Descending Omalos

The route has a total length of 99 kilometers and takes about 2.5 hours by car or motorcycle, without stops. It is challenging, with many bends, requiring caution—especially in the winter months when it can become difficult to traverse. It is recommended for visitors who love nature, snow, hiking, mountaineering, adventure, and gastronomic experiences.

In a journey of about 2.5 hours, the wild beauty and grandeur of the White Mountains are revealed. Starting from Omalos, with its many guesthouses and authentic mountain character, the first stop is at Xyloskalo—the gateway to the White Mountains National Park and the legendary Samaria Gorge, a UNESCO monument. If you choose to cross the gorge, known locally as “The Gorge,” you will carry with you unforgettable images. The route then continues to the Seliniotikos Gyros, with breathtaking views, and on to Agia Irini, with its gorge and remarkable hiking trail. At Temenia, the waters tell stories of healing, while Kandanos recalls testimonies and martyrdoms. The journey continues through Aligoi and ends in cosmopolitan Paleochora, with its castle, vast beaches, and many accommodation options.

Local cuisine is a panorama of flavors. Tsigaristo lamb or goat, slowly cooked in its own fat, acquires a golden color and melt-in-the-mouth taste, perfectly paired with good local wine. The table is never without cheese, fennel pies, kalitsounia, and wild greens, which underscore the deep bond between the Cretan dietary culture and the natural environment. To close, a thin pie filled with myzithra and served with honey offers a symbolic taste of local identity.

The richness of the cuisine is completed by the local products found in traditional shops along the route: pichtogalo, graviera, xinomizithra, thyme honey, excellent olive oil, Kountoura tomatoes, cherries from Karanou, Fourné rosewater, and the digestive spring water of Temenia are only a few of this blessed land’s gifts. Herbs, local cured meats, tsikoudia, and wine further enrich the gastronomic identity shaped under the shadow of Madara (Psiloritis), with the shepherd’s wisdom, artisanal skill, and harmony with nature.

Route Products

PDO products: Pichtogalo of Chania, Graviera of Crete, Xinomizithra of Crete, Pine-thyme honey of Crete, Extra virgin olive oil of Selino (Crete).
PGI products: Cretan rusk, Chania wine, Chania olive oil.
Special products: Wild greens, Kountoura tomatoes, Karanou cherries, cured meats, meats, cheeses, and fish of Paleochora.

Route Delicacies

Tsigaristo: A signature dish of the mountain regions of Chania, whose flavor relies on the high quality of its ingredients, particularly meat from animals grazing in the White Mountains. It is essentially cooked in its own fat, over very low heat, until extremely tender, achieving a unique taste.
Cheese or green pies: Cretan pies rival any in Greece, relying on their thin dough filled mainly with local soft white cheeses such as malaka, or with wild greens and herbs like fennel and mint. Served warm, they make an ideal breakfast, snack, or dessert—often drizzled with honey.