Hiking At Samaria, The Longest Gorge In Europe! From Heraklion

Stop in Skaleta for breakfast.

Our venture starts with the Bus pick-up very early in the morning( 06.00 Hours) After a short stop near Rethimno Town, where we can get breakfast, we will reach the Omalos Plateau and the entrance of the Gorge at an altitude of 1100m. The hike begins from Xiloskalo, where we enter the 18km long Gorge of Samaria. The passage follows the route of the ancient river Taras. During the walk, we can admire the caves that protected the Cretans in war times, creating a natural shelter which now has been embedded and accepted by the mother nature, creating a natural habitat of the well-known, as well as endangered species Kri-Kri (wild goats). We will discover Herbs and Plants, many of which are growing only on Crete. Halfway, we walk through the abandoned village of Samaria and the Church of Ossia Maria reaching the Iron Gates (Sideroportes), the most remarkable and narrow spot of the route with a height of 300 meters, but only a few meters of width, making even the bravest worried about walking through them. Finally, to offer the ultimate relief to our tiredness we arrive at the end of our journey, the village of Aghia Roumeli, where there will be enough time to rest, taste a real Cretan lunch and enjoy a swim in the crystal clear waters of the Libyan Sea, before the ship leads us back along the coast to the village of Sfakia.

At the end of the gorge, free time for lunch and a refreshing swim before boarding the ship that leads us back along the coast to Sfakia.

Short stop for a snack before returning back to Heraklion.