Rechta Gorge at Kolokasia
At the lowest point of the ruined village Kolokasia, Sfakia Provice, at the church of the Virgin Mary (Panagia) starts forming a stream. The stream collects the water of the village. After crossing the olive grove of the village it turns to a small, but rugged, gorge called Rechtas or Rektas. Its name means waterfall in the local dialect. A few meters after the start of the gorge it forms, indeed, a spectacular waterfall about 20 meters high which blocks access to the rest of the gorge without the use of a rope. After the big waterfall, we meet impressive rock shelters and caves used by the locals as paddocks for animals in the past. We cross some small falls, a natural arch, and a grove of carob trees.
At some point, the canyon opens and we meet an old trail that climbs up the side of the east side of the canyon and ends in a rock shelter. This beautiful rock shelter located high above the riverbed offers beautiful views across the gorge and the valley of Fragokastello. This wild rock shelter in recent years turned into a small and wonderful cavernous temple, perhaps the most recent in Crete. The idea of converting the cave into a temple was of the priest from Sfakia, George Chiotakis, who saw an oracle of the Blessed Porphyrios from Athos who advised him to build the temple. Thus informally the church is dedicated to Saint Porphyrius, icons of who are scattered inside the temple as well as several icons of the blank Saint Anthimos from Cephalonia who lived for a short time in the region of Sfakia.
