During the high season, the village of Omalós is crowded with tourists. The high season commences when the famous Samaria gorge opens, on May 1st. Luckily for us, we stayed here just before that time, since we prefer the quiet over the crowd. Apart from the famous Samaria gorge, Omalós is known for its tulips - somewhat ironic perhaps for a Dutch visitor. Indeed, we found fields packed with Tulipa saxatilis; but we also enjoyed other flowers, such as anemones and the beautiful Snake-head's iris, Iris tuberosa.

Early in the morning, the tulips and anemones are still closed, so we first explored the mountain slopes around the entrance of the Samarita gorge.