Best things to do in Omalos in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Omalos is a mountain plateau village in the White Mountains of the Chania region, about 21.5 km south of Chania. Omalos carries Xyloskalo, the upper entrance to the Samaria Gorge, so the plateau is where the most famous trekking gorge in Europe begins. Thousands of people start that walk here each day through the summer season, and for many of them the gorge is the whole reason they came to the island.
Chania airport lies 30.5 km away, with Kissamos 28.1 km and Rethymno 52.5 km distant. The village works as a trailhead and a place to sleep before an early start rather than as a resort, and four gorges lie within 7 km of it.
Things to do in and around Omalos
Five outings lie within about 10 km of the plateau, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Walk the Samaria Gorge. The route starts at Xyloskalo on the Omalos plateau, 4.2 km from the village, and runs 13 km down to Agia Roumeli beach in about five to seven hours depending on pace. Samaria forms part of the European E4 hiking trail, and the river that cut it runs between the main massif of the White Mountains, the Lefka Ori, and the Volakias range.
- Find the Askidia canyon. The turning is on the Chania to Sougia road at the Petras Seli intersection, and about 1.5 km past the Omalos turnoff a dirt road and footpath drop into the Platanos area, which is thick with ferns, plane trees and springs. Askidia is also called the Prasses canyon, because its exit lies at 480 m beside Askidia village, a part of Prasses. The canyon sits 5.1 km from Omalos in the forested country of the White Mountains.
- Take on the Fygou gorge. The Fygou Gorge lies 5.5 km from the village.
- Hike the Agia Irini gorge. The Agia Irini Gorge is 6.3 km away, the fourth canyon within easy reach of the plateau.
- Drive down to Theriso. The mountain village 10 km away is reached by a winding 6 km climb through the Theriso Gorge on a narrow but fully asphalted road. Theriso has tavernas and coffeehouses shaded by tall plane trees, and it stands at the centre of Cretan revolutionary history as the birthplace of Eleftherios Venizelos’s mother and the launch point of his 1905 revolution.
About the village and its setting
Omalos is a plateau rather than a coastal settlement, and everything about the village follows from that. The plateau sits high in the Lefka Ori, the White Mountains of western Crete, and it is reached from the Chania to Sougia road by turning at the Petras Seli intersection. Neos Omalos stands 100 m from the centre.
South of the plateau the land empties out completely. The Samaria Gorge runs through an uninhabited part of Europe where no roads exist at all, in the south of the Chania region, which is why the only way through it is on foot. Theriso, 10 km away at the base of the same mountains and roughly 16 km from Chania city, shows the other face of this range: a village you can drive to, with plane trees over the tables.
Beaches in and around Omalos
Omalos has no beach, because the village sits inland on a mountain plateau in the White Mountains. The nearest shore it connects to is Agia Roumeli beach, at the bottom end of the Samaria Gorge.
Reaching that beach from Omalos means walking. Agia Roumeli lies 13 km below Xyloskalo through the gorge, a descent of five to seven hours, and no road runs to it, so the walk is the route rather than a drive. Anyone basing a beach holiday on Omalos is in the wrong place; the plateau is for the mountains, and the coast is a separate trip.
Where to eat in Omalos
Eating around Omalos comes down to a short list, as it does in most mountain villages. The nearest place we list sits 2.5 km from the plateau.
- Cafe-Taverna I Miliá stands 2.5 km from Omalos.
Getting to Omalos
Drive to Omalos from Chania on the road towards Sougia, turning at the Petras Seli intersection for the plateau. Chania is 21.5 km north, Kissamos 28.1 km and Rethymno 52.5 km, and Chania airport lies 30.5 km from the village.
Walkers who go down the Samaria Gorge do not come back the same way, because the route ends 13 km away at Agia Roumeli on the south coast. Plan the return before setting off, and leave the car where it makes sense for the way you intend to get back.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Omalos in Crete?
Omalos lies about 21.5 km south of Chania, on a plateau in the White Mountains of the Chania region in western Crete.
Does Omalos have a beach?
Omalos has no beach, because it sits inland on a mountain plateau. The nearest shore it connects to is Agia Roumeli beach, 13 km on foot down the Samaria Gorge.
How far is Omalos from Chania airport?
Chania airport sits 30.5 km from Omalos, with the last part of the drive climbing to the plateau from the Chania to Sougia road.
Does the Samaria Gorge start at Omalos?
Yes, the Samaria Gorge starts at Xyloskalo on the Omalos plateau. Xyloskalo is 4.2 km from the village, and the trail runs from there down to the south coast.
How long does the Samaria Gorge take from Omalos?
The walk takes almost five to seven hours over 13 km, depending on pace, and it finishes at Agia Roumeli beach. The gorge forms part of the European E4 hiking trail.
Where Omalos is
Best things to do in Omalos in 2024 is located at Omalós. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
