Samaria Gorge will open for visitors as from today, as the Natural Environment & Climate Change Agency of Greece announced today.

Please find below the announcement:

PRESS RELEASE

Athens, May 2nd, 2022

Visiting arrangements for the Samaria Gorge.

We would like to inform you that due to recent landslides in the riverbed that affected access to part of the main trail and forecasts of rain in the coming days, Samaria Gorge will remain accessible only from Agia Roumeli (southern entrance) for the first 2 km of the trail., up to Thursday 05 May 2022.

As of Friday, May 06, Samaria National Park is expected to be accessible from both entrances for the entire route, as long as there will be no issues of accessibility or safety, a new update will be released if necessary.

In addition, for the best possible assistance of the visitors, the opening hours of the Samaria National Park for the season, are scheduled as follows. Entry will be allowed as follows:
a. 07: 00-13:00, for visitors who will cross the entire route (Xyloskalo – Agia Roumeli or Agia Roumeli-Xyloskalo) or part of it.
b. 13:00-15:00, for visitors who will walk exclusively to the first two (2) kilometers from the northern entrance and specifically to the route “Xyloskalo – rest area Neroutsiko”
c. 13:00-16:00, for visitors who will walk exclusively to the first two (2) kilometers from the southern entrance and specifically to the route “Agia Roumeli – resting place – Afentis Christos”.
d. In any case, the visitors must leave the National Park no later than 18:00.

New ticket booking options
As of this year, it is expected to be possible to buy tickets using a debit/credit card, but also online through a special electronic platform. Within the next few days, the technical part for this will be completed and there will be a new announcement. Also, different ticket prices already apply to different categories of guests. The cost of the individual ticket remains at 5 euros, however, it will be possible to buy a group ticket (4 euros/person for groups of more than 10 people), family ticket (3 euros/person), educational ticket (3 euros/person), annual individual ticket Tickets (10 euros), while categories of guests such as children under 18 and adults over 65, parents and children of large families, students and educational attendants will not be required to pay a ticket.

Based on the new Greek government ruling [ΥΠΕΝ/ΓΔΠΠ/26828/406 (ΦΕΚ Β’1414/24.03.2022)] the income from the tickets will henceforth be a resource of Natural Environment & Climate Change Agency of Greece (NECCA), as well as of the neighbouring Municipalities of the park, in order to be used for the implementation of basic works within the National Park, such as the annual maintenance and improvement of the main path and infrastructure, the cleanliness and the supervision of the space.

The Samaria National Park Management Unit continues to implement the necessary infrastructure maintenance daily (uninterrupted path, replacement of infrastructure destroyed due to weather conditions), while will continue throughout the period, upgrading work of the route in both infrastructures as well as in the field of environmental interpretation.

 

Happy trails, everyone!

 

Source: Natural Environment & Climate Change Agency of Greece (necca.gov.gr)

 

FIND SAMARIA GORGE EXCURSIONS HERE: excursions.visitcrete.com