The gorge of Samaria is the second most popular tourist attraction in Crete and by far the most popular walk. More than a quarter million people walk through the gorge every year from beginning of May to the end of October. The reason for the popularity of Samaria may be that it is said to be the longest gorge in Europe, it may also simply be that it is an area of stunning natural beauty, passing through forests of ancient cypresses and pines, then cutting very deep between vertical cliffs through the mountains to emerge at Agia Roumeli by the Libyan sea in the South of Crete.
