Abandoned village made national park

An abandoned village whose residents were relocated when the Samariá Gorge was made into a national park in 1962 became a major tourist attraction in the island of Crete and a world’s biosphere reserve.

Samariá lies just inside the gorge, the last remaining inhabitants to make way for the park finally abandoned the place  was named by the village’s ancient church, Óssia María.

The walk through the majestic viewing of nature is 13 kilometers long adding three more to Agia Roumeli from the park exit, making the hike 16 kilometers long.

One of the most famous parts of the gorge is the stretch known as the Gates, where the sides get close in to a width of only four meters and soar up to a height of almost 300 meters (980 feet).

The gorge became a national park in 1962, particularly as a refuge for the rare kri-kri (Cretan goat), which is largely restricted to the park and an island just off the shore of Agia Marina. There are several other endemic species in the gorge and surrounding area, as well as many other species of flowers and birds.