April 7, 1960 its inhabitants Samaria And her Agia Roumeli declare an “unwritten law”: “… We give our word of honor that we will not only not hunt this animal, but, on the contrary, we will protect it, and we will immediately report anyone who tries to exterminate it to local authorities. Finally, our signature seals this Ymas Logon.”

Two years later, Samaria was declared a national park. And from the first walkers of that time, the gorge today receives tens of thousands of visitors every summer month and is one of the best naturalistic destinations in Chania prefecture.

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the founding Samaria National ForestThe Organization for Environment and Climate Change (OFYPEKA), which includes all the bodies that manage protected areas, is organizing a photo exhibition these days highlighting various aspects of Samaria, from nature to man.

“The photographs selected for the exhibition demonstrate the natural and man-made capital of Samaria and are divided into sections. Behind the goat are the peaks of the White Mountains, the biodiversity of the gorge and life inside the gorge. Let’s not forget that inside the gorge was the village of Samaria, which was abandoned in the 60s, and its buildings are now used for the needs of the forestry,” explains Antonis Barnias, head of the OFYPEKA local branch.

Photo exhibition dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the proclamation of the national park.

According to him, the photos are taken from the archive of the Samaria National Park and West Crete Protected Areas OFYPEKA, from the archive of Antonis Plimakis, one of the oldest climbers of Chania, from the archive of Kyriakos Virvydakis, a former member of parliament and mayor, from the Mountaineering Association of Chania, as well as many photographers or collectors who have responded to the OFYPEKA call.

Mr. Barney’s favorite photograph is chosen for the “cover” of the exhibition. It depicts a woman holding a small goat in her arms, and next to her is her child. “This photograph, taken in the village of Samaria, shows the absolute balance that existed between man and wildlife. It is no coincidence that the promise made by residents back in the 1960s was to protect the goat by recognizing its uniqueness.”

Today the Samaria Gorge is one of the best places in Chania. “About 80,000 people visited it between May and July. Traffic in June and July is a record for the last 16 years,” says Mr. Barnias. “The way a visit to the canyon is made, that is, when groups cross it along a predetermined route that cannot be deviated from – therefore there is no scattering of the world – there is no significant impact.” However, it should be noted that this year the OFYPECA ambulance station in Samaria was left without a doctor.

The exhibit will run at the Samaria National Forest Information Center in Xyloskalo until Thursday, October 20, 2022. Admission is free.