Walking on one of the most beautiful paths of eastern Crete, through black pine forests.…
Sarakina Gorge
16km west of Ierapetra is located the traditional village of Mythi or Mithi. In a short distance from the village, the small Sarakina Gorge starts, which ends near the coastal village of Mirtos.
The length of the canyon reaches 1.5km and its width ranges from 3 to 10 meters, with only a few points exceeding that. The walls reach a height of 150m, making this narrow gorge very impressive. In the gorge, Kryopotamos river is flowing all over the year.
The locals call the gorge Sarantapihos. According to legend Sarantapihos, a giant (son of Zeus) stopped to drink water from a river. His long beard slashed the mountain in two parts and created the canyon.
The canyon is rich in vegetation, birds and gurgling water. This is a canyon with most of its length being accessible, with water, ponds and some climbing points. It is ideal for a pleasant afternoon or for a walk with your children. The route isn’t always obvious (although in a 10m wide canyon there isn’t much searching to be done) but there are faint yellow arrows painted in quite a few locations, and painted red squares on rocks that are part of the route. Using these (and the obvious carved foot holds) makes finding the best route relatively straight forward.
To get to Sarakina Gorge, take the National Road for Ierapetra City. Once you reach Ierapetra, follow the signs pointing toward Mirtos, which is three or four villages to the west of Ierapetra. Once in Mirtos, you will take the first main road to the right toward Mithi village. After a few minutes you will see a road off to the right with a sign pointing you toward Mithi. Just past the center of the village, you will take a right (there may not be a sign for Sarakina Gorge clearly visible here, but Mithi is tiny, and there is only one road that you can turn right on). From here you will follow the road downhill until you get to a bridge- on the left side of the bridge there is a water treatment plant and a paved parking area. This is the start of Sarakina Gorge.
Huge rocks are spread over the whole length of the gorge. The visitor has to climb over or sometimes pass under them. Depending on the season and the amount of rain during the winter the gorge contains more or less water.
Additional Info
Altitude: 140m to 260m
Starting point: 1200m north of Mithi Village
Path Type: Good Marked path
Difficulty: Relatively easy trail
Walk distance: 1,5-2km oneway
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