Μires
, Crete, Greece

Samaria Canyon

The gorge of Samaria is the second most visited tourist attraction on Crete (following the Minoan palace of Knossos) and by far the most popular walk. More than a quarter million people walk through the gorge every year from May to October. In winter the gorge is closed to visitors due to danger posed by water and falling stones.

The Samaria gorge is the longest one in Europe. It is an area of stunning natural beauty. Rare flora and fauna have survived in this area and are protected. The mountains that have formed it are wild, high and steep. One will pass through forests of ancient cypresses and pines and descend between vertical cliffs. The path starts from Xyloskalo (near Omalos) in the White Mountains at an altitude of 1230 meters and comes to an end at the village of Agia Roumeli at the Libyan sea. Walking through the gorge usually takes anything from 3 to 5 hours (excluding the breaks).

See also
Triopetra

Triopetra

Triopetra is located about 52km south of Rethymno and 13km southeast of the village Akoumia, at the foot of the mountain Siderotas. It can be accessed by car, through paved roads that start either from Akoumia or Sachtouria. Triopetra lies in the ...

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Zaros lake

Zaros lake

The artificial lake of Zaros or Votomos located on the southern slopes of Psiloritis, just 1km north of Zaros. The area was a small wetland before 1987, which was shaped in the crater of Votomos spring. It took its current form in 1987, when the F...

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