Kavousi-Mesonas Gorge-Thripti

This route which we recommend is one of the most exciting hikes in eastern Crete . A good physical condition is required, but the way is fantastic and our point of view is that you will access the most impressive place of the Sitian Mountains .

At the eastern side of Kavoussi we follow the way which leads to the archaeological excavations (Azoria site).

We pass through olive trees and after half an hour of walking the path is branched. On your right the path leads to the excavations, but we ascend on you our left.

We pass by a small church and in a few minutes we reach a pass which starts to descend. There, on your right, it is the start of a small cement road which ascends onto the mountainside. We follow this way and we go on walking for about 200 m . On our left we see a cement channel for water.

We get out of the cement road and we start walking by the channel to the east. At first the path by the channel is not clear-sighted, but we try to walk by the channel. After about 100m the path becomes clear-sighted, by the channel always.

There we start entering the amazing gorge of Mesonas, where the path is uphill to its top. If you access it in spring, fresh running water streams in the channel and you can quench your thirst at any time. The path climbs up to the bluff sides of the cliff and it offers to you a fabulous view to the gorge, to the surrounding mountains and to the bay of Agios Nikolaos.

The access through the gorge will take you almost one hour. When we reach at the top of the gorge, the cement channel goes on till an isolated cottage and then till the dust road. The time you need from the end of the gorge to the dust road is almost 15 minutes.
We turn on our right, i.e. at the west and we start walking on the dust road and we will arrive at Platanias settlement after 45 minutes of uphill walking. Here we are very close to Thripti village, and we go on walking on the dust road, which has no more uphill grades. In 15 minutes’ walking we see the first houses of Thripti village within the plateau. The view is unlimited to the bay of Agios Nikolaos.

As we enter the settlement, we take the right road which leads to the western sides of the village. In 20 minutes the dust road ends and we arrive at the top of the mount Papoura (height 1020m). The view again is unlimited to Ierapetra, to the Mounts of Lassithi and to the bay of Agios Nikolaos . When the weather is good and the visibility is clear, the view is breathtaking.
Consider that the time you need from Kavoussi to Papoura peak is 3.5 – 4.5 hours. The return from the same way is 2.5-3.5 hours.

When you return you can take the dust road from the small Platanias village to Kavoussi. We preferred to cross one more time through the gorge, because its beauty had captured us and we felt it was worth to pass it again!!