Samaria Gorge: Opens renovated for the public this year

The Samaria gorge changed hands and way of management. Until 2021, the National Park, as a visitable area, operated under the supervision of the Chania Forest Directorate of the Decentralized Administration of Crete. This year, however, the management passed to the newly established Organization of Natural Environment and Climate Change (OFYPEKA), which is supervised by the Ministry of Environment and Energy and the local Management Unit of Samaria National Park and Protected Areas of Western Crete.

Race against time

And for the officials of the Organization it was a road race in order to manage to complete the procedures, in less than a month that they had at their disposal, before its official opening on May 1st. In this short period of time, the complete maintenance – and in many places the reopening – of the 13 km main path was completed, which after a particularly heavy winter, presented many and difficult problems.

Protective infrastructure

Also, protective infrastructure was constructed and installed to prevent stone falls on the path, while the cleaning, supervision, technical interventions and overall management were entrusted to external partners, who with the daily presence of about 17 people of various specialties (cleaners, supervisors, guides, craftsmen) take care of the safe crossing of the gorge by more than 1,000 visitors per day.

Ticket payment also by POS

At the same time, the procedures were completed, so that for the first time in the National Park the payment of the ticket can be done by POS (and not only in cash) while an electronic ticket can also be issued. As for the daily monitoring of the weather conditions of the gorge, it is done exclusively through cooperation with the National Observatory of Athens in order to make timely decisions to regulate traffic for reasons of safety and protection of both visitors and the National Park.

Improving the experience

Furthermore, for this year other actions for the overall improvement of the ecotourism experience (replacement of signs, creation of infrastructure with information material, etc.), the maintenance of building infrastructure with aim to be used as exhibition spaces and shops, the promotion and promotion of the gorge of Samaria as a sustainable tourist destination at national and European level, etc, are being planned and are already in the process of preparation by OFYPEKA and the Management Unit.

From May 1, when the trail is fully operational until May 23, more than 18,000 visitors had crossed it. In fact, this year, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the operation of the path in the gorge of Samaria, OFYPEKA. plans to organize an exhibition of museum photographic archival material entitled “The gorge of Samaria in the passage of time”, which will be housed in Xyloskalo Omalou Chania while in the coming years will be transferred to other cities in the country.