The Samaria Gorge- Crete

The Samariá Gorge has been a National Park in Crete since 1962 - a major tourist attraction of the island – and a World Biosphere Reserve. We travelled by bus from Chania to a height of 1,250 m at the northern entrance.The cool winds swirl around the pine trees at the top and a little shiver goes through you. We entered the National Park with lots of other eager hikers and started making our way down on the broad stone steps. You need to keep your eyes on the ground because the stones are uneven and very slippery from use so it is easy to slip over or sprain an ankle. We saw a hiker do exactly that but she was rescued and placed on a horse or mule ambulance to take her out of the park. It would be a long ride so ... eyes on the ground for the most part but then stop and look up to this- 

Not sure those logs will be long lasting but there were parts of gorge where clearly walkers had enjoyed the thought of leaving their mark playfully on the wood and with the rocks. 

We walked down many steps, slipped on stones and fumbled our way over loose ones. The hike was through the pine trees, plane trees and tall cypresses. In parts it has shaded rest places. After some four hours of walking we were finally right in the depth of the gorge walking along the river bed which burbled with crystal clear water. We crossed bridges and walked along dry river beds, looked at the geological formations and saw the pressures on the earth's shape right in front of our very eyes. 

We marvelled at the trees that came out of bare rock and compressed layers which formed their solid seas. 

The most animated of all were the expressive goats that scrambled fearlessly on the precipices or lay sleeping during siesta time. The gorge was 13kms long and at the end of it was the village of Agia Roumeli which appeared completely isolated on the edge of the most beautiful bay. The water deep and soulful and very cooling and the scenery passionate. The sand black as the goat and burning hot.