Samaria Gorge Safety Measures Amp Up

Perhaps nothing says “welcome to nature,” like 1,200 people surging through Samaria Gorge on the very first day. The National Park gatekeepers opened their doors at 7 a.m. sharp, unleashing hikers of every age and nationality onto the rocks. Travelers arrived early, probably hoping for a quiet encounter with Crete’s wilderness. Instead, they found themselves part of what could easily be described as a rolling festival—a parade with less music and more practical footwear.

• 1,251 visitors entered the Samaria Gorge on opening day from Xyloskalo.
• Day two saw 780 arrivals, clearly exhausted by the previous day’s excitement.
• By 9 a.m. today, another 250 made it through the ticket booth, undeterred by rising ticket prices.

Samaria Gorge Safety Goes High-Tech (and a Bit Low-Brow)

In an effort to keep the park’s definition of “adventure” on the lighter side of disaster, officials introduced some high-profile safety changes. Someone, somewhere, decided that weather should not just be discussed, but actively monitored. Enter “nowcasting”—a tech tool alerting staff to severe weather up to two hours before it arrives, at specific trouble spots.

• Three weather stations guard the entrance, midpoint, and exit.
• A new helmet policy lets you borrow protective headgear at the entrance and return it in Agia Roumeli.
• “It’s a very useful measure,” said Manolis Manatakis, a 30-year gorge veteran. “Even a bird can make a rock fall.”

For those still wondering who’s running the show:

• 22 staff oversee operations.
• Eight people patrol the trail.
• Four mule wranglers with four mules—obviously.
• Cleaning and technical crews orbit in the background.
• Entry point coordinators do their best, presumably with a wary eye on both tourists and falling objects.

From Ticket Shock to Helmet Chic

The price of “adventure” has doubled: tickets are now 10 euros, up from the humble five. Visitors can buy them online or embrace tradition and hand over cash at the kiosk.

On the bright side, you now have the option to borrow a helmet, which transforms the hike into a sort of amateur spelunking event, minus the caves and the constant threat of enthusiastic goats.

• Free safety helmets are available to all and must be returned at the exit.
• The goal: fewer concussions, more postcards.
• Hikers must start the 13-kilometer route before 1 p.m. After that, only the first two kilometers are open—because timed suffering is apparently more manageable.

Among the lively crowd was a one-year-old girl from Germany, comfortably perched in a backpack-style seat on her father’s shoulders. Of course, she has already crossed the Vikos Gorge; at this rate, she’ll outpace most professional hikers by kindergarten.