The Samaria Gorge is the longest gorge in Europe and also the most famous. Thousands of tourists walk down it every day in the summer. For many, this is the sole purpose of their visit to Crete. Its length reaches 18 kilometers and its descent takes about 4-7 hours, from Omalos to Agia Roumeli. The gorge became a national park in 1962, mainly as a refuge for the rare kri-kri (Cretan ibex).
