Samaria Gorge ticket office (Xyloskala) Everything you want to ask, read or write about Sfakia, southwest Crete, or Crete island in general.

[jan]

Posted on behalf of a friend - I haven't been on the Omalos this year so can't give her a definitive answer.

Our friend has been told that the ticket office for the Gorge has been moved to the Natural History museum/exhibition whose entrance is a little way back down the road from Xyloskala towards Omalos hamlet. This seems unlikely to me but I'd be grateful for information from anyone who's passed that way recently and can confirm/deny the rumour.

Thanks in advance.

[owl]

Hi Jan,

I noticed this when I was there in early May. The new place is about 50 yards from the old one. If you walk down the road in the direction of Omalos it is on the left.

Regards

John

[jan]

Thanks.

Did you notice whether or not the Gorge ticket office has moved? The building itself has been there for a few years but usually closed/deserted.

[Jane]

We walked the Gorge last week for the first time and the ticket office was by the museum and toilets.

I found the walk very hard and am glad I've done it but never again! My legs still ache after five days!

[owl]

The previous ticket office (the wardens stone hut - at the top of the Xyloskala) is still there. The warden probably still checks tickets of walkers entering and leaving the gorge - this is the only practical way to 'police' who is in the gorge. A couple of years ago the bus company changed the route of the evening bus from Sougia to Hania - it now returns via Xyloscala. As a result a lot of gorge walkers drive to Xyloscala and park their hire cars in the vicinity of the new ticket office. In the evening they catch the ferry from Agia Roumeli to Sougia, then the bus from Sougia to Xyloscala - pick up their hire cars and return to their resort.

Perhaps the gorge authority moved the ticket office to encourage people to visit the museum and shop?

Regards

John

[jan]

Thanks very much for atking the time to reply. I'll pass on the info to our friend.

Best wishes

Jan

[jan]

Thanks Jane. I hope your legs have stopped aching now. so you're just left with the good memories.