Zaros is a small picturesque town of approximately 2000 inhabitants in the south slopes of mount Psiloritis, about 46km southwest of Heraklion. It is a place endowed by nature with many springs with crystal clear water. Indeed, the name zaros means the place where a lot of water flows.
The fertile valley of Zaros has always been an ideal place for humans and therefore has been inhabited since ancient times. A Minoan settlement has been identified at the site of Kourtes, and in several places there are the ruins of the large aqueduct of Roman Gortyn. Water, an endless source of life, is an integral part of the history of Zaros, as the visitor perceives from the many old watermills in the village and from the scenic Lake Votomos. But even today, water brings weakth by mass water bottling in modern facilities, the operation of small trout farms, crops, etc.
The rich religious tradition of Zaros is reflected in the great monuments that one meets in and around the village. Within short distance, the visitor can visit the monastery of Vrondissi, the monastery of Agios Nikolaos, the monastery at Varsamonero, the cave of Saint Efthimios, etc. However, nature is just as interesting as one can climb the gorge of Gafaris gorge to the wood of Rouvas, walk in the E4 path that crosses Psiloritis, descend to the Lake of Faneromeni and visit the many deserted hamlets to the south where time has been stopped for decades.
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Folklore and Geological Museum of Zaros 
The Folklore and Geological Museum of Zaros is located next to the church of St. George in Zaros and is housed in a traditional Cretan house. The Museum operates since November 2014.
Trail Kamares - Vorizia - Zaros 
The E4 part connecting Kamares to Zaros is mainly signed with red marks and most of it runs along dirt and paved roads. The route offers nice views to the south outskirts of Psiloritis Range and the historical importance of the villages we come through is high.
This part of the E4 trail connects the core of Rouvas Wood to the east outskirts of Psiloritis mount and gives its position to the next trail crossing the fertile valleys of Heraklion prefecture. It is quite tiring, as it ascends from altitude 950m to 1779m and then descends to 490m. The route offers a great experience of the oak wooded forest of Rouvas, the bare peaks of East Priloritis and, if you are lucky, a nice stay in the shelter of Prinos.
Saint Efthymios church at Zaros 
On the eastern side of the gorge of Rouvas, high above the monastery of Saint Nicholas, we meet the location of Kalives, where the Saints Euthymius and Nikolaos Kourtaliotis lived in the 17th century (around 1670). For some researchers, these are the same person. Inside the cavernous church there are some frescoes and there is a rock-carving with the number 1432, but it is not probably a date, as dates in that era were written with Greek symbols.
The two-aisled church of Saint Kiriaki (Agia Kyriaki) is one of the oldest in the settlement of Zaros, as one of the two aisles dates back to the 14th century and the second to the 17th century. The temple has undergone modern interventions and its interior does not bear frescoes.
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