Sarakina Gorge
According to Greek mythology, the giant Sarantapihos, who was the son of Zeus, once stopped to drink water from the river Kryos or Myrtos, near Ierapetra. His long beard slashed the mountain in two parts and created the canyon of Sarakina. Sarakina is located very close to the traditional village Mythi and near the seaside settlement of Myrtos, where the river Kryos exits to the sea.
It is considered by many visitors as the nicest hiking gorge in Crete. Its length reaches only 1.5km, but during this short course, the visitor will meet an amazing wonder of Cretan nature, a natural sculpture formed by water over millions of years. Sarakina has imposing walls reaching 150m in height and very narrow passages, usually met in technical gorges (needing canyoneering equipment). Its width ranges from 3 to 10 meters, with only a few points exceeding that.
This is a canyon with most of its length being accessible by anyone, with water, ponds, and only some climbing points requiring attention. What is really impressive is the large quantity of water almost all year round, that forms very beautiful waterfalls and ponds, ideal for swimming, even in summer. In winter, it is impossible to cross the gorge without getting wet. During the course, one has to climb and come through huge boulders and rocky bridges. In tough positions, there are stairs carved in stone and some tree trunks for the easiest climbing.
