The longest and most impressive canyon in Crete, running downhill within the\u00a0Samaria National Park from the village of Omalos, 38 km south of Chania, to the village of Ayia Roumeli on the southern coast of Crete and the Libyan Sea. The Tarraios River flows in the winter through the canyon’s 300 meters high cliffs. Throughout the trail the canyon is wide and open, but in the part called the Iron Gates, about 2 km from the trail end, it narrows down to ~4 meters, where you would cross the river to the other side. Hiking the canyon is best in the Spring when the canyon is flourishing with various wildflowers.
\nIt\u2019s the most popular hiking trail in Crete, 16 km and 6 hours long, and sometimes challenging, descending through dense pinewoods, and winding around large boulders. But the black sandy beach and the refreshing swimming at the end is a great compensation. The trail is a one way hike, with a ferry and bus shuttling\u00a0visitors back to Chania, where you can as most people do, take an organized hiking day trip from Chania.<\/p>\n\n