Don't know if I spelled it right. But can you tell me your experience hiking the gorge, what to expect, etc. We are staying at Elounda, and I am wondering how we would get to the Gorge, when we would need to get there, how long it takes..... We would really like to hike this...I know it would take about 5-7 hours. We are avid backpackers and dont want to miss this opportunity. Thanks.

Not to be a smart ass, but this question has been asked and answered dozens of times, at least once this month.

If you put Samaria (watch the spelling) in the search box above this, you'll find them.

Or seach for Crete - I've answered a couple recently myself. If you have any further questions after looking at these posts, please ask.

To get to a starting point for the walk down the Gorge take the greek bus on this route Elounda-Ag.Nikolaos-Iraklion-Chania-Paleochora. There is an early morning bus ?06:00 from Paleochora to the top of the Samaria gorge (and the Ag. Irini gorge), at the bottom of the gorge take the boat back to Paleochora.

The more common route and with a shed load of tourists is via an early bus from Chania ?05:15 to the top of the gorge and boat to Chora Sfakia bus to Chania.

You could also try the Zakros gorge between Ano Zakros and Kato Zakros in the east end of Crete much nearer to where you are staying.

Whoa, brotherlee; you wouldn't come ina nd leave from and to the west if you were staying in Elounda.

You'd get the bus over to Omolos and the boat back to Hora Sfakion. You'd not go near Palechora.

I was only suggesting a possibility for maybe 3/4 days trip. There are of course numerous alternative routes, with rooms for rent places everywhere.

Why not go up the gorge you wimps ;-)