The gorge walk takes six hours. The first hour, before the crowds arrive, is worth five of the others.
The gate at the top of Samaria opens at 07:00 from May to October. At 07:00, there are perhaps twenty people ahead of you. By 09:00, when the buses from Heraklion arrive, there will be two thousand. The difference between walking the gorge at 07:00 and at 09:00 is the difference between an extraordinary experience and a very long queue.
The descent
The Xyloskalo — wooden staircase — drops 1,000 metres in the first four kilometres. In the early morning the air is cool and the forest of Cretan pine and cypress is extraordinary. By 08:00, if you are moving at a reasonable pace, you reach the gorge floor. The walls rise 300 metres on both sides at the narrowest point. The sound is water and birds. Nothing else.
The wildlife
The Cretan wild goat — the kri-kri — is most active in the early morning. They live on the upper slopes and occasionally come to the gorge floor for water. There are roughly 2,000 in Crete, almost all in the Samaria National Park. The gorge is also home to Bonelli's eagle, one of the largest raptors in Europe.
Practical notes
The walk is 16km one-way, ending at Agia Roumeli on the south coast. Buses from Chania depart at 06:15 to reach the top at 07:00. The return is by ferry from Agia Roumeli to Sfakia, then bus back to Chania. Total journey time: 10-12 hours. Bring 2 litres of water, food, and real walking shoes. Entrance fee €5.
The 06:15 bus from Chania is the one to take. Do not wait for the 07:30. The first hour is the whole point.