Geology

Near Agia Varvara, at position Plakota Harakia, we meet some very special rock formations, reminiscent of huge round pies or hamburgers. Indeed, the locals call them Gria’ (Old Woman’s) Pies or Cheeses. Next to it there is a very large vertical rock, Votiros.

From the village Astiraki, Malevizi province, we can reach the fertile plateau of Vaklia. Before meeting the plateau Strouboulas we meet the position Galia. Galia is a completely barren plateau in contrast to the fertile reddish soils of Vaklia.

Near Skinaria, on the road leading to the beach, you will see a weird cave on your left with a cylindrical shape, which penetrates a boulder. The cave is called Tripiti and is a nesting point for pigeons.

At Tripiti, you'll meet an imposing passage, an open cave, with 200m high cliffs and amazing views to Lagada and Mesada areas. According to tradition, once the Turks stole the legendary icon of Virgin Mary from Kera monastery, but the icon used to return miraculously every time. Once, the icon flew hill and crashed to the mount, forming this cave.

At the end of the long beach or a Pahia Ammos, at the west side of Paleochora, there is the Horse of Paleochora. This is not an animal but a very large and impressive rock of conglomerate limestone that reminds of a horse head. With a little imagination one can see the face and the eyes of the horse watching the long sandy beach that stretches in front of it.

The spring of Gineka is a source of life for all the goats in the region and is an important point for the reproduction of frogs. Next to the spring there are ruins of an old building and some ancient terraces which served to hold the ground the area for cultivation of grain.

At the eastern end of Chora Sfakia harbor we meet the rock of Tsagaris (shoemaker). Tsagaris is a towering and sharp rock that stands out from the rest rocks in the area. From afar the rock looks like merging with the opposite side, however from below one notes that it hangs separate from others and is nowhere joined. Its top reminds of a head.

A very interesting geological attraction is the rocks that resemble giant anthropomorphic figures in the Asterousia range. These figures, like marble gods that were worshiped in antiquity, even today dominate a ridge north of the village Paranymfi.