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WALK 2

The Gorge of Samaria National Park

Start Xyloscala 1240m (4068ft) Finish Ay. Roumeli Distance 16km (10 miles). Length of gorge: 13km (8 miles) Grade B Time Xyloscala to Ay. Nikolaos chapel 1hr 30mins; to Samaria old village 1hr 10mins; to Iron Gates 1hr 10mins; to park boundary 40mins; to Ay. Roumeli waterfront 30mins; total 5hrs Height loss 1240m (4068ft) Access KTEL Omalos bus or taxi from Chania Access to finish Coastal ferryboat service (see below) Notes Entrance fee

This hugely popular walk down the Samaria Gorge has brought much prosperity to western Crete. Perhaps as a result several smaller gorges in Crete have been developed as attractive walking routes. Although the National Park of the Gorge of Samaria has evolved in this way, part of it was designated a nature reserve as long ago as 1929, when biologists determined that the Cretan wild goat, or agrimi – (the ‘kri-kri’) – would become extinct if they did not take steps to save it. This ongoing project has its ups and downs but it is a fundamental reason why the gorge today is a well-organised national park run according to World Conservation Union standards.