Samaria: OFYPEKA asks Chania to take responsibility

This year’s tourist season at the Samaria Gorge was marked by repeated complaints from residents and shopkeepers in the area, who reacted to the frequent closures of the national park based on weather forecasts. For residents who depend on the gorge’s visitor traffic, every closure translates into a direct loss of income, which explains the intensity of the reactions throughout the season. The issue came to a head when, in one instance, residents of Agia Roumeli decided on their own to open the gorge and invite visitors to cross it, bypassing the official closure decision. Criticism was directed mainly at the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (OFYPEKA), responsible for the area’s environmental protection.

The Organisation, as it itself notes, does not however have authority over Civil Protection, a fact at the centre of the dispute over the closure decisions. This distinction of responsibilities does not always appear clear to residents, who attribute responsibility to the body they see managing the gorge on a daily basis. As early as August 7, 2026, there had already been an intervention by Kalogeris regarding the gorge’s closures, who had described the decisions as “often unjustified.” This public criticism had already at the time highlighted the issue of responsibilities among the bodies involved in managing the gorge, without however a definitive solution having been given since then.

In response to the discussion that arose, OFYPEKA sent a letter to the Region of Crete requesting approval of the emergency plan and the signing of a programme agreement to reduce the risk from rainfall. The Organisation recalls actions taken in the past, such as after the rockfalls in 2023, following an earthquake, and in 2024 after heavy rainfall, incidents that had also led to the gorge’s temporary closure for safety reasons. This move essentially shifts the weight of the decision to the Chania Regional Unit, calling on it to take on a more active role in risk management and to set an official framework for cooperation with the Organisation.

The issue remains open, as the balance between visitor safety and the economic consequences of the closures for the residents of Agia Roumeli and the wider area has not yet found a solution. The Region’s response to OFYPEKA’s request is expected to largely determine the framework for the gorge’s operation for the next season, while residents of the area continue to demand clearer criteria for closure decisions. Until any programme agreement is signed, the question of who ultimately decides on the opening or closing of the gorge remains without a clear answer, something that may bring back the same dispute next season as well.