The Samaria Gorge is one of the most important attractions in Crete, every year it attracts thousands of visitors, Greeks and foreigners, who trek the 12.8 km from Omalos to Agia Roumeli. In 1962 it was proclaimed as a national park, one of the first in Greece.
Home to many endemic species of birds and animals, the best known being the Cretan wild goat, known as \”Kri-Kri\”.
The gorge got its name from the abandoned village of Samaria.
During the Ottoman period was used as a hideout for rebels and locals. It splits the bulk of the mountain range of the White Mountains, in length it is the second gorge in Europe after the Verdon Gorge in France. It has two natural entrances and it is open to the public from May to October.