στο Νομό Χανίων. Κάθε χρόνο, χιλιάδες φυσιολάτρεις το διασχίζουν από
το Μάιο μέχρι τον Οκτώβριο που επιτρέπεται η είσοδος. Η απόσταση από το Ξυλόσκαλο,
που είναι η βόρεια αφετηρία της πεζοπορίας, μέχρι την Αγία Ρουμέλη, που είναι η έξοδος,
είναι 16 χιλιόμετρα.

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