Review:

Located on the island of Crete in the White Mountains, the Samaria Gorge is part of the National park of Samaria established in 1962 and the Biosphere Reserve. A fairly small river that runs between the White Mountains and Mt. Volakias formed it. The gorge is closed to visitors during the winter rainy months when it sometimes fills with fast running water. This spectacular gorge is a very popular tourist destination, and it gets very crowded at times even though it takes up to seven hours to cross it and requires a certain level of fitness.

The gorge is 16 km long, starting at 1230 meters altitude, and it takes you down to the coast of the Libyan Sea in the village of Agia Roumeli. The most interesting part of the gorge is the narrow stretch called the Gates or Iron Gates where the gorge narrows to only four meters, soaring to a height of 980 feet. The gorge is a refuge for the rare Cretan goat kri-kri, which lives only in the park and a small island off the shore of Agia Marina. The gorge is home to several other rare and endemic species and many species of Mediterranean flowers and birds.

Old National Road Chanion-Kissamou, Lefka Ori (White Mountains), Sfakia, Crete 730 05, Greece, Phone: +30-2821-045570

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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