Crete Day 7: May 10 - Hiking through the Samaria Gorge

The definitely most challenging day of our entire vacation: the hike through the 18 kilometers long Samaria Gorge! Everywhere it was said that this hike is a must-do if you're in the area. And, well, we were in the area and took on the challenge. But was it really a must-do? I'll get to that later.

From Chania to Omalos

We didn't take the car for the excursion to the Samaria Gorge, but this time we took the bus from Chania. We had already bought the tickets the day before, which is highly recommended if you don't want to wait forever. Also, only as many tickets are sold as there are seats, so there's a risk of not being able to join the hike. We decided to take the first bus that left at 7:45 am to the entrance of the gorge in Omalos. This way we could start as early as possible. After all, we didn't know exactly how long the hike would take and having as much time as possible was certainly not a bad idea. Surprisingly, the bus left on time.

Hiking is the miller's joy...

We arrived at the entrance of the gorge around 9 am. For the early morning hours, a thin jacket is definitely worth it, because Omalos is located at about 1000 meters. It's still a bit chilly in the morning. We bought the tickets for the entrance into the gorge, enjoyed the great view from up here, and then it was time to go.

At some point, we reached a more flat terrain. But we were still fit! Since the entire path is quite rocky, I highly recommend hiking shoes. Even though it is already prohibited to enter the gorge with high heels or flip flops, I wouldn't have wanted to walk along even with sneakers and was very happy about my hiking shoes. They served me well!

The landscape along the way was actually quite monotonous. Forest, rocks, trees, mountains, streams...I don't know why but I had expected something more from the highly praised Samaria Gorge. Maybe some wild animals or a totally fascinating landscape, I don't know exactly :D

What was also quite bitter: the toilet situation. After my first visit to a so-called toilet, I actually managed not to have to go to the bathroom for the rest of the day. Because this toilet consisted only of a hole in the ground. And let me tell you, people can't aim properly for either the big or the small business. I spare you the details.

At some point, we passed by the abandoned village 'Samaria', which is where the Samaria Gorge got its name from. That meant we had already completed a large part of the hike. However, my feet started to hurt a little.

Agia Roumeli

But we hadn't quite made it yet; the village of Agia Roumeli was still about 2 kilometers from the exit of the gorge. At some point, we saw the first houses. And also the sea! In Agia Roumeli, we spent some time buying ferry tickets to Chora Sfakion. From there, the buses would take us back. Then we had a meal to fuel up and spent some time at the beach. It felt good to dip our weary feet into the pleasantly cool water!

On the way back

Later, we took the ferry, which offered a great view of the gorge. On the way, we also passed by the village of Loutro, which can only be reached by waterways.

Conclusion

I'm proud to have completed the hike and I'm glad that we had this experience, but whether I would do it again, I don't know. You definitely shouldn't underestimate the 18 kilometers. It may not sound like much and is manageable on flat ground, but it's a whole different story going downhill on uneven paths. During the peak season, I would probably completely advise against it, as there are sure to be thousands of people on the hike, not to mention that it's probably too hot for such a hike in the summer months. Fortunately, we had pleasant temperatures. However, those who want to take on the hike should definitely be equipped with hiking shoes and at least have a basic level of fitness.

Oh, and muscle soreness is practically guaranteed!