SAMARIA

Samaria is the longest gorge in Europe. The unique nature reserve of the Samaria Canyon covers a vast territory from the Omalos plateau to the southern coast of Crete, the village of Agia Roumeli. Its length is 16 km, its height is 1236 m, and its beauty defies description. The time of passing the gorge is about 5-6 hours. The river Tarreos runs along the entire length of the gorge, which got its name from the ancient city of Tara, in the place of which there was a now abandoned settlement – the village of Samaria. The Samaria Gorge is a National Park – an ecological paradise with many types of vegetation and rare animals. There are several remarkable ecosystems here: cypress, oak and pine forests, alpine meadows, untouched underground caves, coastal thickets and rocks. More than 300 species of plants, 32 species of mammals, more than 10 species of reptiles, 200 species of birds. The gorge is one of the 10 main attractions of Crete.